Ógra FF calls for review of EU / Israeli Trade Agreement

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report

Monday July 24, 2006 16:40

by Max - Ogra

Ógra Fianna Fáil has called for the immediate reconvening of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs to discuss the implications of recent Israeli actions to the EU-Israel Association Agreement which governs trade relations between the EU and Israel.

"Respect for human rights is an essential element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement which governs trade relations between the EU and Israel. In the light of events over the last thirteen days, we feel that the human rights provisions of this Agreement must now be examined" stated Ógra spokesperson Peter Doris.

Mr Doris went on to say that "members of Ógra Fianna Fáil are horrified at the recent upsurge of violence across Lebanon and Northern Israel and the increasingly desperate situation in Gaza. While violence on both sides must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, we feel that the Israeli military response has been harsh and grossly disproportionate."

"Many hundreds of innocent victims have been killed indiscriminately by military strikes directed at civilian population centres and an extensive range of public infrastructure has been devastated and destroyed. This in turn has lead to untold misery and suffering for the people of the region and to the increasing danger of a serious humanitarian crisis."

Such actions are in flagrant breach of several international laws and accords and have been condemned by the UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator as a "violation of humanitarian law."

"The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs should be recalled urgently to discuss the implications of recent Israeli actions to the EU-Israel Association agreement" concluded Mr Doris

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Comments (7 of 7)

Time to suspend all trade with Israel

by Ali H.

Wed Jul 26, 2006 16:29

The EU is Israel's largest trading partner accounting for 40% of Israeli exports and $6BN in trade surplus for Israel.

"The EU/Israel Action Plan allows for the possibility for Israel to participate progressively in key aspects of EU policies and programmes, to upgrade the scope and intensity of political co-operation, to encourage the approximation of Israeli legislation as a means to opening the EU internal market to Israel, and for the pursuit of greater liberalisation of trade, services and agriculture. "

Israel's priveleged status however is dependent on Israel playing by the rules.

"The Action Plan identifies inter alia as priorities co-operation in areas such as the Middle East conflict, counter-terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, human rights, improved dialogue between cultures and religions, migration issues, fight against organised crime, human trafficking and police and judicial co-operation, transport, energy, environment, science and technology, and people-to-people contacts."

Israel's conduct against both Palestinians and more recently the Lebanese people is clearly in breach of specific requirements of the agreement, and obviously of the spirit of the whole agreement.

It is high time therefore that the EU suspend all trade with Israel under this agreement pending an immediate ceasefire and the payment of reparations to the Lebanese government and the Palestinian Authority for the wholesale destruction of civilian infrastructure and loss of civilian lives.

I would suggest that all payments for Israeli goods and services also be diverted into a fund for the reconstruction of Lebanon and Gaza until further notice.

Can anybody explain?

by Curious

Wed Jul 26, 2006 16:43

Produced on stolen land

Wed Jul 26, 2006 17:17

Much of the Israeli production of herbs is actually located on land stolen by the Israelis in the West Bank since 1967.

Time to suspend trade with Muslim extremists?

by Anychanceofbalance?

Wed Jul 26, 2006 17:24

Before jumping down my throat can i just point out a couple of things:

1. It was Hezbollah who kicked off this current round of the ongoing arab-israeli war by kidnapping a couple of Israeli conscripts

2. Hezbollah are firing long range rockets into civilian targets in Israel

3. Israel is surrounded by hostile countries, all of which co-ordinated to attack them on the same day only 30 short years ago, one of which, Iran, is now led by a man who has said he wants to wipe Israel off the map and apparently has the means to do so

4. Israel, unlike most of its neighbours, is a democracy and even though religious based parties exist there they have never taken over the state

5. Like it or not, the state of Israel arose out of the Holocaust which most Europeans did nothing to pre-empt, and was only brought to an end by the intervention of that monstrous evil, the USA

6. This excellent discussion forum indymedia.ie wouldn't survive 5 minutes in a society run by the likes of hezbollah and other muslim extremists

So can we be spared the usual anti-Israeli rants and focus instead on supporting those within Israel who support democracy and human rights and national security based on mutual respect and tolerance?

conspiracy

by hmmz

Wed Jul 26, 2006 17:28

Go into to any of the supermarkets - Dunnes, Tesco's and/or Superquinn and they are all selling potatos and herbs like basil and parsley all the way from Israel. WTF is the story there? Its not as if they are hard to grow here.

Its a conspiracy against the Irish people by the zionists. they have infected the herbs with special drugs that drain your brainpower and implant neurons in your skull, the herbs are flown in to shannon on return trip of the US planes that deliver arms to Israel and Iraq, and i have heard that they use the herbs in Egypt where then they torture people by lashing them with great wads of parsley

that kinda fits in with some of the responses people usually post and is of course totally untrue

Too much herb

by Bad Goy

Wed Jul 26, 2006 18:31

Been trying too much of that Zionist week yourself have you? Don't you know that one of the signs of overuse is paranoia?

Ban all Israeli goods

by Sheepstealer

Wed Jul 26, 2006 19:47

As Israel is clearly in breach of this EU-Israel Association Agreement, all trade agreements should be terminated between the corrupt EU and Israel and outstanding payments for goods should, indeed, be diverted to a fund set-up for the reconstruction and alleviation of suffering caused to Lebanese and Palestinian people by the Israeli's attacks.

Perhaps, Ógra Fianna Fáil could make an appeal to their Chieftain, Bertie, to make a bold announcement that he condemns all Israel's attacks on S. Lebanon and Palestine and that he wishes to bring in a ban on the importation of all Israeli goods to Ireland and (in light of the great power the corrupt EU has over this island) will appeal to those countries who have more say than Éire in the corrupt EU to terminate all EU trade agreements it has made with Israel immediately.

Your (spineless) Chieftain, Bertie, should also be strongly condemning the USA and Ms. Rice for her failure to condemn Israel's military attacks on South Lebanon and their attacks on UN workers and their aiding and abetting of the Israeli Government in financing this slaughter. Ms. Rice's offer of financial assistance to Lebanon really won't do much to alleviate the suffering there, when on the other hand the US are also providing financial assistance to the attackers Israel and the USA won't even condemn the slaughter by Israel (load of bollocks!).

This country should not trade with Israel in light of the catastrophic destruction of S. Lebanon and the gross attacks and human rights violations occurring and continuing for numerous years in the West Bank and Gaza Strip of Palestine.

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Ógra FF calls for review of EU / Israeli Trade Agreement

Comments (7 of 7)