According to the European Commission, the State of Israel is responsible for an unprecedented level of killing and injury of civilians, a large-scale displacement of population and the systematic destruction of hospitals and medical facilities in Gaza. [1] Israel also implemented a blockade of humanitarian aid that could amount to starvation as a method of war. Israel is in breach of multiple rules and obligations under international law and fails to prevent the crime of genocide as ordered by the International Court of Justice.[2]

Yet the European Union has still not suspended its association agreement with Israel, which is the cornerstone of EU-Israel bilateral trade, economic, and political cooperation.

EU citizens cannot tolerate that the EU maintains an agreement that contributes to legitimize and finance a State that commits crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Therefore, we call on the Commission to put forward the proposal to the Council for the full suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

[1] European External Action Service, note of the Office of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, 20 June 2025 https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar0246a0da

[2] International Court of Justice, Order of 26 January 2024 https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447

Annex In 1995, the EU has concluded an Association agreement with the State of Israel, aiming at facilitating and increasing trade, providing a framework for bilateral political dialogue, and fostering scientific, technologic and cultural cooperation.

With more than 34% of Israel's imports originating from the EU, and 28.8% of Israeli exports flowing to the EU, the EU is Israel’s first trade partner. Total trade in goods between the EU and Israel in 2024 amounted to €42.6 billion.[3]

In 2021, Israel joined Horizon Europe, the EU’s main funding programme for research and innovation.1.11 billion euros from the EU’s Horizon Europe fund goes to Israeli companies, universities and public bodies. Among the 921 projects with 231 Israeli recipients are companies that are closely involved with the Israeli military.[4]

Article 2 of the EU-Israel association agreement provides that “Relations between the Parties, as well as all the provisions of the Agreement itself, shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles, which guides their internal and international policy and constitutes an essential element of this Agreement”

A breach of Article 2 gives the right to the other Party to unilaterally suspend the Agreement. Several international institutions have given evidence that Israel is in breach of Article 2 :

The European External Action Service (EEAS) report, [5] communicated to the Council on 20 June 2025 gives a detailed account of the rules and obligations of international law breached by the State of Israel in the Gaza Strip and in the West bank; particularly with regard to the blockade of humanitarian aid, indiscriminate attacks on civilians, the systematic targeting of hospitals and medical facilities, and forced displacement of populations.

In its Order of 26 January 2024,[6] the International Court of Justice (ICJ) orders the State of Israel to do all in its power to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

ICJ Order of 28 March2024 [7] orders the State of Israel to “Take all necessary and effective measures to ensure, without delay, in full co-operation with the United Nations, the unhindered provision at scale by all concerned of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, electricity, fuel, shelter, clothing, hygiene and sanitation requirements, as well as medical supplies and medical care to Palestinians throughout Gaza [...].

By the ICJ Order of May 2024 [8] “The Court considers that, in conformity with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, Israel must immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah Governorate, which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part”.

ICJ Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025 provides that Israel must “ensure that the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory has the essential supplies of daily life, including food, water, clothing, bedding, shelter, fuel, medical supplies and services” and “facilitate by all means at its disposal relief schemes on behalf of the population of the Occupied Palestinian Territory so long as that population is inadequately supplied, as has been the case in the Gaza Strip”.[9]

Despite the evidence of multiple violations of human rights and international law brought up by the abovementioned institutions, the European Union has still to this date not taken any meaningful action to condemn or to sanction the State of Israel, like, for instance, the suspension of its association agreement with Israel.

Such failure to act is not in line with the EU Treaties themselves : it is clear from the Treaties that all actions and policies of the EU, including international agreements, must contribute to and ensure respect of human rights and international law.

According to Article 3 (5) of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU), “In its relations with the wider world, the Union shall uphold and promote its values” [...] and “shall contribute to peace, security, the sustainable development of the Earth, solidarity and mutual respect among peoples [....] and the protection of human rights, in particular the rights of the child, as well as to the strict observance and the development of international law, including respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter.”

In addition, article 21 TEU states that “The Union's action on the international scene shall be guided by the principles which have inspired its own creation, development and enlargement, and which it seeks to advance in the wider world: democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for human dignity, the principles of equality and solidarity, and respect for the principles of the United Nations Charter and international law.”

Article 205 TFEU states that “The Union's action on the international scene, pursuant to this Part, shall be guided by the principles, pursue the objectives and be conducted in accordance with” the provisions laid down in article 21 TEU mentioned above.

Lastly, article 207 TFEU provides that “The common commercial policy shall be conducted in the context of the principles and objectives of the Union's external action”

The EU’s obligation to act does not stem only from its founding treaties but also from UN treaties and customary international law and the International Court of Justice Orders.

The EU must immediately utilise all available legal, diplomatic and economic means - among which the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement - to force the Israeli government to cease its human rights violations, uphold international law and to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians.

[3] https://policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-relationships-country-and-region/countries-and-regions/israel_en

[4] https://www.ftm.eu/newsletters/bureau-brussels-eu-funds-israel-defense-sector

[5] European External Action Service, note of the Office of the EU Special Representative on Human Rights, 20 June 2025 https://euobserver.com/eu-and-the-world/ar0246a0da

[6] International Court of Justice, Order of 26 January 2024 https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203447

[7] International Court of Justice, Order of 28 March 2024 https://www.icj-cij.org/node/203847

[8] International Court of Justice, Summary of the Order of 24 may 2024 https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204100#%3A%7E%3Atext=The+Court+considers+that%2C+in%2Cits+physical+destr uction%20in%20whole

[9] ICJ Advisory Opinion– Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 22 October 2025 https://www.un.org/unispal/document/icj-advisory-opinion-22oct2025/

Hungary has repeatedly used its EU veto to block sanctions on Israel; if opposition leader Péter Magyar wins and aligns with Brussels to unlock billions in funding, Jerusalem could lose its last line of defense in the bloc

How significant would a Magyar victory be for Israel? Officials familiar with the matter say a Hungary led by Magyar would not resemble Spain or Ireland, which have taken some of the most hardline positions against Israel in the European Union. Magyar is a center-right candidate. The concern for Israel lies in his campaign promise to secure $15 billion in EU funding for Hungary.

To do so, he would need to align with Brussels. This would likely mean the end of Hungary’s veto on decisions targeting Israel. As a result, Jerusalem could lose its last line of defense in the EU against sanctions, which require unanimity among all 27 member states. Hungary’s vote has repeatedly blocked such initiatives, and that protection could now disappear.

The number of garage forecourts without fuel in Ireland could rise to 500 by Friday night if blockades continue, according to the CEO of Fuels for Ireland.

Kevin McPartlan said more than 100 garages are currently without fuel but said the number will rise if the situation is not resolved.

Travel across parts of the Republic of Ireland has been affected for the fourth day in a row as slow-moving convoys made up of vehicles, including tractors, have been blocking roads in protest against high fuel prices caused by the US and Israeli war against Iran.

The Irish government said they are close to finalising a support package after a meeting between officials and representative bodies on Friday.

A new bill could block property purchases, including for homebuyers, if the potential buyer is suspected of “anti-constitutional activities” — even without any criminal conviction.

The new dystopian bill, pushed by Construction Minister Verena Hubertz of the far- ~~left~~ right Social Democrats (SPD), could mean those who hold the wrong political views are blocked from real estate purchases.

*Kiev nazi regime

cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/8195376

cross-posted from: https://news.abolish.capital/post/40809

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Wednesday welcomed news of a two-week ceasefire in Iran as a step back from the brink of catastrophe, but said the war's aggressors—the US and Israel—deserved no praise for the temporary reprieve.

"Ceasefires are always good news. Especially if they lead to a just and lasting peace," Sánchez wrote on social media. "But this momentary relief cannot make us forget the chaos, the destruction, and the lives lost. The government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket."

"What’s needed now: diplomacy, international legality, and PEACE," the prime minister added.

Drawing US President Donald Trump's ire, Spain's government has opposed the US-Israeli war on Iran from the start, calling it a "cruel, absurd, and illegal" assault and closing off Spain's military bases and airspace to American forces involved in the attack.

"Remaining silent in the face of an unjust war is an act of cowardice and complicity," Sánchez said last month.

Spain's foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, said Wednesday that the government supports "the crucial work of the mediators," including Pakistan, in preventing further escalation of the conflict that the US and Israel launched in late February.

"Diplomacy, negotiation, and international law are the only path to the lasting peace that the citizens of the Middle East deserve," said Albares. "All parties must show responsibility and commitment to ceasing attacks and de-escalating, which Spain will continue to support."

The foreign minister went on to stress that the ceasefire "must extend to Lebanon," which Israel has invaded and bombed relentlessly in recent weeks, displacing 20% of the country's population, devastating its healthcare system, and killing more than 1,500 people. On Wednesday, the Israeli's unleashed a massive bombing blitz of Beirut, the nation's capital and largest city.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said following Trump's announcement of the two-week ceasefire deal with Iran that the agreement "does not include Lebanon."

"Spain will not spare any efforts in supporting the Pakistani mediation efforts in the war in the Middle East and in paving the way for diplomacy," Albares said Wednesday. "Today is a day of hope that we hope will culminate in a definitive peace that must include Lebanon."

From Common Dreams via This RSS Feed.

After a top reporter at the BBC drew outrage for publishing a quote demanding Iran be nuked, she’s been revealed as a dedicated regime change activist whose career was launched by a CIA-founded propaganda network. Serious questions remain about the BBC’s editorial process.

At the ripe old age of 27, Ghoncheh Habibiazad has already achieved more than most British journalists will in their lifetime. After just four years in the field, she has already risen to the position of ‘Senior Reporter’ at BBC Persian – a prestigious and influential role which requires a “minimum of 8 – 10 years of experience in journalism,” according to a BBC job listing.

Following four years of higher education on the Iranian government’s dime, Habibiazad graduated from the University of Tehran in 2020, and immediately began aligning herself with her country’s enemies. In October 2021, she was brought on as an intern at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), a CIA propaganda project founded by notorious spymaster Allen Dulles which nominally separated from the Agency in the 70s. During her time at the network’s studio in Prague, Habibiazad’s LinkedIn page notes that she conducted such groundbreaking investigations as “an article on “hidden disabilities”” while “working remotely for Radio Farda,” an RFE/RL subdivision that serves as Washington’s official Persian-language mouthpiece.

The same month she began interning for RFE/RL, Habibiazad joined forces with Marjan TV, another outlet founded by expat regime change activists. She would spend the next year and half developing social media content for the outlet and its subsidiary, Manoto TV. The broadcaster has been described by Iranian academic Shahab Esfandiary as “a pro-monarchy network with the mission of glorifying the Pahlavi dynasty, one of the worst dictatorships of the 20th century.”

A quick glance at Manoto’s YouTube channel reveals the depths of the organization’s obsession with the widely-despised former ruling family. Nearly every other video greeting visitors to the page features the face of Reza Pahlavi, the would-be king who openly seeks to start a civil war in Iran.

Habibiazad frequently collaborates with Deepa Parent, the disgraced former fashion blogger turned Iranian protest-whisperer who deleted her Twitter account this February after The Grayzone exposed her role in fabricating protest death tolls. Like Parent, Habibiazad rocketed to mainstream media prominence during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests which shook Iran in 2022.

In her current position as BBC Persian Senior Reporter, Habibiazad freely admits that she has no contact whatsoever with any Iranians who support their government, and communicates exclusively with anti-government figures instead. “All those I talk to [inside Iran] are against the current establishment,” she revealed on April 4.

https://archive.ph/uVNAY

The Banque de France (BdF) announced last week that it generated a capital gain of €12.8 billion after upgrading 129 tonnes of gold – about 5 percent of France's total reserves – between July 2025 and January 2026.

The gold was the last of the French reserves held in New York. It was replaced with the equivalent amount bought in Europe and held in Paris.

The BdF has been gradually replacing older, non‑standard gold with bars that meet ​modern international standards since 2005. It moved the majority of its gold reserves out of the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of England between 1963 and 1966.

Rather than refining and transporting the gold that remained in the US, the bank opted to sell it and purchase new, compliant bullion on the European market.

https://archive.ph/JxP3R

https://archive.ph/IH7Lo

Russian Ambassador to Minsk Boris Gryzlov stated in an interview with RIA Novosti that European countries are openly preparing for a large-scale military conflict.

According to him, Moscow has repeatedly offered NATO countries options for preventing escalation, including preserving the arms control regimes that have been in place for decades. However, the diplomat noted, the West has ignored these proposals.

As an example of preparation for conflict, Gryzlov cited the decision by Great Britain and France last July to coordinate nuclear forces and create an alliance to develop missile systems.

In January-March, EU imports of Russian LNG amounted to approximately 6.8 billion cubic meters, compared to 5.7 billion cubic meters a year earlier

MOSCOW, April 2. /TASS/. Russia’s LNG supplies to the European Union reached a record high in March amid the suspension of shipments from the Middle East due to the military conflict, according to TASS calculations based on data from the European think tank Bruegel.

In January-March, EU imports of Russian LNG amounted to approximately 6.8 billion cubic meters, compared to 5.7 billion cubic meters a year earlier.

In March, Russian LNG supplies to Europe totaled 2.46 billion cubic meters, which is an all-time high.

According to Bruegel, Europe's total LNG imports in March amounted to 14.1 billion cubic meters, which is a record high. In January-March, the EU’s LNG purchases increased by 10% to 39.2 billion cubic meters.

In March, LNG supplies to the EU from the US (the US and Trinidad and Tobago) increased by 8% compared to February, also reaching a new record of 8.3 billion cubic meters.

In January-March, Europe's gas imports from these countries increased by 23% to 23.9 billion cubic meters.

Since the beginning of the year, the EU imported about 4.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Africa, and 2.5 billion cubic meters from the Middle East.

On LNG supplies from Russia to Europe

In late January, the EU Council finally approved a ban on Russian LNG imports from January 1, 2027, and pipeline gas imports from September 30, 2027. However, some restrictions were to be imposed earlier. LNG imports under short-term contracts are to be banned from April 25, 2026, and short-term pipeline gas supply contracts must be completed by June 17, 2026.

LNG supplies from Russia to the EU in 2025 decreased by 5.6%, amounting to 20.3 billion cubic meters. Overall, Russia ranked fourth in gas supplies to the EU in 2025, after Norway, the United States, and Algeria.

President Vladimir Putin stated that, given the European Union's intention to completely abandon Russian gas, Russia could initiate an early exit from the European market and redirect supplies to other, more interested buyers.

It'll be Nazi Ukraine 2.0