A group of UN experts called on the European Union to immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel, arguing that maintaining preferential market access for the Israeli regime is the minimum measure required.under international law given well-documented allegations of human rights violations and atrocity crimes.
According to a report made by Anadolu English on Tuesday, 21 April, 2026, group of UN experts issued a statement just one day before EU Foreign Ministers gather in Luxembourg for a pivotal meeting on the Middle East, stating that the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be fully suspended, not merely reviewed or partially amended, because Israel continues to enjoy privileged access to European markets despite a pattern of conduct amounting to grave international crimes.
They also said “Europe faces a clear moral test..When its Foreign Ministers meet in Luxembourg tomorrow, 21 April, to consider the suspension, in full or in part, of this Agreement, they must recognize that full suspension is not a matter of political discretion but a legal imperative incumbent on the European Union.”
The UN experts went further to pointed to a growing body of international legal findings against Israel, including rulings by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and arrest warrants issued by the top UN court for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, arguing that multiple international bodies have now concluded that Israeli conduct amounts to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, making continued trade cooperation untenable.
They also said “The EU can not credibly claim to uphold human rights while sustaining preferential trade with a State whose conduct has been found by multiple international bodies as amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes,” underscoring that their intervention carries particular weight because it comes from a group of independent UN human rights rapporteurs, and special procedure mandate holders who are tasked with monitoring compliance with international law.
The experts also noted that the European Citizens’ Initiative calling for suspension of the EU-Israel agreement has collected more than one million signatures, demonstrating significant public appetite for action.
SOURCE: Majiyanews