Amnesty denounces EU welcome to Israeli minister in Brussels

Amnesty International has criticised the European Union for hosting Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar in Brussels for the EU-Israel Association Council on 2 February.

It says the move is the first in the EU’s history "that its leaders will welcome the foreign representative of a state whose prime minister and former defense minister are subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity and whose military is actively engaged in committing crimes under international law, including genocide".

Director at Amnesty International European Institutions Office, Eve Geddie, said: “It is unconscionable that the EU is rolling out the red carpet for foreign minister Sa’ar whose boss, Prime Minister Netanyahu, is wanted by the ICC."

She added: "Discussions on the EU’s future relationship with Israel should above all be premised on an insistence that Netanyahu and Gallant face justice at the ICC for the crimes they are alleged to have committed, as well as on Israel’s adherence to international law and an end to apartheid.

"EU leaders must put their commitments to international law, human rights and the ICC above carefully choreographed diplomatic conferences with Israel."