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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · 24d

Suspending preferential trade with Israel in its pre-'67 borders should logically be coupled with banning trade with settlements outside those borders. Not doing the latter would actually equalise the tariffs for both, i.e. de-differentiate them. And it's a legal oligation per ICJ.

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · 24d

Important move by the Commission & VDL. But one measure missing in the package is to ban trade with Israel's illegal settlements. While 5 member states are already moving to do so at national level. And while the EU could also do so as a trade measure by qualified majority.

Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 24d

Today we propose to sanction extremist ministers and violent settlers, and suspend trade concessions with Israel.

And put bilateral support to Israel on hold, without affecting our work with Israeli civil society or Yad Vashem.

link.europa.eu/nx3DrG

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Reposted by Martin Konečný

Roland Papp @rlndpapp.bsky.social · Sep 3

I talked to @martinkonecny.bsky.social about the Israel- EU Association Agreement and the divided EU, which is unable to pressure the Israeli government ‪via its trade and research connections.
nepszava.hu/3292930_mego...

Megosztott az EU Izrael ügyében, pedig lenne lehetősége nyomást gyakorolni Benjamin Netanjahu kormányára

Szakértők szerint Izrael megsérti az EU és Izrael közötti egyezményt, mert nem tartja be az emberi jogi kötelezettségeit, ezért az Uniónak már régen lépnie kellett volna, de erre egyelőre esély sincs.

nepszava.hu

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

7. So at the 15 July meeting of EU foreign ministers, even if the deal does lead to some improvement (let's hope it does), it's critical to continue & step up pressure - through max support for the options presented by Kallas👇- and for states like 🇩🇪 & co to play along www.reuters.com/world/middle...

EU outlines options for political action against Israel on human rights

The European Union's diplomatic service on Thursday presented 10 options for political action against Israel after it found "indications" last month that Israel breached human rights obligations under a pact governing its ties with the bloc.

www.reuters.com

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

6. This goes back to member state dynamics.

If a clear majority of states was united behind need to pressure Israel w/ tangible measures, Kallas would be in stronger position & could demand more than just aid improvement.

But countries like 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇦🇹 🇨🇿 🇬🇷 oppose that, undercutting EU leverage.

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

5. Even if aid is improved, the deal does nothing to stop killing & displacement in Gaza and awful, escalating West Bank developments

Although the review covered many Israeli breaches across OPT, the EU then lowered its bar to negotiating Gaza aid only,leaving Israel off the hook on everything else

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

4. Imagine the EU did so last year - when 🇮🇪&🇪🇸 launched the idea - but other member states didn't want to hear about it.

Imagine the EU did so 10 or 20 years ago when Israel was expanding settlements & killing possibility of peace with no internationa consequences.

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

3. Yes, this could be (potentially) the first little EU win on Gaza. And it only happened because of pressure. The EU review that found Israel in breach of Association Agreement put the threat of consequences on the table. Only then did Israel start paying attention to EU & @kajakallas.bsky.social.

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

2. Let's see in next few days how much of it really happens. Israel has a strong record of stalling such deals in implementation phase.

The risk is it will deliver little in Gaza but serve as an excuse to avoid any EU measures of pressure on Israel at the 15 July meeting of EU foreign ministers.

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jul 11

This is an overly positive take on the EU-Israel Gaza aid deal👇

Several points to make here:🧵

1. If this brings more aid to the starving Gazans through UN mechanisms - and I strongly hope it will - then it's a win that will save lives. But:

Henry Foy @henryjfoy.ft.com · Jul 11

For months, EU capitals on both sides of the bloc's Israel-Palestine divide have been privately attacking chief diplomat @kajakallas.bsky.social for her strategy towards the conflict.

Yesterday she agreed a Gaza aid deal with Israel that has silenced those critics

on.ft.com/4lQJuQd

Why Kallas’s aid deal is a major victory for Gaza and the EU

[FREE TO READ] Also in this newsletter: Denmark’s plan to drive up climate investments

on.ft.com

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Reposted by Martin Konečný

Nathalie Janne @natjanne.bsky.social · Jun 26

Comment Bart De Wever compte-t-il "améliorer la situation humanitaire" à #Gaza sans suspension de l'Accord d'association ou sanctions contre #Israël?

Les condamnations 🇪🇺 n'ont jamais rien donné.
Le Conseil d'association UE-Israël n'a rien donné.

On attend sa recette miracle.

#SuspendtheDeal

Pour Bart De Wever, l’accord d’association UE-Israël n’a « pas grand-chose à voir » avec la situation humanitaire à Gaza

C’est ce qu’a affirmé le Premier ministre à son arrivée à Bruxelles pour un sommet européen. Il a déploré une situation humanitaire « inacceptable » dans le territoire palestinien.

www.lesoir.be

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 26

EU foreign ministers & ⁦‪@kajakallas.bsky.social‬⁩ this Monday: Let's park the discussion on any EU measures of pressure on Israel despite its breach of the Association Agreement, our first focus should be on dialogue with Israel to help get humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Israel:

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 25

Coalition of NGOs challenging @ec.europa.eu and @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social for continuing to treat Israel as an "adequate" country for unrestricted transfers of EU personal data despite escalating human rights violations and disregard for international law

Access Now @accessnow.org · Jun 24

A year of silence.

We’ve once again joined @EDRi and 17 NGOs urging the EU Commission and Michael McGrath to reassess the EU-Israel data adequacy decision.

Red flags remain unaddressed, and new developments make the need for action even more urgent. www.accessnow.org/press-releas...

Civil society urges EU to reassess Israel’s adequacy status - European Digital Rights (EDRi)

The letter urges the European Commission to reassess Israel’s data protection adequacy status under the GDPR.

www.accessnow.org

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 6

"You took a sustained, prominent stand against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on which you have continued to speak out, uncompromisingly, on every occasion afforded to you. Yet you have chosen to remain almost entirely silent as Israel pounded a people under occupation."

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 6

"You rightly demand justice for [the murdered Maltese journalist] Daphne Caruana Galizia ... but you had nothing to say about the targeted assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh and the hundreds more journalists shot, maimed and blown up by Israel over the past 20 months."

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 6

"When Hamas launched its despicable attack on 7 Oct you were quick to condemn it and stand in solidarity with Israel. That was the right thing to do. ... Dr Metsola, why no official gathering for the many thousands of innocents dead at the hands of Israel? Why the double standards?"

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 6

“Dr Metsola, you have failed utterly at this critical moment to speak out for what is right as a man-made catastrophe unfolded in our neighbourhood, enabled by European policies and European weapons.” timesofmalta.com/article/we-a...

'We are ashamed of you': Maltese academics, artists blast Metsola over Gaza

EP leader has 'failed utterly' to speak out on Gaza, group says

timesofmalta.com

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 6

"We are ashamed of you" - powerful open letter by 200 Maltese writers, academics, artists and activists calling out @president.europarl.europa.eu Roberta Metsola's silence on Gaza. openlettertorobertametsola.wordpress.com/2025/06/05/5/

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Reposted by Martin Konečný

Crisis Group @crisisgroup.org · Jun 3

NEW STATEMENT | Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough

A rising chorus of European states have condemned #Israel’s military campaign in the #Gaza Strip. While much depends on Washington, European leaders have levers at their disposal to press for the war’s end.

www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-...

Europe on Gaza: Words Are Not Enough | International Crisis Group

A rising chorus of European states have condemned Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip after months of siege and bombardment. While much depends on Washington, European leaders have levers at ...

www.crisisgroup.org

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · Jun 2

Europe's dynamics on Gaza finally begin to shift, a human rights review of EU-Israel ties is under way. This is an opportunity to step out of Europe's self-imposed irrelevance and press Israel to reverse its devastating course. My piece @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The EU faces a moment of truth. Will it follow through on trade sanctions on Israel – or slide into irrelevance? | Martin Konečný

A human rights review of EU-Israel ties is under way. The results will be significant for both the war and Europe’s reputation, says Martin Konečný, head of the European Middle East Project

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Martin Konečný

Claudio Francavilla @claudiofrancavilla.bsky.social · Jun 2

Europe's pressure-free dialogue with #Israel has completely failed

To step out from self-imposed irrelevance and try to prevent ethnic cleansing and annexation, the #EU must impose real costs on Israel's crimes, suspend the bilateral deal

@martinkonecny.bsky.social: theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The EU faces a moment of truth. Will it follow through on trade sanctions on Israel – or slide into irrelevance? | Martin Konečný

A human rights review of EU-Israel ties is under way. The results will be significant for both the war and Europe’s reputation, says Martin Konečný, head of the European Middle East Project

theguardian.com

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · May 30

The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner – and that gives it leverage to finally change the course of this brutal war - superb piece by @nathalietocci.bsky.social related to the ongoing EU review www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Europe will never agree on Israel – but here’s a way it can act to help Gaza | Nathalie Tocci

The EU is Israel’s biggest trading partner – and that gives it leverage to finally change the course of this brutal war, says Guardian Europe columnist Nathalie Tocci

www.theguardian.com

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · May 26

“It’s like standing in front of a burning building and asking for a review of whether there’s a fire” - @conoraon on EU’s review of Israel’s compliance with the human rights clause of the Association Agreement👌 www.newarab.com/analysis/eur...

Is Europe finally taking action over Israel’s genocide in Gaza?

After 18 months of complicity in Israel’s war on Gaza, the EU has voted to review its free trade agreement with Tel Aviv. Critics say it’s too little, too late

www.newarab.com

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Martin Konečný @martinkonecny.bsky.social · May 26

Finally - after decades of toothless EU statements calling the settlements illegal and destructive for peace, a first member state says hey, maybe we shouldn’t be trading with them. Where are the others?

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · May 26

Ireland moves to ban trade with Israeli businesses in occupied Palestinian territories

https://www.ft.com/content/cb26479c-82b1-45c3-9dcb-076e4ea0022e

Ireland moves to ban trade with Israeli businesses in occupied Palestinian territories

Bill to focus on goods as government says it cannot target services such as Airbnb rentals

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Martin Konečný

Peter Beinart @peterbeinart.bsky.social · May 23

On the preciousness of life: Some reflections on the murder of Jews in Washington and the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza peterbeinart.substack.com/p/on-the-pre...

On the Preciousness of Life

Making Sense of Yesterday’s Horrifying Murder in Washington, DC

peterbeinart.substack.com

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