July 15th 2003

The Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA) would like to draw your attention to our letter to the EU-Israel Association Committee, which met last Wednesday the 9th of July.

Israel signed an Association Agreement with the European Union in 2000, which committed the two parties to greater economic and political integration and sharing of resources. Article Two of the Association Agreement states 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."

The HRA believes that if Israel wants to share in the economic prosperity of the European Union, as it currently does through its participation in research and development and free trade agreements, it must agree to share the political values of human rights.

Our letter below details two current patterns of human rights violations against the Palestinian minority in Israel that show a refusal on the part of the state to adhere to these political values: demolitions of homes and violations of religious rights.

15/7/2003