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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES THE EU DOESN'T BOYCOTT
The Jewish Press
July 29 2013
Amid its divestment from Judea and Samaria, the EU refuses to boycott
ongoing human rights abuses in Morocco and Armenia.
By: Rachel Avraham Published: July 29th, 2013
Observers on the ground report that the European Union (EU) turns a
blind eye to, if not encourages, international law violations and human
rights abuses by Morocco and Armenia. Despite blatant exploitation of
residents of the illegally occupied Western Sahara and Nargano-Karabakh
regions, the EU encourages trade with Morocco and Armenia.
The EU's position is appalling in light of the boycott it recently
announced against goods from Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that
international law recognizes Israel's right to these areas. While
it is the only vibrant liberal democracy in the Middle East, Israel
remains the target of the EU's unjust boycott attempts. These attempts
have been roundly condemned by top international figures, not least
of all because they actually harm the Palestinians whose plight these
boycotts supposedly advance.
THE EU SUPPORTS MOROCCO'S WESTERN SAHARA OCCUPATION
The EU is establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
with Morocco, despite the country's illegal Western Sahara occupation
and the inexplicably ignored routine violations of the Sahrawi people's
human rights. By way of background, Morocco illegally occupied the
Western Sahara on the eve of its independence from Spain in 1975,
forcing most of the Sahrawi nation to relocate to refugee camps in
neighboring Algeria. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and a 1975
decision by the International Court of Justice support the indigenous
Sahrawi people's right to establish a sovereign nation in the Western
Sahara. However, French support for the Moroccan government has thus
far prevented effective human rights monitoring in the Western Sahara.
Human rights organization Sahara Thawra issued a statement against
any trade agreements with Morocco based on the following reasons.
First, the agreement violates provisions of international law that
prohibit exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources without
consent of the Sahrawi people via their official representative. Even
with consent, the agreement may still violate international law,
since it may adversely affect the local population, which is illegal.
Second, the proposed agreement supports large agribusiness at the
expense of local Sahrawi farmers, the Western Saharan environment,
and the rights of the Sahrawi people, which were not taken into
account in any manner. Finally, the agreement violates the democratic
clause required in all EU agreements with third party countries,
thereby permitting the human rights abuses that routinely occur in
the Western Sahara to continue unabated. These abuses include:
~UDestruction of Sahrawi cultural heritage sites;
~UAbduction, torture, and rape of outspoken Sahrawi independence
activists;
~UProhibitions against the Sahrawi people giving their children
Sahrawi names or representing their culture in festivals;
~UIllegal Moroccan settlements within the Western Sahara which are
making the Sahrawi people a minority in their own country; and
~UEconomic exploitation of the Western Sahara to the sole advantage
of Morocco.
EU MAINTAINS FINANCIAL TIES WITH ARMENIA, DESPITE THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH
OCCUPATION
As Armenia's main trade partner, the EU accounts for 30 percent
of Armenia's total trade. Slated for implementation in 2014, the
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that Armenia and the
EU started negotiating a year ago is critically important for this
Eurasian nation.
While the EU purportedly supports Armenian neighbor Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity, observers say that the EU's continued financial
ties with Armenia undermine this position. Specifically, Armenia
continues to occupy portions of Azerbaijan, refusing to implement
numerous UN Security Council Resolutions recognizing Azerbaijani
claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
"Azerbaijan has suffered from Armenian occupation for many years.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a historical land of Azerbaijan," said Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. "A policy of ethnic cleansing was carried out
against Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas."
As a result of the occupation, he adds, more than one million
Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons with
substantial destruction to property, including public buildings,
historical monuments, tombs, and mosques destroyed by Armenians. To
date, there is no EU proposal to boycott Armenia for its flagrant
violations of international human rights law.
Visit United with Israel.
About the Author: Rachel Avraham is a recent immigrant to Israel. She
is the content manager and a writer for United with Israel's website
(UnitedwithIsrael.org) and is currently working on an M.A. in Middle
Eastern Studies at Ben-Gurion University, the topic of her thesis is
"Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in
the American, Israeli and Arab Media."
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/united-with-israel/human-rights-abuses-the-eu-doesnt-boycott/2013/07/29/
The Jewish Press
July 29 2013
Amid its divestment from Judea and Samaria, the EU refuses to boycott
ongoing human rights abuses in Morocco and Armenia.
By: Rachel Avraham Published: July 29th, 2013
Observers on the ground report that the European Union (EU) turns a
blind eye to, if not encourages, international law violations and human
rights abuses by Morocco and Armenia. Despite blatant exploitation of
residents of the illegally occupied Western Sahara and Nargano-Karabakh
regions, the EU encourages trade with Morocco and Armenia.
The EU's position is appalling in light of the boycott it recently
announced against goods from Judea and Samaria, despite the fact that
international law recognizes Israel's right to these areas. While
it is the only vibrant liberal democracy in the Middle East, Israel
remains the target of the EU's unjust boycott attempts. These attempts
have been roundly condemned by top international figures, not least
of all because they actually harm the Palestinians whose plight these
boycotts supposedly advance.
THE EU SUPPORTS MOROCCO'S WESTERN SAHARA OCCUPATION
The EU is establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement
with Morocco, despite the country's illegal Western Sahara occupation
and the inexplicably ignored routine violations of the Sahrawi people's
human rights. By way of background, Morocco illegally occupied the
Western Sahara on the eve of its independence from Spain in 1975,
forcing most of the Sahrawi nation to relocate to refugee camps in
neighboring Algeria. Several UN Security Council Resolutions and a 1975
decision by the International Court of Justice support the indigenous
Sahrawi people's right to establish a sovereign nation in the Western
Sahara. However, French support for the Moroccan government has thus
far prevented effective human rights monitoring in the Western Sahara.
Human rights organization Sahara Thawra issued a statement against
any trade agreements with Morocco based on the following reasons.
First, the agreement violates provisions of international law that
prohibit exploitation of Western Sahara's natural resources without
consent of the Sahrawi people via their official representative. Even
with consent, the agreement may still violate international law,
since it may adversely affect the local population, which is illegal.
Second, the proposed agreement supports large agribusiness at the
expense of local Sahrawi farmers, the Western Saharan environment,
and the rights of the Sahrawi people, which were not taken into
account in any manner. Finally, the agreement violates the democratic
clause required in all EU agreements with third party countries,
thereby permitting the human rights abuses that routinely occur in
the Western Sahara to continue unabated. These abuses include:
~UDestruction of Sahrawi cultural heritage sites;
~UAbduction, torture, and rape of outspoken Sahrawi independence
activists;
~UProhibitions against the Sahrawi people giving their children
Sahrawi names or representing their culture in festivals;
~UIllegal Moroccan settlements within the Western Sahara which are
making the Sahrawi people a minority in their own country; and
~UEconomic exploitation of the Western Sahara to the sole advantage
of Morocco.
EU MAINTAINS FINANCIAL TIES WITH ARMENIA, DESPITE THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH
OCCUPATION
As Armenia's main trade partner, the EU accounts for 30 percent
of Armenia's total trade. Slated for implementation in 2014, the
Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement that Armenia and the
EU started negotiating a year ago is critically important for this
Eurasian nation.
While the EU purportedly supports Armenian neighbor Azerbaijan's
territorial integrity, observers say that the EU's continued financial
ties with Armenia undermine this position. Specifically, Armenia
continues to occupy portions of Azerbaijan, refusing to implement
numerous UN Security Council Resolutions recognizing Azerbaijani
claims to the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
"Azerbaijan has suffered from Armenian occupation for many years.
Nagorno-Karabakh is a historical land of Azerbaijan," said Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev. "A policy of ethnic cleansing was carried out
against Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas."
As a result of the occupation, he adds, more than one million
Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons with
substantial destruction to property, including public buildings,
historical monuments, tombs, and mosques destroyed by Armenians. To
date, there is no EU proposal to boycott Armenia for its flagrant
violations of international human rights law.
Visit United with Israel.
About the Author: Rachel Avraham is a recent immigrant to Israel. She
is the content manager and a writer for United with Israel's website
(UnitedwithIsrael.org) and is currently working on an M.A. in Middle
Eastern Studies at Ben-Gurion University, the topic of her thesis is
"Women and Jihad: Debating Palestinian Female Suicide Bombings in
the American, Israeli and Arab Media."
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/united-with-israel/human-rights-abuses-the-eu-doesnt-boycott/2013/07/29/