GLOBAL SUMUD FLOTILLA AND GLOBAL MOVEMENT TO GAZA CONFRONT EU COMPLICITY IN ONGOING CRIMES AGAINST THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

As EU Foreign Ministers gather in Luxembourg on October 20 to review the EU-Israel Association Agreement, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, and international solidarity networks organized by the Global Sumud Flotilla (GS) and Global Movement to Gaza (GMTG) are uniting outside the meeting to demand accountability and an immediate end to European complicity in Israel's ongoing violations of international law and the genocide against the Palestinian people.

From 8:30 a.m., demonstrators will gather at the entrance of the EU Foreign Affairs Council to make their message visible as ministers arrive. Throughout the day, workshops and discussions will take place, focusing on Europe's role in financing genocide, sustaining the illegal blockade on Caza, and enabling occupation through trade and arms deals.

Among the participants are Irish MP Helen Mahony, who will address how European investments and trade policies have become entangled in Israel's military-industrial complex, and representatives from Colombia, who will share lessons from Uniting for Peace (UP) and other alternative peace initiatives rooted in justice and people's diplomacy.

The gathering will culminate in the presentation of a catalog of measures—a collective policy proposal developed by participants calling on EU leaders to:

• Suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement under Article 2, which requires respect for human rights as a condition of cooperation;
• End all arms trade and dual-use technology transfers with Israel;
• Redirect EU funds toward reconstruction, self-determination, and sustainable peace rooted in equality and accountability.

Europe at a Crossroads

The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the primary legal framework governing trade, political dialogue, and economic cooperation between Israel and the European Union.

Despite clear evidence of Israel's grave breaches of international humanitarian law –  including the ongoing blockade of Gaza, settlement expansion, and attacks on civilians – the EU continues to provide Israel preferential access to European markets and billions in research and defense funding.

Renewing or expanding this agreement, without conditions or consequences, would signal Europe's continued endorsement of a system of apartheid and collective punishment.

As Susan Abdallah, GS Steering Committee member, stated:

"Europe cannot speak of human rights while signing trade deals with a state that bomos hospitals, starves children, and imprisons an entire people behind walls. This is the moment for moral clarity."

The GSF-GMTG action in Luxembourg is part of a growing wave of global mobilizations demanding that governments end complicity, stop arming Israel, and stand on the side of justice and liberation.

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