Taoiseach calls for EU-Israel trade pact to be suspended after 'shocking treatment' of flotilla activists

TAOISEACH MICHEÁL MARTIN has written to the President of the European Council calling for the suspension of the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel following its “shocking” treatment of activists from a Gaza-bound flotilla. 

It comes amid widespread international condemnation of a video showing the illegally detained activists with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground.

The video, which was shared by Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, was published after Israel’s naval forces intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla’s vessels in international waters and brought 430 activists to Israel. 

Captioned “Welcome to Israel”, the footage shows dozens of activists on the deck of a military boat kneeling with their hands tied and foreheads on the ground with the Israeli national anthem playing in the background.

It also shows Ben Gvir heckling and waving an Israeli flag amongst the activists. Catriona Graham, one of 15 Irish activists that were detained by Israel, can be seen being pulled to the ground after saying “free Palestine” at the start of the video. 

The flotilla was the latest attempt by activists to breach Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by Israeli forces last month.

A lawyer for the activists confirmed this morning that all of them, including the Irish citizens, have been released. 

In his letter to António Costa, seen by The Journal, Micheál Martin expressed his grave concern at the shocking treatment of EU citizens from the flotilla and described the behaviour of Ben Gvir as unacceptable. 

He called the interception of civilian vessels and their illegal detention the latest examples of Israel’s growing disregard for international norms and its failure to meet its obligations under international law.

Seven months after a US-brokered ceasefire was implemented in Gaza, Martin wrote that aid has yet to reach those in need in the Palestinian enclave in the volumes needed and said people there continue to suffer a humanitarian disaster. 

He referred to the ongoing expansion of Israeli illegal settlements in the West Bank and the impunity of settlers inflicting extreme violence against Palestinian communities as a deliberate attempt to undermine the viability of the two-state solution. 

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He also referred to Israel’s introduction of the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terror charges in Israeli military courts, an increase in violence against Christian communities in Jerusalem and the Israeli military’s incursion into Lebanon.

Trade agreement

Martin said he believes the EU cannot continue with a “business as usual approach” to Israel as it continues to behave in a way that is fundamentally at odds with the bloc’s basic principles.

He said further action is required, and that at the very least this must include the banning of products from Israeli settlements and the suspension of parts, if not all, of the EU’s Association Agreement with Israel.

The agreement, which came into force in 2000, provides the legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the EU and Israel.

Article 2 of the agreement states that it “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”, but there have been violations of this on behalf of Israel.

Suspending the entirety of the EU’s cooperation agreement requires unanimity amongst the bloc’s 27 countries and would almost certainly be blocked by allies of Israel.

Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and her colleagues from Spain and Slovenia called for the EU-Israel trade pact to be suspended, but it was rejected by Germany and Italy. 

Martin asked Costa in the letter for an urgent discussion of the matter at the next European Council meeting on 18 and 19 June, where EU leaders are due to discuss the situation in the Middle East. 

‘Totally disgraceful’

The Fianna Fáil leader will travel to Paris today to meet French President Emmanuel Macron as part of his programme of meetings with EU leaders ahead of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU Council. 

They are expected to discuss the matter, as well as the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

France summoned its Israeli ambassador over the “unacceptable actions” of Ben Gvir on Wednesday. Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy and Greece also summoned their respective ambassadors and condemned the footage, calling it “monstrous” and “barbaric”. 

UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper described what was seen in the footage as “totally disgraceful” and said she had summoned the UK’s Israeli ambassador to demand an “urgent explanation”.

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also condemned Ben Gvir’s “despicable” actions. 

Huckabee, an evangelical Christian and staunch supporter of Israel who recently contended in a podcast interview with right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson that it “would be fine” if Israel took over swathes of the Middle East, has been highly critical of the flotilla.

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In a post on X, he described the flotilla as a “stupid stunt” but said Ben-Gvir “betrayed [the] dignity of his nation.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that Israel “has every right” to prevent flotillas from entering its waters to reach Gaza.

“However, the way that Minister Ben Gvir dealt with the flotilla activists is not in line with Israel’s values and norms,” he said, adding that he had instructed relevant authorities to deport the activists “as soon as possible”.

‘Alarming’ accounts of violence against activists

Twelve Irish citizens, including Margaret Connolly, the sister of President Catherine Connolly, are due to leave via Turkey today while three others are being deported in a different route. 

Caoimhe Butterly, an Irish psychotherapist and human rights campaigner who was recently following the latest flotilla on an observer boat, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that she is in regular contact with the families of the Irish citizens who are illegally detained in Israel.

She said they have yet to hear from their family members. “They are on an emotional rollercoaster. They’re obviously deeply worried for their loved ones.”

She said a legal team had access to all of the 430 detainees, and that the accounts of systematic violence that the activists said were used against them “were very alarming”.

“They spoke of people with broken ribs, people who had tasers used on them, denial of access to water, to medical care, to food, sleep deprivation, and in some counts, acts of sexual humiliation.”

When over 180 flotilla activists were detained by Israel last month, Butterly said “there were five counts of sexual assaults that were disclosed to he lawyers” following their release.

She said the activists may be deported to Istanbul today, adding that she was shortly getting on a flight to Turkey to try and be part of the mental health and psychosocial support team that will receive people along with other mental healthcare workers.

“There is a possibility of it happening today, and if it does, I’d imagine return flights to Ireland will happen within probably the next day, or at least by tomorrow.”

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