Where Impunity Begins

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June 23, 2025
By Lisa-Marie Maier
Contact me at DailyBriefTeam@hrw.org and Bluesky @lisamaier.bsky.social.

In today's Daily Brief:

Where Israel's Impunity Should End Today
Quick Takes: Hungary; UK; Vietnam
Readers’ Recommendations

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Where Impunity Begins

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Today, EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels. On the agenda: the possible suspension of the trade agreement with Israel.

For 21 months, the EU has stood by as Israeli atrocities against Palestinians escalate across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, amounting to serious war crimes, crimes against humanity of extermination and forced displacement, apartheid, and acts of genocide.

The European Union’s foreign policy works via unanimity. This means that everyone must agree to be able to do something. But trade matters are decided by “qualified majority”.

Amid vetoes by certain governments, the EU hasn’t even acknowledged Israeli crimes in Gaza.

This is where impunity begins. If you don’t even say Israel is committing even war crimes, how are you going to sanction it?

The EU is Israel’s main trading partner, and the second largest exporter of arms to Israel.

In short: It has significant leverage, but it has chosen not to use it.

But in light of Israel’s grave abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory, including war crimes, crimes against humanity – including extermination and apartheid – and ongoing acts of genocide a review process of the EU-Israel association agreement was initiated last month.

As ministers gather today, they will discuss an assessment of Israel’s compliance with Article 2 of the agreement, which qualifies “respect for human rights and democratic principles” in “internal and international policy” as essential to the agreement.

The report was leaked over the weekend, with a clear conclusion: Israel is in breach of Article 2 of the agreement.

Together with more than 100 European organizations and trade unions, HRW urges the EU to immediately suspend its trade agreement with Israel for as long as Israel’s atrocity crimes persist.

Today is a chance to salvage what’s left of the credibility of the EU’s commitment to human rights and international law, by finally acting against Israeli authorities’ ongoing extermination and acts of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Here in Brussels is where impunity should end today.

Quick Takes: Hungary; UK; Vietnam

Hungary: Police in Hungary have banned LGBT Hungarians and their supporters from peacefully assembling to celebrate Pride, instead allowing a hate group to march on the same day. The government has a long history of discriminating and fueling hatred against LGBT people. Pride is not a threat; hate is.

UK: UK Parliamentarians should reject the government’s plan to cut disability benefits and be clear that budget savings should not come at the cost of the rights, especially the right to social security of people with disabilities. Human dignity must come first.

Vietnam: The government should immediately release the imprisoned journalist Le Huu Minh Tuan and allow him to obtain medical treatment in Vietnam or abroad. He is among a long list of Vietnamese imprisoned for their peaceful opinion and needs urgent care.