7/31/2019 Letter to the European Commission President

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http://boycottisrael.info

July 7th, 2012

An Open Letter to the European Commission President Barroso

Dear President Barroso,

We are a group of Israeli citizens who are dismayed by our government's flagrant violations of international

law practiced against the Palestinian people. Such violations include an ongoing colonization project in the

occupied West Bank, a siege and its economic strangulation of the occupied Gaza Strip, and constitutional

discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The EU being highly influential in this region is also obligated to act in stopping such practices, which stand

in direct violation of EU law. At the very least, the EU should not be rewarding Israel for its morally

unaccepted and illegal policies. We would therefore like to address some specific issues relating to Israel's

position vis--vis the EU.

We have learned that there are ongoing discussions within the EU about the implementation of the EU-

Israel Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products (ACAA) agreement. We believe that

allowing Israel greater access to European markets constitutes an upgrade which should not be granted.

Furthermore, the ACAA agreement does not include language which guarantees that Israeli authorities in

charge of its implementation do not extend their competence over the settlements. Therefore, we call upon

the EU to suspend at once any negotiations on the agreement until such concerns are addressed in a

thorough manner.

Another issue of great importance relates to the participation of certain Israeli bodies in EU funded research

programs. Some Israeli bodies, both public and private, are actively engaged in the violation of international

law in the occupied Palestinian territories. Such participation seriously undermines the legitimacy of these

programs and moreover, stands in direct contradiction to the stated goals and obligations of the European

Union and each of its member states. Companies such as Ahava-DSL, Elbit Systems and Israeli Aerospace

Industries, as well as state institutions such as the Israeli Antiquities Authority, directly participate in the

construction and maintenance of illegal settlements and the illegal separation/annexation wall. These

companies should not be entrusted to use EU resources in accordance with the EUs legal obligations. We

call on the EU to bar any such entities from further participation in the Seventh Framework Program (FP7)

and its projects, as well as make the necessary amendments in future research funding legislation that will

explicitly prohibit the participation of an entity which acts in violation of international law.

We will gladly respond to any questions or comments you may have.

Sincerely,

BOYCOTT! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within