JURY (Lawyers for the respect of international law) acknowledges the recognition official of the State of Palestine by France at the United Nations General Assembly. This recognition, however significant, remains insufficient: France remains in violation of its international obligations, in particular under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. A growing number of European states are recognizing the State of Palestine, "a wave that considerably adds to Israel's international isolation," according to Insaf Rezagui, a member of JURDI. European positions are diverse. Some states, such as Spain and Ireland, have accompanied their recognition with concrete sanctions, following the example of Slovenia, which has suspended all imports of products from the occupied West Bank and banned all arms trade with Israel. Others, like Germany, persist in their refusal, citing the need for hypothetical peace negotiations. This The fragmentation of Europe undermines the effectiveness of diplomatic action., This is illustrated by the European Union's (EU) inability to secure a majority to suspend the association agreement with Israel. However, lacking a majority for a suspension, EU member states have national tools at their disposal (export controls, public procurement, visa controls, asset freezes, public funding, research and development cooperation) that they can use immediately.
The isolated recognition of Palestine, without accompanying concerted sanctions against Israel, is limited to a symbolic act without effect on the settlement policy and
of Israeli annexation and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. In its order of January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice had highlighted the risk of genocide in Gaza, a situation denounced on September 16 by an independent commission to the United Nations Human Rights Council which concluded that Israel had committed genocide, affirming the gravity of the violations and the need for a strong legal and political response. The urgency remains, JURDI asks France to accompany this recognition with: The imposition of a complete arms embargo to and from Israel, including the export, import and transit of military equipment.
• Prohibit the importation of products from Israeli settlements.
• Sanction and report persona non grata all Israeli officials involved in the commission of international crimes, including Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, National Security Minister and Israel Katz, Defense Minister.
• Cooperate fully with the International Criminal Court, particularly in the enforcement of arrest warrants, and systematically prosecute Israeli political and military officials present on French territory and implicated in the commission of international crimes, notably on the basis of universal jurisdiction. Push for the complete suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
• Increase pressure for the European Union to impose sanctions against Israel.
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