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Members of the European Parliament said the European Union's failure to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement was a "scandal," criticizing member states for not acting and accusing the bloc of failing to uphold its own principles.
Belgian MEPs Rudi Kennes and Marc Botenga from the Left Group in the European Parliament spoke to Anadolu about the inability of member states to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Botenga described the failure to suspend the agreement as "a very great shame."
He said the EU had previously adopted sanctions because Russia was allowed to participate in the Venice Biennale, which is held every two years in Italy, but had failed to take similar action against Israel.
"However, it cannot decide on sanctions against Israel, which bombs villages in Lebanon and carries out ethnic cleansing in Palestine," Botenga said.
Botenga said the EU's failure to defend its own principles was "a very big scandal."
He recalled that the Israel-EU Association Agreement is based on human rights principles.
Botenga also described the EU-Israel partnership as "a lie" and accused EU countries of failing to respect international law.
Kennes also said the failure to suspend the agreement was a major scandal, adding that as a member of the European Parliament he had become used to such developments.
He said the European Parliament was still referring to events in Gaza as a "conflict" and could not call what was happening a "genocide."
"This is nonsense," Kennes said.
He said the EU was rapidly losing credibility and questioned how the bloc could demand that a regime comply with international law and act by the rules while violating those same standards itself.
Kennes said people were tired of such double standards.
"This really is a big scandal, and they should be ashamed because of what is happening," he said.
He added that the issue went beyond present-day violations.
"Because they are not only violating international law today, but they are also placing the responsibility for what is happening today on the shoulders of future generations in Europe," Kennes said.
He added that the EU was under the influence of a major lobby, but was also feeling pressure.
He said figures such as EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were likely questioning how they could put their children to bed at night in light of violations of international law and humanitarian crises.
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