Brussels, 15 July 2025
The International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD) strongly welcomes and expresses its full support for the historic legal action initiated by the JURDI Association before the European Court of Justice against the European Commission and the Council of the EU, for their failure to act on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
This unprecedented case, filed under Article 265 of the EU Treaty, marks a critical step in holding European institutions accountable for their prolonged and unjustifiable inaction in the face of grave violations of international humanitarian law and human dignity committed by the Netanyahu government since October 2023.
For over 21 months, the European Union has failed to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, propose sanctions, or take any meaningful political stance regarding the credible and mounting evidence of war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and acts consistent with the crime of genocide in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This failure, especially in contrast to the swift and robust actions taken against other countries, represents an intolerable double standard and a betrayal of the Union’s founding values of justice, human rights, and the rule of law.
The case presented by JURDI is not only a legal milestone—it is a moral imperative. IFRD welcomes the courage of the lawyers involved, including advisers to the International Criminal Court and academic experts, in pursuing this legal avenue within the EU’s own judicial mechanisms. Their appeal rightfully highlights the EU’s complicity through continued cooperation with Israel, ongoing funding of research and military projects, and silence in the face of mass civilian suffering.
IFRD echoes JURDI’s demands for:
• Immediate suspension of all trade and political relations with the Israeli government,
• Enforcement of EU conditionality mechanisms,
• Termination of EU-funded defence projects with Israeli arms manufacturers,
• Public acknowledgment of the risk of genocide in Gaza, and
• Accountability for those obstructing EU action, including through sanctions.
As an organization committed to justice and the protection of international law, IFRD calls on all EU institutions to respect their legal obligations and uphold the principle of “Never Again.” The time for statements of concern has passed. The time for action is now.
We urge the European Court of Justice to treat this case with the urgency it demands and to affirm that no institution is above its duty to protect fundamental rights—especially when a people is facing the threat of annihilation.
IFRD will continue to monitor this case closely and mobilize legal, political, and civil society partners to ensure that this landmark step becomes a turning point in the EU’s approach to Gaza and to the universal application of human rights.
