Israel evades signing of minority rights charter, claims EU official

A senior European official has accused Israel of evasion by not signing the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages so as not to be held accountable before EU member states and human rights groups for its practices against Arab-Israeli citizens. The claim has apparently been made by the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker during a meeting with Arab activists in Israel.

According to local sources, Juncker said that the EU should consider the insertion of clauses guaranteeing Arab rights in treaties signed with Israel. Around 20 per cent of Israel’s population is made up of non-Jews, mainly Arab-Palestinians.

Sources quoted Juncker as saying that what he had heard in recent days about the Israeli practices against Arab citizens, such as the demolition of homes in Umm Al-Hiran and drafting “exclusion bills” which target Arab lawmakers, reminds him of the apartheid regime in South Africa.

The Israeli authorities demolished homes in Umm Al-Hiran two days ago and threatened to demolish more homes in Arab towns and villages in the Negev, the Galilee and the Triangle under the pretext that they were built without a licence.