The "Regavim" movement sues the European Union: "A threat to basic human rights"
The organization filed a petition to the court in Luxembourg demanding the full cancellation of the sanctions imposed on it about two months ago. CEO Meir Deutsch: "This is an attempt to intimidate civil society and the public in Israel."
The "Regavim" movement filed an unprecedented appeal at the end of last week to the European Union Court in Luxembourg, demanding the full cancellation of the sanctions imposed on them by the Council of the European Union.
As recalled, at the beginning of June, the EU announced sanctions against a series of Israeli organizations, including Regavim and its leadership, claiming that the movement had petitioned the court against an illegal structure of the EU built at the foot of the Herodium in the Judean Desert, which was subsequently demolished.
This is the first legal proceeding filed by an Israeli entity or citizen against European sanctions. The appeal criticizes the evidence file compiled by the EU against the movement and claims that it suffers from a lack of professionalism and relies on publications by media outlets and organizations identified with the extreme left.
A series of distortions
The appeal, filed by an international team of senior lawyers, led by Adv. Salome Lamson from Paris and Adv. Nick Kaufman from Jerusalem, points to a series of distortions and misrepresentations, such as attributing the demolition of the school in the village of Jaba' al-Dib to the Regavim movement, even though the demolition was carried out by the authorities of the State of Israel by virtue of a court order from the District Court in Jerusalem, due to an immediate danger of the structure collapsing.
At Regavim, they emphasize that beyond the judicial criticism of the evidence and the procedure, the appeal is against the very use of the practice of sanctions, in an anti-democratic and heavy-handed manner, without any hearing or fair process, "in a way that intimidates every citizen because they cannot predict if, when, and on what grounds sanctions will be imposed on them as well."
They further noted that the sanctions significantly harm the rights of citizens of EU countries to donate to or support the legal activities of the Regavim movement, and prohibit the maintenance of business relations with companies registered in Europe, including banks, credit companies, clearing companies, and other international financial service providers.
Infringement of freedom of speech
Beyond the economic issue, Regavim argues that the sanctions constitute a severe infringement of freedom of speech and the rule of law, as they punish a civil society organization acting legally solely because it exercised its right to petition the courts in Israel and participate in democratic processes.
"The European Union created an embarrassing legal smokescreen to persecute a legitimate civil society organization, only because it publicly criticizes the illegal actions of the EU," said the CEO of the Regavim movement, Meir Deutsch. "The appeal is intended not only to protect the activities of Regavim and cancel the heavy economic damage caused to it following the sanctions, but also to stand firmly against the European attempt to intimidate civil society and the public in Israel, as part of its broad efforts to promote the establishment of a Palestinian terrorist state, which will endanger the future of the State of Israel."
Deutsch continued and said: "Anyone who believes in elections and democracy should be deeply concerned about the threat to democracy from Europe, which imposes paralyzing sanctions on civil society organizations just because they dare to hold positions different from those of the governing establishment."
