France and Belgium are urging European Union (EU) countries to impose economic sanctions on Israel because of "human rights violations in the Palestinian territories,” Israeli diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by Haaretz newspaper Monday.
They said the two countries’ request came in a letter that has been sent recently to all EU member countries.
“The governments of France and Belgium are advocating, among other sanctions, the cancellation of the association agreement signed between the EU and Israel in 1995 which includes trade accords and other cooperative arrangements,” a source told the paper.
The two countries are also seeking to exclude Israel from the sixth EU research and development program slated to begin in 2003.
Israeli companies have received grants totaling some $95 million during the past two years under this program, said Haaretz -- Albawaba.com
