The Green Party would suspend the European Union’s trade agreement with Israel, according to the party’s election manifesto.
Launched in London on Tuesday morning by Green leader Natalie Bennett, the policy document highlights the approach that would be taken to the Middle East.
“We seek a just, sustainable and peaceful solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, based on mutual recognition of the rights to independent statehood for Palestinians and Israelis,” the manifesto states.
It adds: “We condemn human rights violations by both parties and the oppression and disproportionate use of aggression by the Israeli government against the people of Gaza.
“We seek to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement.”
That trade deal was signed in 1995 and is now worth more than £1billion a year. Its suspension has previously been backed by the Trades Union Congress.
The only Green MP in the last parliament, Caroline Lucas, repeatedly campaigned for a boycott of Israel and protested outside an Israeli-owned store in her constituency in Brighton.
The manifesto also calls for the mandatory labelling of meat products regarding methods of slaughter. But it does not highlight any policies on the stunning of animals in meat production or a ban on the shechita religious slaughter method.
