The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in the colors of the European Union flag to mark the start of France presidency of the EU on 01 January, in Paris, France. - EPA pic
The Eiffel Tower is illuminated in the colors of the European Union flag to mark the start of France presidency of the EU on 01 January, in Paris, France. - EPA pic

THE European Union sometimes surprises the world in a good way. Every year on May 23 since 2016, the regional bloc celebrates the EU Day against Impunity. We have to give it to them. Have we heard of Asean Day against Impunity? No. Perhaps never will.

Not even when one has been going on in the Southeast Asian neighbourhood for so long. Now with the EU Day against Impunity being six years old, Sweden and France are working with Eurojust, the EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, to target crimes against the Yazidi minority in Syria and Iraq perpetrated by what it calls "foreign terrorist fighters" (FTF).

Although Eurojust didn't specify who these are, it is understood to be referring to members of the Islamic State.

In a statement issued on Friday, Eurojust said the aim of the joint investigation is "to identify the FTF who were involved in core international crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, primarily perpetrated against members of the Yazidi minority during the armed conflict in Syria and Iraq".

If the Middle East Eye is right , in May 2021 a United Nations investigations team, too, classified the crimes as genocide based on "clear and convincing evidence". Finally, someone is feeling the Yazidi's long-suffering pain.

This May 23 will be the seventh EU Day Against Impunity hosted by the French presidency of the regional bloc.

Will France target Zionist impunity? Unlikely. Historically, the French republic had mistreated the Jews in the most appalling of ways, and now it wears the guilt like an albatross around its neck. France is being more Israeli than Israel.

In December 2019, the French Parliament even surprised many lawmakers by passing a law that equates anti-Zionism with anti-semitism. Simply put, the law makes it a crime to criticise Israel.

This in a land that promotes hatred for prophets? When the bill was making its way through the French Parliament, 127 Jewish intellectuals petitioned against it, saying it "delegitimises the legitimate act of criticising the state of Israel", France 24 reported.

In the news channel's interview with James Cohen, a professor at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, he put it thus: "Some of the people out there who oppose the policies of the state of Israel, who may even oppose the existence of the state of Israel, might also be anti-semitic but that should not delegitimise the legitimate act of criticising the policies of the state of Israel.

And when it comes to the existence of the state of Israel, there are questions that need to be asked whether a one-state solution or a two-state solution could be viable. Why should this discussion not be open?" It is no surprise the bill became law despite so much opposition.

French President Emmanuel Macron himself thinks anti-Zionism is one of the current forms of anti-semitism.

Eurojust seems to be serious in tackling impunity, not just in Europe but around the world.

In its Friday statement it had this to say about its war against impunity: "Combating impunity for war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity is the principal goal of the Genocide Network at Eurojust." If these words have any truth in it, Eurojust will get the EU to target Zionist impunity as part of its seventh EU Day against Impunity. Otherwise, it won't deserve the moniker Eurojust.