Parliamentary question

Written question to the European Commission

On 18 August 2022, the Israeli forces once again attacked the seven leading Palestinian human rights organisations (Al-Haq, Addameer, the Bisan Center for Research & Development, Defence for Children International-Palestine, the Union of Agricultural Workers Committees, the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees and the Health Workers Committees). The raids by the Israeli army on these NGOs (six of which had already been falsely accused of crimes) are posing an immediate risk to their staff members, while furthering the existential threat to Palestinian civil society. We have been witnessing such attacks and oppression against Palestinians for years. And yet, according to the recent statement by Josep Borell, the EU is planning to resume meetings within the framework of the EU-Israel Association Council, through which the EU continues to give legitimacy and support to oppressive Israeli politics.

While the EU is taking a strong stance against the Russian oppression of Ukraine, we continue to allow Israel to do the same to Palestine with no consequences. Can the Commission explain when the EU will start tackling the same issues in the same manner and finally stop rewarding Israel’s arbitrary action and destruction of Palestinian civil society?