Joint Letter by 1.080 European Parliamentarians Against Israeli Annexation of West Bank
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Joint letter by 1.080 European parliamentarians against Israeli annexation of West Bank To: EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell European Foreign Ministers 23 June 2020 Dear High Representative Borrell, dear Foreign Ministers, We, parliamentarians from across Europe committed to a rules-based global order, share serious concerns about President Trump’s plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the imminent prospect of Israeli annexation of West Bank territory. We are deeply worried about the precedent this would set for international relations at large. For decades, Europe has been promoting a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the form of a two-state solution, in line with international law and relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. Regrettably, President Trump’s plan departs from internationally agreed parameters and principles. It promotes effectively permanent Israeli control over a fragmented Palestinian territory, leaving Palestinians with no sovereignty and giving a green light to Israel to unilaterally annex significant parts of the West Bank. In line with the Trump plan, Israel’s new coalition agreement states that the government can move forward with annexation as soon as 1 July 2020. Such a move will be fatal to the prospects of Israeli-Palestinian peace and will challenge the most basic norms guiding international relations, including the UN Charter. We are profoundly concerned about the impact of annexation on the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, as well as its destabilizing potential in a region on our continent’s doorstep. These concerns are no less serious at a time when the world is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest collective emergency we have faced for decades. In appreciation of Europe’s long-term commitment to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, we ask European leaders to act decisively in response to this challenge. Europe must take the lead in bringing international actors together to prevent annexation and to safeguard the prospects of the two-state solution and a just resolution to the conflict. European representatives, including High Representative Josep Borrell, have stated that annexation “could not pass unchallenged”. We fully support this: acquisition of territory by force has no place in 2020 and must have commensurate consequences. Failure to adequately respond would encourage other states with territorial claims to disregard basic principles of international law. The rules-based global order is central to Europe’s own long-term stability and security. We have a profound interest and responsibility to protect it. A lasting solution to the conflict must meet the legitimate aspirations and security needs and guarantee equal rights of both Israelis and Palestinians. Europe has the diplomatic tools to promote this just goal, and we stand ready to support such efforts. Yours respectfully, Debbie Abrahams, Labour Party, United Kingdom Malik Ben Achour, PS, Belgium Tina Acketoft, Liberal Party, Sweden Senator Fatima Ahallouch, PS, Belgium Lord Nazir Ahmed, Non-affiliated, United Kingdom Senator Alberto Airola, M5S, Italy Hussein al-Taee, Social Democratic Party, Finland Éric Alauzet, La République en Marche, France Patricia Blanquer Alcaraz, Socialist Party, Spain Lord John Alderdice, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Felipe Jesús Sicilia Alférez, Socialist Party, Spain Senator Alessandro Alfieri, PD, Italy François Alfonsi, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Amira Mohamed Ali, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group, Die Linke, Germany Rushanara Ali, Labour Party, United Kingdom Tahir Ali, Labour Party, United Kingdom Mahir Alkaya, Spokesperson for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Socialist Party, the Netherlands Senator Josefina Bueno Alonso, Socialist Party, Spain Lord David Alton of Liverpool, Crossbench, United Kingdom Patxi López Álvarez, Socialist Party, Spain Nacho Sánchez Amor, S&D, European Parliament (Spain) Luise Amtsberg, Green Party, Germany Senator Bert Anciaux, sp.a, Belgium Rt Hon Michael Ancram, the Marquess of Lothian, Former Chairman of the Conservative Party, Conservative Party, United Kingdom Karin Andersen, Socialist Left Party, Norway Kirsten Normann Andersen, Socialist People’s Party (SF), Denmark Theresa Berg Andersen, Socialist People’s Party (SF), Denmark Rasmus Andresen, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Germany) Lord David Anderson of Ipswich QC, Crossbench, United Kingdom Barry Andrews, Renew Europe, European Parliament (Ireland) Chris Andrews, Sinn Féin, Ireland Eric Andrieu, S&D, European Parliament (France) Marc Angel, S&D, European Parliament (Luxembourg) Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour Party, United Kingdom Senator Cathy Apoureceau-Poly; Communist, Republican, Citizen, and Ecologist Group; France Catherine Ardagh, Fianna Fáil, Ireland Maria Arena, Chair of Subcommittee on Human Rights, S&D, European Parliament (Belgium) Paavo Arhinmäki, Left Alliance, Finland Rt Hon Baroness Hilary Armstrong of Hill Top, former Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Labour Party, United Kingdom Steinunn Þóra Árnadóttir, Left-Green Movement, Iceland Senator Éliane Assassi; Communist, Republican, Citizen, and Ecologist Group; France Mustafa Atici, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland Margrete Auken, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Denmark) Åsmund Aukrust, Labour Party, Norway Clémentine Autain, La France Insoumise, France Senator Ivana Bacik, Labour Party, Ireland Senator Joris Backer, D66, the Netherlands Christine Badertscher, Green, Switzerland Annalena Baerbock, Co-Leader of the German Green Party, Germany Ulrike Bahr, SPD, Germany Senator Sara Bailac, Republican Left of Catalonia, Spain Pilar Vallugera Balañà, Republican Left of Catalonia, Spain Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Renew Europe, European Parliament (Spain) Hannah Bardell, SNP, United Kingdom Paula Barker, Labour Party, United Kingdom Richard Boyd Barret, Party Leader People Before Profit, Ireland Angelo Barrile, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland Dr. Dietmar Bartsch, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Group, Die Linke, Germany André Pinotes Batista, Socialist Party, Portugal Prof. Stefania Prezioso Batou, Ensemble à Gauche, Switzerland Marc Baum, The Left, Luxembourg Margarete Bause, Party Spokesperson on Human Rights, Green Party, Germany Petra Bayr, Speaker on Development Cooperation, Social Democratic Party, Austria Lord Jeremy Beecham, Labour Party, United Kingdom Tiziana Beghin, Non-attached Membert, European Parliament (Italy) Denis Begic, Social Democratic Party, Sweden Órfhlaith Begley, Sinn Féin, United Kingdom Senator Esther Benbassa; Communist, Republican, Citizen, and Ecologist Group; France Dr. Samuel Bendahan, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland Sandra Locher Benguerel, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland Brando Benifei, S&D, European Parliament (Italy) Rt Hon Hilary Benn, Former International Development Secretary, Labour Party, United Kingdom Baroness Natalie Bennett of Manor Castle, Former Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, Green Party, United Kingdom Emma Berginger, Green Party, Sweden Erik Bergkvist, S&D, European Parliament (Sweden) Ugo Bernalicis, La France insoumise, France Djuna Bernard, Vice-President of the Green Party, Luxembourg Jan Bertels, sp.a, Belgium Anne Valentina Berthelsen, Socialist People’s Party (SF), Denmark Dieter Van Besien, Groen, Belgium Lord Richard Best, Crossbench, United Kingdom Senator Sabine de Bethune, CD&V, Belgium Clive Betts, Labour Party, United Kingdom Senator Stijn Bex, Groen, Belgium Eva Biaudet, Swedish People’s Party SFP, Finland Robert Biedroń, S&D, European Parliament (Poland) Magdalena Biejat, Lewica, Poland Benoît Biteau, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Mhairi Black, SNP, United Kingdom Senator Frances Black, Independent, Ireland Rt Hon Ian Blackford, Westminster Leader, SNP, United Kingdom Rt Hon Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Former Education Minister, Labour Party, United Kingdom Ľuboš Blaha, Direction - Social Democracy, Slovakia Ibán García del Blanco, S&D, European Parliament (Spain) Niall Blaney, Fianna Fáil, Ireland Paul Blomfield, Shadow Minister for Brexit and EU Negotiations, Labour Party, United Kingdom Senator Maryvonne Blondin, Socialist and Republican, France Michael Bloss, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Germany) Baroness Christine Blower, Labour Party, United Kingdom Crispin Blunt, Former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and Former Minister of State for Prisons, Conservative Party, United Kingdom Senator Éric Bocquet; Communist, Republican, Citizen, and Ecologist Group; France Damian Boeselager, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Germany) Laura Boldrini, Former President of the Chamber of Deputies, PD, Italy Manuel Bompard, GUE/NGL, European Parliament (France) Marc Botenga, GUE/NGL, European Parliament (Belgium) Vlad-Marius Botoș, Renew Europe, European Parliament (Romania) Senator Laura Bottici, M5S, Italy Achraf Bouali, Spokesperson for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, D66, the Netherlands Senator Georges-Louis Bouchez, Party Leader, MR, Belgium Nabil Boukili, PVDA-PTB, Belgium Senator Martial Bourquin, Socialist and Republican, France Senator Michel Boutant, Socialist and Republican, France Gilles Boyer, Renew Europe, European Parliament (France) Senator Lynn Boylan, Sinn Féin, Ireland Tracy Brabin, Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries, Labour Party, United Kingdom Lord William Bradshaw, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw, Former Middle East Minister, Labour Party, United Kingdom