Letter by 466 European parliamentarians against Israeli de facto annexation of West Bank To: EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell European Foreign Ministers 28 February 2021 Dear High Representative Borrell, dear Foreign Ministers, The beginning of the Biden presidency provides a much-needed opportunity to address the Israeli- Palestinian conflict with renewed effort. The previous US administration left the conflict farther away from peace than ever. The Biden administration presents a chance to correct course and creates greater space for meaningful European engagement and leadership. In parallel, the announcement of Palestinian elections to be held in the coming months offers an opportunity for Palestinian political renewal and reunification. The recent regional normalization agreements with Israel led to the suspension of plans to formally annex West Bank territory. However, developments on the ground clearly point to a reality of rapidly progressing de facto annexation, especially through accelerated settlement expansion and demolitions of Palestinian structures. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, last year saw the highest number of demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures in four years, including humanitarian structures funded by European donors. This included the demolition of nearly an entire community in Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa, in what the UN described as the largest forced displacement incident in over four years. At the same time, the advancement of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory has skyrocketed, reaching the highest numbers since 2012, according to Peace Now. The recently approved construction of the Givat Hamatos settlement, previously referred to as Europe’s red line, is of particularly serious concern. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate under the Israeli blockade, which is compounded by intra-Palestinian divisions. Gaza remains at risk of violent escalation at any moment. No efforts to restart dialogue and rebuild trust can succeed if these negative trends on the ground continue. These policies are eliminating the possibility of a two-state solution and entrenching a one-state reality of unequal rights and perpetual conflict. For this to be the future of the region is both unacceptable and strategically unviable. During the Trump administration, Europe played an indispensable role in holding the line: preserving internationally agreed parameters and international law as the framework for a just resolution of the conflict while these principals were under immense pressure. Now is the time for Europe to move from holding the line to progressing forward. Europe must work with the Biden administration, countries in the region and the parties on the ground to prevent unilateral action undermining the possibility of peace, advance the rights and security of all people under Israel’s effective control and build conditions that make a future negotiated agreement possible. In this effort, the EU and European countries should demonstrate their leadership, making use of their range of available policy tools. Of key importance are concrete steps to secure effective differentiation between Israel and the settlements in accordance with UNSC Resolution 2334. Diplomatic, legal and financial support for Palestinian communities at risk of demolition and forcible transfer should be increased. Active European support for Palestinian reconciliation and elections across all the Palestinian territory is vital, including as a basis for ending the isolation of Gaza. We look forward to working with you to advance these policy priorities and to achieve our shared goals of peace and equality for all Israelis and Palestinians. Yours sincerely, Debbie Abrahams, Labour Party, United Kingdom Tina Acketoft, Liberal Party, Sweden Alviina Alametsä, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Finland) Lord John Alderdice, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom François Alfonsi, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Senator Bert Anciaux, sp.a, Belgium Chris Andrews, Sinn Féin, Ireland Maria Arena, Chair of Subcommittee on Human Rights, S&D, European Parliament (Belgium) Margrete Auken, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Denmark) Clémentine Autain, La France Insoumise, France Pedro Bacelar de Vasconcelos, Socialist Party, Portugal Senator Ivana Bacik, Labour Party, Ireland Carlo Back, Green Party, Luxembourg Christine Badertscher, Green Party, Switzerland Paula Barker, Labour Party, United Kingdom Hon. Minister Evarist Bartolo, Minister of Foriegn Affairs, Malta Dr. Dietmar Bartsch, Chairman of the parliamentary group, Die Linke, Germany Margarete Bause, party spokesperson on human rights and humanitarian aid, Green Party, Germany Danyal Bayaz, Green Party, Germany Lord Jeremy Beecham, Labour Party, United Kingdom Denis Begic, Social Democratic Party, Sweden Senator Guy Benarroche, Ecologist, Solidarity and Territories group, France Senator Esther Benbassa, Ecologist, Solidarity and Territories group, France Brando Benifei, S&D, European Parliament (Italy) Rt Hon Hilary Benn, former International Development Secretary, Labour 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 and Vice-President of the Parliament,Luxembourg Clive Betts, Labour Party, United Kingdom Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Renew Europe, European Parliament (Spain) Benoît Biteau, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir, Left-Green Movement, Iceland Senator Frances Black, Independent, Ireland Rt Hon Baroness Tessa Blackstone, Labour Party, former Education Minister, United Kingdom Senator Florence Blatrix-Contat, Socialist, Ecologist and Republican group, France Paul Blomfield, Shadow Minister for Exiting the European Union, Labour Party, United Kingdom Baroness Christine Blower, Labour Party, United Kingdom Crispin Blunt, Conservative Party, former Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and former Minister of State for Prisons, United Kingdom Laura Boldrini, Former President of the Chamber of Deputies, PD, Italy Nabil Boukili, PVDA-PTB, Belgium Richard Boyd Barrett, People Before Profit, Ireland Rt Hon Ben Bradshaw, Labour Party, former Middle East Minister, United Kingdom John Brady, Party Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade, Sinn Féin, Ireland Dr. Helmut Brandstätter, spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, NEOS, Austria Dr. Franziska Brantner, spokesperson for European Policy and parliamentary whip for the parliamentary group, Green Party, Germany Kevin Brennan, Labour Party, United Kingdom Milan Brglez, former Speaker of the National Assembly, S&D, European Parliament (Slovenia) Saskia Bricmont, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Belgium) Jean-Louis Bricout, Socialist Party, France Jan Briers, CD&V, Belgium Alan Brown, Scottish National Party, United Kingdom Rt Hon Lord Malcolm Bruce of Bennachie, former Chair of the International Development Select Committee, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Agnieszka Brugger, Deputy Chairperson of parliamentary group, Green Party, Germany Alain Bruneel, Democratic and Republican Left group, France Sylvie Brunet, Vice-Chair of the Renew Europe Group, European Parliament (France) Vincenza Bruno Bossio, PD, Italy Marie-George Buffet, Democratic and Republican Left group, France Richard Burgon, Labour Party, United Kingdom Delara Burkhardt, S&D, European Parliament (Germany) Johan Büser, Social Democratic Party, Sweden Rt Hon Lord Menzies Campbell of Pittenweem QC, Liberal Democrats, former Leader of the Liberal Democrats , United Kingdom Dan Carden, Labour Party, United Kingdom Damien Carême, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Rt Hon Alistair Carmichael, Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Political & Constitutional Reform, and Northern Ireland and former Scotland Secretary, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Lord Rupert Carrington, Crossbench, United Kingdom Matt Carthy, Sinn Féin, Ireland Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasey, former Foreign Office Minister, Conservative Party, United Kingdom Wendy Chamberlain, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Sarah Champion, Chair of the International Development Select Committee, Labour Party, United Kingdom Rt Rev the Lord Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark, United Kingdom Dr. Isabelle Chevalley, Vice-President of the Green Liberal Party, Switzerland Sven Clement, President of the Pirate party, Luxembourg Rt Hon Lord Timothy Clement-Jones, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Prof. Christophe Clivaz, Green Party, Switzerland Rt Rev the Lord Christopher Cocksworth, Bishop of Coventry, United Kingdom Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret, Socialist, Ecologist and Republican group, France Rose Conway-Walsh, Sinn Féin, Ireland Daisy Cooper, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom Éric Coquerel, La France Insoumise, France Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Labour Party and former Leader of the Opposition, Independent, United Kingdom David Cormand, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (France) Patrick Costello, Green Party, Ireland Barbara Creemers, Groen, Belgium Dr. Brigitte Crottaz, Social Democratic Party, Switzerland Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin, Ireland Yves Cruchten, President of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party - LSAP and President of the Commission of Foreign and European Affairs John Cryer, Chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party, United Kingdom Ciarán Cuffe, Greens/EFA, European Parliament (Ireland) Senator Cécile Cukierman, Communist, Republican, Citizen,