| Action Alert: NO to Europe-Israel Plan! |
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| Wednesday, 03 December 2008 | |
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The proposed agreement offers to Israel full access to the EU scientific, academic, research and technical programmes, and will significantly deepen EU-Israeli cooperation and integration in many important sectors. It ignores the fact that these sorts of cooperation agreements that increase Israel’s relationships with the international community are one of Israel’s primary means of supporting its ongoing occupation. By engaging in this agreement, the EU sends the message that it effectively condones the Israeli apartheid regime, and that it will not challenge Israel on its massive violations of Palestinian rights. URGENT: Please Take Action NOW! 1) Phone your MEP and ask them to vote against the EU-Israel Association Agreement Follow this link for contact details of your UK region's MEPs (Or for all European MEP's offices at the eurpoean parliament follow this link) 2) Send a letter or a fax or email to your MEP (Pro forma letter attached below) ************************************************** *** Pro forma letter: Dear Member of European Parliament, As a member of your constituency I urge you to vote against the EU-Israel Association Agreement on December 4. This agreement involves the strengthening of a broad spectrum of ties with Israel – including economic, trade, academic, security and diplomatic relations – at a time when the European Union should be challenging Israel and holding it accountable for its persistent violations of human rights and international law. The EU is well aware of Israel 's ongoing illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the massive colonization of the latter; after all, the EU member-states have regularly voted for UN resolutions condemning Israel 's human rights violations, collective punishment and construction of settlements and the Wall. Indeed, Israel still maintains its criminal one-year-long siege on Gaza – described by the current UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Prof. Richard Falk as a "prelude to genocide" – that has already cost the lives of hundreds of patients, mainly children and elderly, all denied freedom of movement to access treatment outside Gaza. As such, I am appalled that the EU refuses to take concrete action to condemn Israel on these accounts. Instead, the EU is proposing to turn a blind eye to Israel ’s violations of Palestinian rights by deepening its relations with the occupying power. These sorts of cooperation agreements that increase Israel ’s relationships with the international community are one of Israel ’s primary means of supporting its ongoing occupation. By engaging in this agreement, the EU sends the message that it effectively condones the massive violations of Palestinian rights. I therefore urge you to vote against the EU-Israel Association Agreement. In so doing, you would be heeding the call from the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), which represents the entire spectrum of Palestinian civil society, and which has been endorsed by over 100 international organizations, to exert pressure on Israel and to isolate it, rather than to strengthen ties with it (http://bdsmovement.net/?q=node/179). This call was taken up by Father Miguel D'Escoto Brockmann, President of the UN General Assembly, who urged the United Nations to consider following the lead of this generation of civil society who are calling for a campaign of boycott, divestment, and sanctions to pressure Israel to end its violations. I believe it is high time that the EU adopt this position as well. I urge you to listen to your constituents, and to the hundreds of civil society organisations from around the world who call upon the EU to stop building an unconditional relationship with Israel, and instead to hold it accountable for its ongoing violations of human rights and international law. Sincerely,    Readers have left 17 comments.
Tirana:
Tell your MEP that they will not get your vote next June if they support this agreement.
(1)
2008-12-03 12:57:20
COLLABORATOR ALERT:
Traitors pledge to support Israel
In Israel, the group's actual experience counteracted any propaganda they had read about Israel. THE TRAITOR Imam Dr. Mohammed Fahim of the South Woodford Community Center in South Woodford, said he felt proud to be the first British Imam to visit ZIONAZI Israel, and that he pledged to raise funds for a multi-faith hospital he visited during the short trip: Poria Hospital outside of Tiberius. "Before I went I had a completely different idea of what I was going to see," he DISHONESTLY tells ISRAEL21c. "I saw a hospital where the doctors, nurses and staff were Jews or Palestinians yet all worked together and there was no discrimination against any patients." The visit to the hospital in particular, was inspiring he says. "We saw how people are living together. There might be problems among a minority of people, but it is largely peaceful... We were treated with dignity and respect wherever we went. It's a beautiful country and I would like to go again, hopefully with many more TRAITOROUS people from our ZIONAZI center." NOT Free and NOT secure ZIONAZI ORGANISER Rabbi Hulbert agrees that one of the highlights of the trip was the hospital, which is "blind to ethnic priority." Dr. Fahim wandered around the maternity ward, and having been born in Egypt was able to chat with the local people in Arabic. "They were fascinated by seeing COLLABORATIONIST TRAITOR Muslims from London," says Hulbert who is looking into ways of expanding the trip. "I was impressed by the lack of any obvious security in the Old City," he says. "People could go where they want to." One example was the 4am morning prayers where the British Muslims got to join their brethren in Jerusalem, among a sea of people. They got to see that "Israel was a NOT free country and people's religious rights are NOT preserved," says Hulbert, explaining that the trip came about because members of the Forum expressed an interest in visiting Israel.
(2)
2008-12-03 13:11:52
Tahira:
Thanks for this MPACUK - I've managed to get through to the offices of 4 of the London MEPs - and at least 1 will be voting againt this EU-Israel agreement :-)
But it seems they'll all had LOADS of calls and emails from the Zionists... WHERE are the Muslims and those who care about Palestinian rights?? Let's get calling NOW!
(3)
2008-12-03 14:15:10
RSD:
Of course everyone who opposes the existance of the state of Israel or it's right to be self-determining as a nation state should support this motion. No one who claims to support this motion or the boycott should purchase or use any product of sole or joint Israeli manufacture or design. ideally these people shoudl search their homes and offices and remove Israeli made or designed products from use until such times as the independent state of Palestine encompassing all of the orginal mandate territory is established stretching from Iraq to the Mediterranean. This boycott should include all goods and services sourced directly and indirectly from Israel.
But for all the noise and silly clamour about dates, almost no one will do it because they are hypocrits and liars! Most will be quietly ashamed and some will respond with obscenities.
(4)
2008-12-03 16:33:41
Nahima:
Nice work MPACUK!
i just called my MEP
(5)
2008-12-03 18:29:01
Atiq Malik:
Thanks a lot for this. I have just sent email to all MEPs from London area.
(6)
2008-12-03 22:03:23
Bob:
MPACUK: Have you written to all the MEPs?
(7)
2008-12-03 23:07:51
Muslim in Ireland:
The latest is that the vote has been deferred - mark this as a minor success and an encouragement to lobby in the interim. Our work is far from done.
(8)
2008-12-03 23:20:12
DSR:
"ideally these people shoudl search their homes and offices and remove Israeli made or designed products from use until such times as the independent state of Palestine encompassing all of the orginal mandate territory is established stretching from Iraq to the Mediterranean. This boycott should include all goods and services sourced directly and indirectly from Israel."
+++++++++++++++ Be the first to do this RSD and lead by example. When you've done it send a letter to MPAC UK because you won't have a computer to send any e-mail. Anyway, you won't have any internet either. You should read The Mandate For Palestine 1922 and adhere to it.
(9)
2008-12-04 07:37:21
Atiq Malik:
Please read the reply from one of the Conservative MEP for London region.
Dear Cllr Malik Thank you very much for writing to me about Palestine and Israeli actions there. I very much agree with many of the points you make. You may perhaps not know I am a member of the European Parliament’s Palestine Delegation. I was there a few months ago and saw for myself the cruelty of the wall and the impact of the financial and trade freeze on that country. I was also in Gaza the day Israel resumed its indiscriminate bombardment there and I had earlier visited the main hospital with the WHO representative and seen the appalling wounds of men, women and children, including the evidence that experimental weapons had been used against them. The actions of the Israeli government are wholly disproportionate, as they were when they conducted brutal assaults on civilian targets in Lebanon and in the whole ethos of the wall and the ghettoisation policy throughout Palestine. I voted yesterday to take the Israel proposal off the agenda and we were successful in this. With best wishes John Bowis MEP
(10)
2008-12-04 18:17:20
RSD:
DSR - You're not actually suggesting that MPACUK is actively using Zionist design equipment and systems are you? Or that without the ZIM owned soft fruit handling equipment in strategic ports etc Arab states amongst others couldn't get their produce to market. Or that the NHS is currently dishing out Zionazi antibiotics and other medicines. Is there no end to this obscenity?
(11)
2008-12-04 18:39:44
Atiq Malik:
I was checking the list of European Parliamentary candidates for June 2009 elections nominated by Conservatives, Lib Dems and Labour for London region and was very much shocked that Labour and Lib Dem has not nominated any Muslim candidate.
Conservatives have nominated their sitting MEP Syed Kamall.
(12)
2008-12-04 19:14:39
Syed:
I got a response from John Bowis MEP:
Thank you very much for writing to me about Palestine and Israeli actions there. I very much agree with many of the points you make. You may perhaps not know I am a member of the European Parliament’s Palestine Delegation. I was there a few months ago and saw for myself the cruelty of the wall and the impact of the financial and trade freeze on that country. I was also in Gaza the day Israel resumed its indiscriminate bombardment there and I had earlier visited the main hospital with the WHO representative and seen the appalling wounds of men, women and children, including the evidence that experimental weapons had been used against them. The actions of the Israeli government are wholly disproportionate, as they were when they conducted brutal assaults on civilian targets in Lebanon and in the whole ethos of the wall and the ghettoisation policy throughout Palestine. I voted yesterday to take the Israel proposal off the agenda and we were successful in this. With best wishes John Bowis MEP
(13)
2008-12-04 20:38:59
DSR:
"DSR - You're not actually suggesting that MPACUK is actively using Zionist design equipment and systems are you? Or that without the ZIM owned soft fruit handling equipment in strategic ports etc Arab states amongst others couldn't get their produce to market. Or that the NHS is currently dishing out Zionazi antibiotics and other medicines. Is there no end to this obscenity?
+++++++++++++++++++++ Can't be - can they? I believe that every Microsoft Operating system since Windows Me includes code written by Microsoft Israel and runs on processors and components designed by Intel Irael. Routed across the Internet by kernel and firmware design that arises from Cisco Israel. They will just have to carry on and blame the BSOD on Zionists!
(14)
2008-12-04 20:40:13
Atiq Malik:
Reply from Jean Lambert MEP (Green) London Region
Dear Councillor Malik, Thank you for contacting me about the EU-Israel agreement. The vote was due to take place on the 4th December, on a legislative proposal to further enhance Israel's involvement in European Community programmes. However, yesterday the Parliament voted to postpone this vote. The Green Group requested the postponement and it was passed by 194 votes in favour to 173 against. The future date for the vote has not been set. Our reason for requesting a postponement was that it is difficult support the further involvement of Israel in European Community programmes when they have so far failed to demonstrate a genuine willingness to meet the standards that are part of any such relationship with the EU. Most pressing in the Israeli case, of course, is the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In February 2008 I was part of a European Parliament fact-finding mission to Israel and Palestine, including Jerusalem, Gaza and the West Bank. This allowed me to witness the dire situation in Gaza first hand. We felt the postponement was the most pragmatic course of action with regards trying to find a solution for Gaza. By postponing a decision on the upgrading of the EU-Israel agreement, the Parliament maintains an important means to pressure Israel to improve the situation, with the prospect of an enhanced relationship at some future time as a powerful incentive for action. I recognize that there is an urgent need to establish a working agreement which, at minimum, upholds the basic human rights of Palestinian citizens. In the longer term, I firmly believe in a two-state solution and that open, constructive, and facilitated dialogue is the only means to progress in resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine. For your future reference, the Parliament's plenary sessions are broadcast live on the Parliament's website www.europarl.ep.ec. This will allow you to follow the debate online, when this issue returns to the agenda. Thank you again for writing to me on this crucial issue. Please be assured that I will continue to vocally oppose violence against civilians and to work for peaceful political solutions through dialogue. With kind regards, Jean Lambert MEP Office of Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London European Parliament 8G107 Rue Wiertz 60 B 1047 Brussels Tel: +32 2 284 7507 Fax: +32 2 284 9507 Email: jean.lambert@europarl.europa.eu If you would like to find out more about my work in the Parliament, please visit my website www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk
(15)
2008-12-05 14:38:22
Atiq Malik:
Response from Baroness Sarah Ludford
Liberal Democrat MEP for London Thank you for contacting me about the question of a protocol to the EU-Israel association agreement to allow Israel's participation in EU programmes. As part of the European Union's neighbourhood policy, the EU offers nearby countries in Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean the opportunity to take part in EU research, cooperation and exchange programmes. In these fields the EU and Israel have strong shared interests and Israel has much to offer Europe with its highly developed science and technology sectors. That is why it is the first neighbourhood country to be offered such inclusion I do not share the view that the European Parliament should oppose this participation or make it conditional on political factors. I oppose attempts to sanction or boycott Israel economically for perceived political failings because as a Liberal I believe that people-to-people contacts and dialogue which these exchanges promote help improve the prospects for the peace process. In fact the Parliament has voted by a majority to postpone a decision. I voted against as I felt is unhelpful, especially when it was done without specifying exactly what Israel is supposed to do to trigger a new positive vote by MEPs. Some, both within and outside the European Parliament, argue that Israel's participation should be conditional on progress towards a comprehensive political settlement. In my view this completely fails to recognise both the complexity of the problem and that any political solution in Palestine requires effort and cooperation from both parties. Targeting only one side, whether it is Israel or the Palestinians, is both misguided and unjustified. I do share justified criticisms of Israeli policy and indeed I support the proposed resolution which offers many such criticisms. I also of course support the restriction that organisations based in the occupied territories would not be eligible to take part in the programmes, just as goods produced in the settlements cannot benefit from trade concessions. Checks would be made to ensure that Israeli involvement complies with EU law on this matter. Rather create 'linkage' by making economic ties for countries and territories in the region dependent on our assessment of their political rights and wrongs, I believe the best way for the EU to help achieve a true and lasting settlement is through a combination of even-handed diplomacy and economic cooperation. The EU is less effective as a broker of peace if we sanction here and there with a view to fine-tuning our pressure. It is for these reasons that I support Israel's inclusion in Community programmes As a Member of the European Parliament I will continue to fight for a balanced approach to the achievement of a lasting settlement consisting of the creation of a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel. Yours sincerely Baroness Sarah Ludford Liberal Democrat MEP for London
(16)
2008-12-05 14:47:08
Freedom Mann:
I would think that the Zionazis could mobilize the Hindu population of Britain inre to this vote, especially in light of recent events in Mumbai; that's not too pretty an idea, now is it?
(17)
2008-12-05 15:40:58
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The European Parliament has announced that a vote will be held on December 4 to enter into force the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which will enable far greater Israeli participation in European Community programmes. Originally, the EU had stated that the vote on this issue would not take place until 2009, but it seems clear that the EU and Israel are attempting to minimise the voice of protest from international civil society by suddenly announcing that it has been moved up to December 4. (MPACUK would like to thank the Palestinian Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign for initiating this emergency campaign).
