Europe: 63 MEPs call for suspension of EU-Israel treaty

No wonder European citizens  have so little faith and trust in the European institutions which have brought them mass unemployment and so much misery.  63 members, mostly women, of the European Parliament (a bunch of lefties, communists and greens - with the exception of four socialists: Ana Gomes, Nessa Childers, Tanja Fajo, Maria Arena; and fve from the right: Javier Nart, Marian Harkin, Ivo Vajgl, Fernando Maura Barandiarán, Sirpa Pietikäinen) "have called on EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the main treaty between the EU and Israel. The unique cross-party initiative is the first time so many MEPs have called for such tough measures against Israel since its massacre of more than 2,300 Palestinians in Gaza last summer".  Interestingly there are no far right, so-called populists and Eurosceptic MEPs on the list - no doubt this colourful bunch doesn't want their fair names associated with them - had they been given the chance the list would have been much much longer.  Interestingly too, no less than 17 Spanish MEPs signed the letter , one is identified as a Basque (Josu Juaristi) and another as a Galician (Lidia Rodriguez Senra)...  As they say in French des gens de bonne compagnie...

Brussels - January 23, 2015

Honourable High Representative,

As you know, over 300 human rights groups, trade unions and political parties from across the European Union have written to you to call for the EU to suspend the EU- Israel Association Agreement. Amnesty International and Palestinian organisations have documented that Israel deliberately targeted civilians and committed other war crimes during its recent onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza. [...]

For these reasons, we call on the Commission to consider the suspension of Association Agreement with Israel unless Israel takes substantial and immediate steps to bring its conduct in line with international law. At the very least, we urge the Commission to consider what steps must be taken for the EU and its member states to meet their legal obligation, as set out in the 2004 ruling of the International Court of Justice, not to render recognition, aid or assistance to Israeli violations of international law, including by imposing restrictive measures on trade and economic relations that facilitate the ongoing existence and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. We urge you to take strong action in support of a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Signed by:
1 Martina Anderson MEP (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
2 Patrick Le Hyaric MEP (France, GUE/NGL)
3 Angela Vallina MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
4 Marisa Matias MEP (Portugal, GUE/NGL)
5 Lynn Boylan MEP (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
6 Liadh Ní Ríada MEP (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
7 Matt Carthy MEP (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
8 Younous Omarjee MEP (France, GUE/NGL)
9 Lidia Rodriguez Senra MEP (Galicia, GUE/NGL)
10 Marie Christine Vergiat MEP (France, GUE/NGL)
11 Lola Sanchez Caldentey MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
12 Anne-Marie Mineur MEP (Netherlands, GUE/NGL)
13 Dennis De Jong MEP (Netherlands, GUE/NGL)
14 Pablo Iglesias MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
15 Teresa Rodriguez-Rubia MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
16 Tania Gonzalez Peña MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
17 Pablo Echenique MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
18 Neoklis Sylikiotis MEP (Cyprus, GUE/NGL)
19 Josè Bovè, MEP (France, Greens/EFA )
20 Merja Kyllonen MEP (Finland, GUE/NGL)
21 Javier Nart MEP (Spain, ALDE)
22 Keith Taylor MEP (UK, Greens/EFA)
23 Ana Gomes MEP (Portugal, S&D)
24 Marina Albiol MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
25 Josu Juaristi MEP (Basque, GUE/NGL)
26 Javier Couso MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
27 Paloma Lopez MEP (Spain, GUE/NGL)
28 Malin Björk MEP (Sweden, GUE/NGL)
29 Rina Ronja Kari MEP (Denmark, GUE/NGL)
30 Jill Evans MEP (UK, Greens/EFA)
31 Sofia Sakorafa MEP (Greece, GUE/NGL)
32 Nessa Childers MEP (Ireland, S&D)
33 Eleonora Forenza MEP (Italy, GUE/NGL)
34 João FERREIRA MEP (Portugal, GUE/NGL)
35 Ines Zuber MEP (Portugal, GUE/NGL)
36 Miguel Viegas MEP (Portugal, GUE/NGL)
37 Marian Harkin MEP (Ireland, ALDE)
38 Marie-Christine VERGIAT MEP (France, GUE/NGL)
39 Bodil Ceballos MEP (Sweden, Greens/EFA)
40 Karima Delli MEP (France, Greens/EFA)
41 Pascal Durand MEP (France, Greens/EFA)
42 Yannick Jadot MEP (France, Greens/EFA)
43 Eva Joly MEP (France, Greens/EFA)
44 Michele Rivasi MEP (France, Greens/EFA)
45 Alyn Smith MEP (UK, Greens/EFA)
46 Molly Scott Cato MEP (UK, Greens/EFA)
47 Curzio Maltese MEP (Italy, GUE/NGL)
48 Jordi Sebastia MEP (Spain, Greens/EFA) (mandate 2014-2015)
49 Florent Marcellesi MEP (Spain, Greens/EFA) (mandate 2016-2017)
50 Dimitrios Papadimoulis MEP (Greece, GUE/NGL)
51 Ivo Vajgl MEP (Slovenia, ALDE)
52 Josep-Maria Terricabras MEP (Spain, Greens/EFA)
53 Sirpa Pietikäinen MEP (Finland, EPP)
54 Tanja Fajon MEP (Slovenia, S&D)
55 Philippe Lamberts MEP (Belgium, Greens/EFA)
56 Ernest Urtasun MEP (Spain, Greens/EFA)
57 Judith Sargentini MEP (Netherlands, Greens/EFA)
58 Luke Ming Flanagan MEP (Ireland, GUE/NGL)
59 Margrete Auken MEP (Denmark, Greens/EFA)
60 Bart Staes MEP (Belgium, Greens/EFA)
61 Fernando Maura Barandiarán MEP (Spain, ALDE)
62 Barbara Spinelli MEP (Italy, GUE/NGL)
63 Maria Arena MEP (Belgium, S&D)