No other way for peace other than the liberation of Palestine
Article by Neoklis Sylikiotis, member of the Political Bureau, AKEL MEP and GUE/NGL Vice-President
Press Statement 27th February 2017
This year 50 years will have passed since the 1967 six-day war. 50 years of the ongoing illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine. 50 years of the flagrant violation of International Law and every human right of the Palestinian people. Despite the UN Resolution 242 calling on Israel to return the occupied territories, and to recognize the right of every state to live in peace and security, the occupation continues. The responsibility for this situation does not just lie with Israel, but also with the international community which sheds hypocritical tears and continues to keep silent in the face of the illegal Israeli actions.
During our recent visit to Palestine, as President of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Palestine, together with other MEP’s, we confirmed that the situation is becoming more and more inhuman.
Settlements are being expanded. Every effort to achieve a two-state solution is being undermined.
The number of settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank have risen to over 750,000.
200,000 Palestinians are housed in the refugee camps located in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip more than 350,000, who are struggling to survive in terrible conditions of insecurity, poverty and lack of food supplies, but also suffering from the recurrent cutting of the supply of electricity and water.
Furthermore, a few days ago the Israeli Knesset unfortunately proceeded to approve an unacceptable decision to retroactively legalize 4,000 homes of settlers that have been illegally built on the properties of Palestinians.
The gross violations of the human rights of Palestinians by the Israeli occupation forces are being committed on a daily basis.
The demolition of schools and houses, as well as murder and persecution have no end.
In addition, the inhumane imprisonment of Palestinians is also continuing. Currently 7,000 are imprisoned, including 750 without a trial. Among them, over 300 children who had been sentenced by the military court of Ofer.
The Israeli army systematically violates the human rights of underage Palestinians who are brought before the military court and imprisoned for daring to post online slogans for peace. As part of our mission we experienced this terrible reality and recorded the humanitarian disaster on the ground.
In the meetings we had with the Prime Minister of The State of Palestine Rami Hamdallah, Ministers of the Palestinian Authority and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, we stressed our support towards the struggle of the Palestinian people to lift the occupation, end the colonization and achieve the two-state solution. We confirmed our support for the establishment of an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital; a state that will live in peace and security alongside the State of Israel. We also stressed that it is important to maintain the possibility of the two-state solution in order for peace to prevail. Besides, this is why we are struggling so that the Palestinian state be recognized by all states and that it participates in international organizations.
In Cyprus we know very well what war, occupation, uprooting and being a refugee means, as we also know very well the importance of international solidarity for the continuation and success of our struggle for liberation. We are therefore struggling to end all wars, all foreign interventions, every occupation that violates International Law and human rights, aiming for peace and the prosperity of the peoples to prevail.
The recent adoption of the Resolution 2334 of the UN Security Council, which recognizes as illegal the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the call for an immediate end to the policy of colonization, constitutes a positive step. The message conveyed by the international Paris Conference on the Middle East that Israel must end its military occupation of Palestine was also important. After our own reaction as well towards the EU High Representative we managed to suspend the Session of the EU-Israel Association Agreement for 28th February.
However, there is still a great deal to be done. As President of the Delegation of the European Parliament for relations with Palestine, but also as the Confederal Group of the European United Left group, we will continue to fight so that the EU exerts pressure on Israel to end the colonialization, to lift the occupation and commit itself to a roadmap for Peace and a two-state solution. As a first step, we underline that the EU must proceed to freeze the Association Agreement with Israel, given that Israel is violating Article 2 of this Agreement, which specifically refers to the obligation to respect human rights.
Our struggle is not easy. However, as long as the peoples are struggling hope and a perspective exist. Peace will eventually prevail.
