Statement by AKEL MEP and Chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for relations with Palestine N. Sylikiotis, on the occasion of the Palestinian people’s mobilization on Land Day
1ST April 2018
Every year, on 30th March, the Palestinian people honor Land Day, a symbolic Day against the daily discriminations being committed by Israel against Palestinian citizens and the violent usurpation of their land.
Land Day is an opportunity to pay homage to all those who were murdered and lost the land of their ancestors as a result of Israel’s colonization policies. This year’s 70th anniversary of Land Day since “Nakba” (“Day of the Catastrophe”) marks the creation of the state of Israel, which forced 700,000 Palestinians to become refugees.
On 30th March, humanity once again witnessed Israel’s true face where tens of thousands of Palestinian protesters have been attacked by Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border with Israel.
So far 16 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli occupation army and hundreds have been injured throughout all the occupied Palestinian territories. It is worth noting that the Palestinian protesters were in the Palestinian territories when they came under attack.
These tragic events are a continuation of the US decision to move their Embassy to Jerusalem. This decision only serves to perpetuate the occupation of Palestine, while provoking the intensification of tensions in the wider Middle East region.
The resolutions of the UN and International Law define the right of return to the refugees. At the same time, the EU bears a heavy responsibility for the Israeli crimes being committed against the Palestinian people as it must put pressure on Israel and stop pursuing the policy of equal distancing.
We condemn in the strongest possible terms the criminal attacks being waged and the flagrant violations of the Palestinian people’s human rights, International Law and all the resolutions of the UN.
At the same time, we call on the UN Security Council, but also on the EU itself, to act immediately towards Israel, which demonstratively and provocatively is ignoring the international community, provoking political instability and a new round of bloodshed, with the deaths of civilians and hundreds of injured people.
