Keith Taylor MEP, a member of the European Parliament's
Delegation for relations with Palestine, has called on the
Foreign Secretary to urgently condemn the Government of Israel's
illegal moves to demolish Palestinian homes in East
Jerusalem.
The call comes as more than 1,000
Palestinians in the region face eviction from their homes as
Israeli authorities plough ahead with plans to build new
infrastructure projects to support illegal Israeli settlers
[1].
Palestinians in the villages of Ein
al-Hilweh, Umm Jamal, al-Izzariyah, and residents of the Matar
neighbourhood in Qalandiya have all been given only a matter of
days to vacate their homes.
Mr Taylor, a senior Green politician, in a
letter to [2], labelled the Israeli
government's actions the "unapologetic pursuit of the complete
annexation of East Jerusalem."
Mr Taylor also highlighted 400 homes,
schools, water and electricity systems and other facilities
donated by the EU to help the most vulnerable Palestinian
communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have
been destroyed or confiscated - in direct violation of
international humanitarian law [3].
The Green MEP is urging to call on the Israeli
authorities to:
-
Immediately cease the imminent
demolitions planned in Umm Jammal, Ein al-Hilweh, Jabal
al-Baba Bedouin, and Qalandiya, if they have not taken
place already;
-
Cease plans for all further eviction
notices and demolition plans in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories and beyond;
-
Cease the destruction of facilities in
the West Bank funded by the EU and its Member States and
provide restitution or compensation for these illegal
acts;
-
Comply with international human rights
law and withdraw its occupation of the West Bank and East
Jerusalem, in respect of a border based on the 1967 lines,
pertaining to United Nations Security Council Resolution
2334 (2016)
In a separate letter [2], Mr Taylor also
calls on the chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee,
MP, to reopen the
Committee's inquiry into the UK's Middle East Peace Process
policy.
Citing evidence submitted to the original
inquiry, which was halted by the General Election, Mr Taylor
argues that British opposition to the Israeli government's
actions is essential [4], adding:
"With this year of painful anniversaries
for Palestine upon us, it is now time now for the UK government
and British parliamentarians to take on our fair share of
responsibility for securing justice, peace, and dignity for
Palestine."
