Human Rights group calls on EU to revise economic strangulation of Palestinians
Palestine-Israel-European Union, Politics, 10/19/2006

The strategy of financial sanctions imposed by the West on Palestine since taking of office of Hamas government is postponing establishment of peace in the Middle East, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said in a report released in Brussels today.

Presenting the report to the press in the European Parliament, Raji Sournai, vice-president of FIDH and President of the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human rights said the EU is punishing the Palestinians by economic strangulation for holding democratic elections.

"This is inhuman and illegal. Never the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories deteriorated as now," he said.

Sourani condemned the "conspiracy of silence" towards the sufferings of the Palestinians and called for the dispatch of international forces to protect the Palestinian people.

He noted that when Israel called for the dispatch of an international force following the war in Lebanon, Europe responded swiftly. "Palestinians are calling for an international force for the last 40 years so why Europe is not sending the forces," said Sourani.

A FIDH delegation was in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) between 25 June and 2 July 2006 to examine the situation of economic and social rights in Gaza and the West Bank, almost one year after Israel 'disengaged' from the Gaza strip, and three months after Israel and the West decided to suspend all contacts with the Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority and to interrupt all aid.

FIDH which has an office in Brussels represents 141 human rights organisations in the world.

Olivier De Schutte, FIDH General Secretary, said the policy of the international community on Palestine was going in "the wrong direction." He drew parallels with the situation in Algeria when the West refused to recognize the victory of an Islamic group in democratic and fair elections which led to 10 years of civil war and today the West is repeating the same mistake in Palestine by refusing to recognize the victory of Hamas.

Schutte said the EU's interests in Palestine is aligned with the US and Israeli interests.

Mrs Luisa Morgnatini, member of the European Parliament, urged the EU for more concrete action in Palestine. She called for the suspension of the EU-Israeli Association Agreement due to the continuing violation of human rights by Israel.

The FIDH report notes that the decision to suspend aid to Palestinians "was adopted for political reasons" and in disregard of the needs of the Palestinian people.

The report warns that It will also create the conditions which may lead either to the return of Israeli occupation or to a failed state.

Italian MEP Morgantini said the EU should tell the Israelis that they have to withdraw from all occupied territories and work for peace.

"It is time for the Palestinians not to suffer more. What I am asking from the EU is to be more coherent and to say very clearly that international standard cannot be double standards," she said.

Previous Stories:
  Rice: Palestinians should live free of humiliation of occupation   (10/12/2006)
  Palestinian on women's suffering under Israeli occupationrule   (10/12/2006)
  EU calls on Israel to release arrested Palestinian officials   (7/18/2006)
  European Socialists condemn arrest of Palestinian leaders by Israel   (7/13/2006)
  Human Rights group says Israel violate Geneva convention   (7/5/2006)

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