UK MPs back EU campaign to end Israeli siege of Gaza
Palestine-Israel-Germany, Politics, 1/29/2010

MPs from all three Britain's main political parties have welcomed the work of the European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza in arranging the recent EU delegation of over 60 parliamentarians to visit Gaza.

Former shadow foreign secretary Gerald Kaufman, who led the largest European delegation since last year's Israeli massacre of more than 1,400 Palestinians, said the visit was a "tangible act of solidarity with the 1.5 million people living under siege."

In an Early Day Motion to parliament, Kaufman called for the lifting of the continuing Israeli blockade causing "constant shortages of food, medicine, water and electricity which is causing irreversible damage to the health and social wellbeing of Gazan children, adults and elderly people."

The motion also urged the European Union to observe the human rights clauses of its Trade Association Agreements with Israel and for the UK Government to "vigorously" the UN-sponsored Goldstone Report detailing the extent of Israeli war crimes.

The British government should "ensure that the perpetrators of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead should be held to account," it said.

Returning from the January 15-16 visit, Kaufman said the international community was "responsible" for the continuing Israeli siege and "can force an end to it by removing our support."

He also demanded that British Foreign Secretary David Miliband visit Gaza to "see for himself the tragedy our protection of Israel has wrought."

Last September, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza launched legal action to require the EU to uphold the human rights conditions entrenched in the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The action was notified in a letter sent to the EU's former high representative Javier Solana, spelling out the way in which the agreement conditions are being breached and the way in which international law applies.

Previous Stories:
  UN Human Rights Council condemns Israel, endorsing Gaza war report,   (10/20/2009)
  UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow concludes visit to Palestine   (10/20/2009)
  Haaretz: Israel pulls textbook over 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians in 1948   (10/20/2009)
  Germany urges Israel to take war crimes report very serious   (10/20/2009)
  German, US activists urge pressure on Israel over Palestinian rights   (10/20/2009)
  German Jewish leader equates criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism   (1/28/2009)

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