Following Israel’s announcement of the annexation of parts of the West Bank, EFA calls on the international community to protect the rights of Palestinian people and to respect the international law, which establishes that the settlements in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 are illegal.

The continuous threats of annexation by Israel of parts of the occupied West Bank constitutes a serious violation of international law. The Geneva Convention IV (art. 49) relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war states that “the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”Also, the UN Security Council Resolution 242 calls for “the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories, acknowledges the claim of sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every state in the region.”Solidarity between peoples is one of the principles of the European Free Alliance. As stated in our 2019 Manifesto, EFA stands shoulder-to-shoulder with all peoples suffering from oppression. We call on European and international organisations to demand the respect of human rights by every state concerned, according to international law, and to apply sanctions if needed. EFA supports measures to strengthen the rights of minorities in Europe and around the world and we also believe that Europe must use its influence on international disputes, especially in countries with which it maintains diplomatic ties and cooperation programmes.

Videos:Watch the ‘Living under occupation: Daily Life in Occupied Palestine’ video from EFA MEPs’ visit to the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2013.Watch the ‘Occupation in the 21st century: Barriers to peace in Israel & Palestine’ video from EFA Group in the European Parliament’s visit to Israel and Palestine in 2015.

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