MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Palestine: raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian TV stations
13.3.2012
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Graham Watson, Louis Michel, Leonidas Donskis, Alexandra Thein, Robert Rochefort, Edward McMillan-Scott, Ivo Vajgl, Marietje Schaake, Niccolò Rinaldi, Kristiina Ojuland, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Sonia Alfano on behalf of the ALDE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0160/2012
B7‑0170/2012
European Parliament resolution on Palestine: raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian TV stations
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East,
– having regard to the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (so called Oslo Accords),
– having regard to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,"
A. whereas Israeli troops raided two Palestinian television stations in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early on Wednesday 29th of February 2012, confiscating transmitters, computer hard drives and documents, and detaining employees for hours.
B. whereas officials at the two stations, Al Watan and Al-Quds Educational Television, said that officials from Israel’s Communications Ministry, accompanied by soldiers, spent several hours removing the equipment and documents;
C. whereas that Palestinian Authority, under the Oslo Accords, assumes the powers and responsibilities for internal security and public order;
D. whereas it remains unclear whether the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Technical Committee has been duly informed of the frequency interference problems which the Israeli Ministry of Communications claims is caused by the two Palestinian television stations.
E. whereas, in its very first session in 1946 the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 59(I) stating "Freedom of information is a fundamental human right and ... the touchstone of all the freedoms to which the United Nations is consecrated;"
1. Is deeply concerned by the incursion into Ramallah by Israeli security forces to the Palestinian television stations, Watan TV and Al-Quds Educational TV;
2. Stresses again that peaceful and non-violent means are the only way to achieve a sustainable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;
3. Calls on Israeli authorities to return all confiscated equipments to the two television stations, until the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Technical Committee clarify and solve, through consultation, the frequency interference problems raised by the Israeli Ministry of Communications.
4. Encourages Israeli and Palestinian authorities to conduct direct talks within the framework of the Joint Technical Committee as established by the Oslo Accords.
5. Urges the EU and its Member States to have a united position and to continue to play a more active role, also within the Quartet, in the efforts aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians; stresses the central role of the Quartet and fully supports the High Representative in her efforts for the Quartet to create a credible perspective for the re-launching of the peace process.
6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Parliaments and Governments of the Member States, the Middle East Quartet Envoy, the Knesset and the Government of Israel, the President of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council.