MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

18.11.2008

with request for inclusion in the agenda for the debate on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law
pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure
by Chris Davies, Marios Matsakis
on behalf of the ALDE Group
on the case of the al-Kurd family

See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B6-0608/2008

B6‑0608/2008

European Parliament resolution on the case of the al-Kurd family

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to the art.115 of its Rules of Procedure;

• A.Whereas the visit of the High Level Working Group on Middle East to Israel and the Occupied Territories in May-June 2008 could assess on the ground the extent of the continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem despite the Annapolis commitment;
• B.Whereas according to the European Commission the settlement population increased by 4,7% over the first six months of 2008, a rate which is three times more than the growth of the Israeli population;
• C.Worried by the growing role of extremist settlers' associations in the Israeli society and political life, openly supporting the planning of mass deportation of Palestinian people from both country-regionIsraelplace and East Jerusalem;
• D.Whereas, on the night of Sunday 9 November, 2008, Israeli security forces surrounded the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem and expelled the Palestinian family Al-Kurd from their home; whereas, immediately afterwards, they enabled settlers to enter the family's house and then sealed off the area;
• E.Whereas this is the second time that the Al-Kurd family has been dispossessed and displaced, the family having lost its original home in West Jerusalem in 1948;
• F.Whereas the eviction of the Al-Kurd family from its home is not the first in the area and whereas 27 other families are threatened with eviction from their homes, so that a new Israeli settlement of 200 settlement units can be established;
• G.Whereas following a country-regionUnited Statescountry-region protest at Israelcountry-region's intention to expel the Al-Kurd family from their home, the implementation of the expulsion had been put off, only to be resumed in the post-presidential election period in the placeUnited States;

 

• 1.Reiterates its call to the Israeli authorities to immediately stop any expansion of settlements; reminds the Israeli authorities of their commitment undertaken in CityplaceAnnapolis to halt settlement activities and believes that further changes on the ground are jeopardizing a two-states solution and the entire peace perspective;
• 2.Urges the Israeli authorities the immediate restitution of the Al-Kurd family home and not to proceed with any other expulsion of Palestinians from the Sheikh Jarrah area in placeEast Jerusalem without due process;
• 3.Calls on the European Commission and the Council to exert the appropriate pressure on placecountry-regionIsrael in this direction and urges the Quartet to play a more active role in this direction;
• 4.Instructs its President to transmit this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government and Parliament of Israel, the Palestinian National Authority, the Palestinian Legislative Council, the government of Jordan, the UNRWA and to the civil society's organisations "Sheikh Jarrah Neighbourhood Committee" and "Coalition for CityplaceJerusalem".