Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 19 October 2021 - Strasbourg

General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2022 - all sections (debate)

  Evin Incir (S&D). – Madam President, colleagues, I’m going to focus on one thing today, Peace between Israel and Palestine. In the heart of peace lays the well-being of the people directly affected. UNRWA is a UN agency that I hope we will not need in the future, since I hope we will be able to provide also the Palestinian people with statehood through a two state solution with two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, side by side in peace and security.

But today, millions of Palestinians are living under catastrophic conditions, and many are refugees, internally displaced in Palestine, in Syria, in Lebanon and Jordan. UNRWA has been lifesaving for many of them. Every person in this Parliament should want to support UNRWA, but instead I’m shocked to hear that so many, especially from the right wing groups here, believe in lies spread about the Palestinian textbooks and the work of UNRWA. At least trust in the EU funded report by the Georg Eckert Institute, which clearly states that the Palestinian textbooks adhere to UNESCO standards.

I hope that all of us contribute to stability, solidarity and peace. I hope you all vote for the amendment tabled by the S&D Group that ensures continued support for UNWRA.