Order to remove Palestinian flags by new Israeli security minister
12.1.2023
Question for written answer E-000094/2023
to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
Rule 138
Manu Pineda (The Left), Irena Joveva (Renew), Marc Botenga (The Left), Klemen Grošelj (Renew), Francisco Guerreiro (Verts/ALE), Robert Biedroń (S&D), Margrete Auken (Verts/ALE), Mick Wallace (The Left), Ciarán Cuffe (Verts/ALE), Grace O'Sullivan (Verts/ALE), Evin Incir (S&D), João Pimenta Lopes (The Left), Sandra Pereira (The Left), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Salima Yenbou (Renew), Ernest Urtasun (Verts/ALE), Sira Rego (The Left), Miguel Urbán Crespo (The Left), Giorgos Georgiou (The Left), Rosa D'Amato (Verts/ALE)
Israel’s new security minister, the far-right Itamar Ben Gvir, has ordered the Police Commissioner’s office to remove all visible Palestinian flags, including in internationally recognised Palestinian territory illegally occupied by Israel.
This follows a series of measures taken by Israel over the past week in response to the Palestinian National Authority’s request (approved by the UN General Assembly) to bring Israeli violations of international law before the International Criminal Court. These measures include withholding funds from the Palestinian Authority, banning new construction in certain areas of the West Bank, and revoking the travel permit of Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
- 1.Will the Vice-President / High Representative consider taking concrete steps to show that he rejects these measures, such as ending Israel’s participation in EU-funded programmes including Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, many of which take place in illegally occupied territory or are used for occupation-related purposes?
- 2.Does the Vice-President / High Representative consider that, in view of the systematic non-compliance with its international obligations, the EU-Israel Association Agreement should be suspended?
Submitted: 12.1.2023