European lawmakers protest Israel’s de facto annexation

ANKARA More than 400 European parliamentarians called on foreign ministers of their countries to stop Israel's de facto annexation of the West Bank and end “the isolation of Gaza," In a joint letter. Parliamentarians from 22 European countries, including the Social Democrats, Greens, and Labour Party members from the UK, France, Germany, and Sweden, addressed the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and foreign ministers of other European countries, saying that the Joe Biden presidency in the US is an “opportunity to address Israel-Palestinian conflict with renewed effort”. “The recent regional normalization agreements with Israel led to the suspension of plans to formally annex West Bank territory,” said the 442 lawmakers who signed the letter, pointing to the previous US administration. The joint letter underlined the rapid progressing of “de facto annexation, especially through accelerated settlement expansion and demolitions of Palestinian structures.” It added that the record number of demolitions of Palestinian homes in four years was reported last year despite the pandemic. “This included the demolition of nearly an entire community in Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa, in what the UN described as the largest forced displacement incident in over four years,” the parliamentarians said. In the letter, the parliamentarians also called on European countries to work with the Biden administration, and other parties in the region to “prevent unilateral action undermining the possibility of peace, advance the rights and security of all people under Israel’s effective control and build conditions that make a future negotiated agreement possible.” “Active European support for Palestinian reconciliation and elections across all the Palestinian territory is vital, including as a basis for ending the isolation of Gaza,” they added.