04:46France: EU Parliament convenes special session on 'deterioration of democracy in Israel'
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell alongside other parliament members discussed the 'deterioration of democracy in Israel' and the consequences on the occupied territories, during a special session in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Borrel said that the Israeli judicial reform has led to a heated internal political debate and violence has reached unseen levels. He continued to mention that the 'settlements are illegal under international law and their expansion must stop, as well as the demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes'.
Another member of the EP Michael Gahler highlighted a quote from Israeli President Isaac Herzog saying that the 'government should abandon proposed legislation to overhaul the country’s judiciary in favour of a model with broad national support'.
Among the members of the EP, Anna-Michelle Assimakopoulou could also be seen criticising some EP members. She believed that the members should treat carefully as a party watching what is going on from the outside and declared that labelling a country’s democracy as deteriorating is 'a very serious charge'.
Billy Kelleher, a member of the EP, accused the parliament of sending no signals to Israel in order to denounce them. He announced that there is no two-state solution viable now as he believed 'Israel is systematically dismantling the Palestinian state'.
"We should insist that there is no further occupation after the Palestinian state and that they should go back to the original borders as was proposed in the two-state solution…we are shamefully sitting on our hands all the time,” Kelleher added.
For the tenth week in a row, protesters claimed against the last judiciary reform introduced by Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The new system would reportedly limit the Tribunals' powers and grant further authority to the parliament.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that reform aims to give 'the right balance between the three branches’ of government; the legislative, executive, and judiciary.
04:46High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell alongside other parliament members discussed the 'deterioration of democracy in Israel' and the consequences on the occupied territories, during a special session in Strasbourg on Tuesday.
Borrel said that the Israeli judicial reform has led to a heated internal political debate and violence has reached unseen levels. He continued to mention that the 'settlements are illegal under international law and their expansion must stop, as well as the demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes'.
Another member of the EP Michael Gahler highlighted a quote from Israeli President Isaac Herzog saying that the 'government should abandon proposed legislation to overhaul the country’s judiciary in favour of a model with broad national support'.
Among the members of the EP, Anna-Michelle Assimakopoulou could also be seen criticising some EP members. She believed that the members should treat carefully as a party watching what is going on from the outside and declared that labelling a country’s democracy as deteriorating is 'a very serious charge'.
Billy Kelleher, a member of the EP, accused the parliament of sending no signals to Israel in order to denounce them. He announced that there is no two-state solution viable now as he believed 'Israel is systematically dismantling the Palestinian state'.
"We should insist that there is no further occupation after the Palestinian state and that they should go back to the original borders as was proposed in the two-state solution…we are shamefully sitting on our hands all the time,” Kelleher added.
For the tenth week in a row, protesters claimed against the last judiciary reform introduced by Benjamin Netanyahu's government. The new system would reportedly limit the Tribunals' powers and grant further authority to the parliament.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that reform aims to give 'the right balance between the three branches’ of government; the legislative, executive, and judiciary.