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The European Parliament in Brussels.
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WASHINGTON (EJP)---A Jewish human rights group has commended the decision by Polish MEPs from various political groups to boycott a conference sponsored by a UN panel on the rights of the Palestinians which will take place at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The two-day entitled “International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace,” will bring together on August 30-31 August several non-government organizations. It is sponsored by the United Nations “Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.”
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Bronisław Geremek, Polish Liberal MEP, declared:"I will not take part in this conference. I saw the materials prepared by the organizers. Although there is no official statement that Israel must be pushed down to the sea there, the choice of subjects and the attitude towards the problems shows that it will be biased, conflict generating conference. Actually we can call it anti-Israeli."
Christian-Democrat Bronisław Sonik:"There is not the first such initiative. Pro-Palestinian lobby is very active here. If in fact, the conference will become propagandist, Israelis can count on Poles."
Konrad Szymanski from the Europe of the Nations Group:"I am astonished that European Parliament allowed such activity to be placed in its building." |
The Washington-based B’nai B’rith International expressed concerns about what it called “the virulently anti-Israel nature of this gathering” and fears “it will give a prominent platform to parties that are determined to scuttle the Middle East peace process.”
“Past gatherings by this committee have featured primitive, extremist anti-Israel hatred and horrible, baseless accusations against Israel of genocide and apartheid,” it said.
“It is an outrage that the European Parliament would associate itself with this virulently anti-Israeli gathering,” the BBI added in a statement.
“The 54 members of the Polish delegation to the European Parliament are to be commended for setting an example other delegations should follow. The group is making a clear statement that it will not support or accept the one-sided castigation of Israel and the propagation of hatred,” the statement said.
“By lending its name to a forum aimed at the stark vilification of Israel, the European Parliament undermines the EU’s role within the Mideast Quartet “as an impartial and effective international arbiter.”
BBI has sent a letter to the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Poettering, asking the Parliament not to host the conference.
The European Parliament stressed last week that the conference is a “private event” and that the EU assembly is only providing rooms and logistics.