The Delegation of Women Members and former Members of the European Parliament to Israel and Palestine 24th-29th October
invites journalists to join them on:
28th October 2009 at 11.30 in Sheikh Jarrah
with the Palestinian families evicted from their houses
From 24th to
29th October 2009 a delegation of 10 women Members and former Members
of the European Parliament, coordinated by Luisa Morgantini (Former
Member and Vice-President of the European Parliament and member of the
Steering Committee of the IWC)), visited the Palestinian Occupied
territory and Israel at the invitation of the International Women's
Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace( IWC).
The IWC is a tripartite organization composed of Israeli, Palestinian
and international women dedicated to the peaceful settlement of the
Palestinian-Israeli conflict through the establishment of a Palestinian
state alongside Israel on the June 4, 1967 borders with two capitals
for two states in Jerusalem.
At the press conference, participants
in the delegation will present their first evaluation of their visit to
Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory. During their
staying they met the Members of the PLC and the Knesset, the European
Commission, OCHA, women and human rights organisations, as well as
Palestinian Youth Association Pyalara where they had a teleconference
with women from Gaza. They visited Jerusalem, the old city of Hebron,
Bethlehem, Ramallah, Haifa, Tel-Aviv-Jaffa and villages and refugees
camp in the West bank. Despite their desire to do so, the delegation
was not able to visit the Gaza Strip, due to the Israel's illegal
restrictions. A meeting with Salam Fayyad, Palestinian Prime Minister,
will take place on 28th October at 17.00.
The
delegation strongly believes in the principle of accountability and the
need for the implementation of international legality.
Together with the IWC, they call to end the collective punishment and
the siege on Gaza, a request also made by the European Parliament
several times, the last one in its resolution on February 2009. The
members reiterate their demand to stop all settlements activities and
to bring an end to all violence and military occupation.
The
delegation choose to have their press conference in Sheikh Jarrah to
express their full support for all the Palestinian families expelled
from their own houses in order to allow Israeli settlers to move in.
On this occasion, the delegation will also express their solidarity for
all the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem under threat of
evacuation, whose identity cards are being confiscated and whose lives
are being disrupted by the wall, already condemned as illegal also by
the International Criminal Court of Justice.
The
delegation is composed of Members and former members of the European
Parliament Mrs Thein Alexandra, Germany, Mrs Nicole Kiil-Nielsen,
France, Mrs Morgantini, Italy, Mrs Chichereau Dinguirard, France, Mrs
Daiber, Germany, Mrs Giuntini,Italy, Mrs Isler, France, Mrs Mikko,
Estonia and Mrs Prets, Austria, Mrs. Kovacs, Hungary), plus
International Members of the IWC (Mrs. Simone Suskind, Belgium) and
staff members of both IWC and EP.
For more info:
Luisa Morgantini
local mobile in Israel and Palestine: 00972 (0)527 251612
Italian mobile: +39.348.3921465
e-mail: iwc.morgantini@gmail.com
