MPs say no to annexation plans

European MPs have come together to oppose the illegal plan of Israel’s Prime Minister to annex part of the Palestinian West Bank, under Israeli military occupation since 1967. Convened by Stephen Kinnock MP, Co Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Palestine, colleagues from France, Ireland, Belgium and the U.K. agreed to challenge and seek to deter this criminal act. Recognition of the state of Palestine alongside Israel on pre-June 1967 lines is the logical next step for governments committed to the two-state outcome which is U.K./EU policy. Further, the MPs determined that Israel should not profit economically from illegal settlements/annexation.
Below is the text of their statement, now open for signature by Parliamentary colleagues in Europe and the USA.  If you would like your MP to sign, please send the statement to him/her with your request – I will gladly add names.
Sir Vincent Fean, Chair, Balfour Project
info@balfourproject.org

No to Israeli annexation plans

We, the undersigned, share our deep concern at the threat of illegal Israeli annexation of part of the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Unilateral annexation of any part of the West Bank would be a grave breach of international law, and a further obstacle to achieving equal rights and self-determination for Palestinians. Annexation must not pass unchallenged.

We fully support our Parliamentary colleagues in Europe, the United States and Israel who have spoken out against annexation – particularly in the letter initiated by Avraham Burg, former Speaker of the Knesset, and signed by 1080 Parliamentarians across Europe. The letter states:
“A lasting solution to the conflict must meet the legitimate aspirations and security needs and guarantee equal rights of both Israelis and Palestinians… Acquisition of territory by force has no place in 2020 and must have commensurate consequences”.

We note with approval the statements of the European Union and of the Governments of Ireland, France, Sweden, Belgium and the United Kingdom that Israeli annexation would be a violation of international law and not be recognised.

In fulfilment of the right to self-determination of both the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples, we commend the decisive votes in our respective Parliaments in favour of recognition of the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel on pre-June 1967 borders, as a prerequisite for a comprehensive peace, ending the Occupation:


United Kingdom – vote of the House of Commons, 13 October 2014
Ireland – vote of the Seanad, 22 October 2014, and of the Dail, 10 December 2014
France – vote of the Sénat, 11 December 2014, and of the Assemblée, 21 December 2014
Belgium – vote of the House of Representatives, 5 February 2015.


This is a clear basis for further action by these Governments.
We recall the decision of the Government of Sweden on 30 October 2014 to recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.

We considered commensurate consequences in the event of annexation. We agreed that Israel’s international standing, already harmed by systematic illegal acts of settlement construction, would be damaged very significantly by any act of annexation – and that Israel should not benefit economically from these acts.

We invite Parliamentarians elsewhere in Europe and in the United States to join in a coalition of the willing to avert annexation and to preserve the prospect of Palestinian self-determination and equal rights for both peoples within a two-state framework: a secure, sovereign Palestine alongside a secure, sovereign Israel.
We will meet virtually as soon as required by developments on the ground.

July 2020
Signed by

Members of National Parliaments 

United Kingdom

Ian Blackford MP, Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) at Westminster 

Crispin Blunt MP, Conservative Party

Steven Bonnar MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Alan Brown MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Richard Burden, former Labour Party MP

Alistair Carmichael MP, Liberal Democrats

Wendy Chamberlain MP, Liberal Democrats

Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrats 

Sir Ed Davey MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 

Martyn Day MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Allan Dorans MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Julie Elliott MP, Labour Party

Patrick Grady MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Neale Hanvey MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrats

Stephen Kinnock MP, Labour Party

Kenny MacAskill MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Seema Malhotra MP, Labour Party

Stuart McDonald MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Carol Monghan MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrats

Gavin Newlands MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

John Nicolson MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Baroness Lindsay Northover, Liberal Democrats

Brendan O’Hara MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Baroness Shas Sheehan, Liberal Democrats

Tommy Sheppard MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Andy Slaughter MP, Labour Party

Jamie Stone MP, Liberal Democrats

Owen Thompson MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Conservative Party

Dr Philippa Whitford MP, Scottish National Party (SNP)

Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrats

Belgium

Malik Ben Achour MP, Parti Socialiste (PS) 

Jean-Marc Delizée MP, Parti Socialiste (PS) 

Els Van Hoof MP, Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V)

France

Jacques Maire, député, La République En Marche! (LREM)

Gilbert Roger, sénateur, Parti Socialiste (PS)

Gwendal Rouillard, député, La République En Marche! (LREM)

Ireland

Frances Black, Senator, Independent

Michael McDowell, Senator, Independent

Netherlands

Lilianne Ploumen MP, Partij van de Arbeid (PvdA) 

Bram van Ojik MP, GorenLinks (GL)

Spain

Antonio Gómez-Reino Varela MP, Unidas Podemos 

Lucía Muñoz Dalda MP, Unidas Podemos

Gerardo Pisarello Prados MP, Barcelona en Comú

Enrique Fernando Santiago Romero MP, Unidas Podemos

Roberto Uriarte Torrealday MP, Unidas Podemos

Sweden

Johan Büser MP, Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti (S/SAP)

Thomas Hammarberg MP, Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti (S/SAP)

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)

Belgium

Maria Arena MEP, Parti Socialiste (S&Ds)

Croatia 

Ivan Vilibor Sinčić MEP, Živi Zid (Non-aligned)

Czechia

Kateřina Konečná MEP, Komunistická strana Čech a Moravy  (GUE/NGL)

Denmark 

Margrete Auken MEP, Socialistisk Folkeparti (Greens/EFA)

Karen Melchior MEP, Det Radikale Venstre (Renew)

Kira Marie Peter-Hansen MEP, Socialistisk Folkeparti (Greens/EFA)

France

François Alfonsi MEP, Régions et Peuples Solidaires (Greens/EFA)

Yannick Jadot MEP, Europe Écologie (Greens/EFA)

Aurore Lalucq MEP, Place publique (S&Ds)

Younous Omarjee MEP, La France Insoumise (GUE/NGL)

Mounir Satouri MEP, Europe Écologie (Greens/EFA)

Salima Yenbou MEP, Europe Écologie (Greens/EFA)

Germany

Oezlem Demirel MEP, Die Linke (GUE/NGL)

Greece

Alexis Georgoulis MEP, Syriza (GUE/NGL)

Ireland

Barry Andrews MEP, Fianna Fáil (Renew)

Ciaran Cuffe MEP, Green Party (Greens/EFA)

Clare Daly MEP, Independents 4 Change (GUE/NGL)

Luke Ming Flanagan MEP, Independent (GUE/NGL)

Billy Kelleher MEP, Fianna Fáil (Renew)

Chris MacManus MEP, Sinn Fein (GUE/NGL)

Grace O’Sullivan MEP, Green Party (Greens/EFA)

Mick Wallace MEP, Independents 4 Change (GUE/NGL)

Italy

Brando Benifei MEP, Partito Democratico (S&Ds)

Fabio Massimo Castaldo MEP, Movimento 5 Stelle (Non-aligned)

Ignazio Corrao MEP, Movimento 5 Stelle (Non-aligned)

Rosa D’Amato MEP, Movimento 5 Stelle (Non-aligned)

Giuliano Pisapia MEP, Independent (S&Ds)

Malta 

Alfred Sant MEP, Partit Laburista (S&Ds)

Portugal

José Gusmão MEP, Bloco Esqierda (GUE/NGL)

Marisa Matias MEP, Bloco Esqierda (GUE/NGL)

Isabel Santos MEP, Partido Socialista (S&Ds)

Slovenia

Milan Brglez MEP, Socialni demokrati (S&Ds)

Irena Joveva MEP, Lista Marjana Šarca (Renew)

Spain

Pernando Barrena Arza MEP, EH Bildu (GUE/NGL)

Izaskun Bilbao Barandica MEP, Partido Nacionalista Vasco (Renew)

Antoni Comín i Oliveres MEP, Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa (Non-aligned)

Javier Nart MEP, Independiente (Renew)

Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó MEP, Junts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa (Non-aligned)

Diana Riba i Giner MEP, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Greens/EFA)

Jordi Solé i Ferrando MEP, Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (Greens/EFA)

Miguel Urbán Crespo MEP, Anticapitalistas (GUE/NGL)

Ernest Urtasun Domenech MEP, Catalunya en Comú (Greens/EFA)

Idoia Villanueva Ruiz MEP, Podemos (GUE/NGL)

Sweden

Malin Björk MEP, Vänsterpartiet (GUE/NGL)

Evin Incir MEP, Arbetarepartiet- Socialdemokraterna (Renew)

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