Activities of Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU related to 2021/2207(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Relations with the Palestinian Authority (debate)
Amendments (63)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
Citation 1 a (new)
— having regard to the European Parliament resolution of 14 December 2022, on the prospects of the two-stat solution for Israel and Palestine
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 24 a (new)
Citation 24 a (new)
— having regard to the Open Doors World Watch List 2023,
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 30
Citation 30
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the two-state solution, with the state of Israel andEU remains united it its commitment to achieving a two-state solution, based on the parameters in the Council conclusions of July 2014 that allow the sState of PalestineIsrael to livinge side by side, together in peace, security and mutual recognition under the 1967 borders with mutually agreed upon land swaps and Jerusalem as the capital of both states, is the only viable solution to the conflictwith an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine;
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas the two-state solution, withon the state of Israel and the state of Palestine living side by side, together in peace, security and mutual recognition under the 1967 borders with mutually agreed upon land swaps and Jerusalem as the capital of both states,basis of the 1967 lines with two sovereign, democratic states living side by side in peace and guaranteed security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, and in full respect of international law is the only viable solution to the conflict;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Palestinian leadership has repeatedly called for renewedplaced preconditions on the peace talks leading to a two-state solution, which has not been reciprocated by the Israeli Governmentereas the successive Israeli Governments have also offered peace talks but without any preconditions;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas both Israel and the Palestinian leadership hasve repeatedly called for renewed peace talks leading to a two-state solution, which has not been reciprocated by the Israeli Governmentsustainable solution providing peace and security;
Amendment 42 #
B a. whereas Arab states such as Egypt or Jordan, which have maintained diplomatic relations with Israel for years, have played a meaningful role in promoting dialogue on the Middle East Peace Process, including on security and stability; underlines the continuing relevance of investing in meaningful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority; whereas one of the premises for the Abraham Accords was the halting of annexation plans in the West Bank; whereas on all parties should respect this;
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
B a. whereas the Iranian regime continues to influence the PA, and represents a serious threat to peace and stability in the region;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the Israeli occupation of -Palestinian territoryconflict has been ongoing for 55 years; whereas the number of settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has dramatically increased since the signing of the Oslo Accords in contravention of international law and the objective of peace;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas European development partners (the EU, its Member States, Norway and Switzerland) are by far the largest donors and disburse EUR 1.2 billion annually in official development assistance to Palestinethe PA;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas EU assistance provides vital budget support to the PA through the PEGASE programme; whereas since the beginning of the current multiannual financial framework, EU assistance to Palestine has been ad hoc; whereas the 2021-2024 joint strategy provides a basis on which annual action programmes can be adopted, but a multiannual prospect for concrete fundingwhereas an effective oversight and examination of where the funds are allocated is still lacking ;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas EU assistance provides vital budget support to the PA through the PEGASE programme; whereas since the beginning of the current multiannual financial framework, EU assistance to Palestinethe PA has been ad hoc; whereas the 2021- 2024 joint strategy provides a basis on which annual action programmes can be adopted, but a multiannual prospect for concrete funding is still lacking;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas EU funding includes a multiannual contribution to UNRWA, whose work Parliament continually supports and advocates to be continued; reminds that the conditionality of EU financial assistance in the educational sector needs to be duly considered; insists that the Commission must guarantee that no Union funds are allocated or linked to any form of terrorism and/or religious and political radicalisation;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas EU funding includes a multiannual contribution to UNRWA, whose work Parliament continually supports and advocates to be continued as long as UNRWA concretely promotes education based on peacebuilding, tolerance, coexistence;
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas in 2011, the UN Ad Hoc Liaison Committee concluded that Palestinian institutions are ready for statehood; whereas however, since then, the democratic status of Palestine has deteriorated owing to the ongoing occupation and internal problems, as well as worsening rule of law and, corruption and terrorism;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas in 2011, the UN Ad Hoc Liaison Committee concluded that Palestinian institutions are ready for statehood; whereas however, since then, the democratic status of Palestinethe PA has deteriorated owing to the ongoing occupation and internal problems, as well as worsening rule of law and corruption;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas in 2011, the UN Ad Hoc Liaison Committee concluded that Palestinian institutions are ready for statehood; whereas however, since then, the democratic status of Palestine has deteriorated owing to the ongoing occupation and internal problems, as well as worsening rule of law and corruption;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the PA faces a crisis of legitimacy; whereas the last Palestinian parliamentary elections were held in 2006; whereas the Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, as set out in Article 2 TEU; whereas the Union's action on the international scene should be guided by these principles;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
Recital H a (new)
H a. whereas Palestinian Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the EU;
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H b (new)
Recital H b (new)
H b. whereas the terrorist organisation Hamas aims to annihilate the State of Israel;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas socioeconomic and employment conditions in the Palestineian Territories have severely deteriorated; whereas the BDS movement has led to many Palestinians losing their jobs; whereas the Israeli occupation involves significant restrictions on the Palestinian economy, which undermines the effectiveness of EU aid and further increases Palestinian dependence on foreign aid;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. Whereas a significant reason behind the deterioration of the social and economic conditions in the Palestinian territories is related to corruption in the PA;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I a (new)
Recital I a (new)
I a. whereas according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2023, Christians in the Palestinian Territories face discrimination and persecution;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I b (new)
Recital I b (new)
I b. whereas women in the Palestinian Territories face discrimination and still have fewer rights than men, for instance in relation to divorce, custody of children and inheritance;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I c (new)
Recital I c (new)
I c. whereas even though same-sex acts is decriminalised in the West Bank persons belonging to the LGBTQI+ community still face harassment and discrimination; whereas there are no laws that protect LGBTQI+ persons from discrimination and harassment; whereas Palestinians belonging to the LGBTQI+ community frequently seek refuge in Israel and in the EU, fearing for their lives, and fearing death from members of their own family; whereas Gaza criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual activity between men and LGBTQI+ people can face up to 10 years of imprisonment;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I d (new)
Recital I d (new)
I d. whereas hate speech and the incitement to violence are still taught in Palestinian school materials; whereas the EU-commissioned study by the Georg- Eckert Institute published last June confirmed previous reports of antisemitism, glorification of terror and the erasure of Israel on maps in Palestinian schoolbooks; whereas the EU demands that all schoolbooks and school materials supported by Union funds must be in line with UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and non- violence;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point a
Paragraph 1 – point a
(a) reiterate the EU’s stroits unwavering support for thea negotiated two-state solution, as on the only viable solution to the conflict, with the state of Israel and the state of Palestine living side by side, together in peace, security and mutual recognition under the 1967 borders with mutually agreed upon land swaps and Jerusalem as the capital of both statesbasis of the 1967 lines with two sovereign, democratic states living side by side in peace and guaranteed security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, and in full respect of international law;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point b
Paragraph 1 – point b
(b) continue to underline that Israeli settlements in the oPt are illegal; call for an end to all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solutiona sustainable solution providing peace and security on the ground;
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c
Paragraph 1 – point c
(c) stress the importance of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestineian Authority and remind both sides of the importance of the participation of women in all levels of the negotiation, ethnic and religious minorities;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) recognise that the Abraham Accords are a factor in the reorganisation of inter-state relations in the region and must be taken into account in a European strategy aimed at helping the region to achieve stability;
Amendment 187 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c a (new)
(c a) underline the importance of the condemnation of hate speech and violent behaviour by the PA Authorities;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point c b (new)
(c b) support the need to, with the respective Arab countries that have signed the Abraham Accords, explore how their normalisation agreements with Israel can be conducive to the two-state solution;
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) support Palestinian calls for renewed and inclusive political representation; strongly urge the PA and President Abbas to hold free and fair national elections in order to strengthen the legitimacy of the Palestinian political leadership; stress that it is unacceptable that the PA has held no elections in more than 16 years; call on Israel to respect its obligations to allow these elections to take place in East Jerusalem; promote the participation of youth and women;
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d
Paragraph 1 – point d
(d) support Palestinian calls for renewed and inclusive political representation; strongly urge the PA and President Abbas to hold free and fair national elections in order to strengthen the legitimacy of the Palestinian political leadership; call on Israel to respect its obligations to allow these elections to take place in East Jerusalem; promote the participation of youth and women, women and ethnic minorities;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point d a (new)
(d a) express grave concern about people affiliated with EU-listed terrorist organisations running or seeking to run for Palestinian political office; insist again that the EU and the international community must be able to observe these elections, upon invitation;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point e
Paragraph 1 – point e
(e) strongly call for East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to be brought under one legitimate, democratic PA rule that respects Israel's right to exist in security and peace; facilitate political consensus and reconciliation among Palestinian political factions; stress the importance of democratic elections being respected by all parties involved;
Amendment 219 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point f a (new)
(f a) strongly condemn the harassment and discrimination of persons belonging to the LGBTQI+ community and “honour killings” of girls and women; call for concrete measures to be enacted to fight discrimination and the lack of protection for LGBTQI+ persons, women, religious minorities and other marginalised groups;
Amendment 223 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g
Paragraph 1 – point g
(g) urge the PA to eliminate repressive restrictions on the funding and registration of non-governmental organisations and to respect the freedom of assembly and expression and freedom of religion;
Amendment 227 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point g a (new)
(g a) call on the PA to condemn any organizations that are affiliated with or express support for extremist and terrorists;
Amendment 231 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h
Paragraph 1 – point h
(h) condemn the continued, widespread use of torture by Palestinian authorities; demand that the PA establish independent and reliable mechanisms to investigate occurrences of torture or ill- treatment within its territory;
Amendment 236 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point h a (new)
(h a) Call on the PA to eliminate any kind of political connection with the terrorist regime in Iran;
Amendment 240 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point i
Paragraph 1 – point i
(i) call on the PA to amend national legislation to align with international legal standards on anti-discrimination to ensure that hate crimes are prohibited under the law, and to diligently investigate any anti- Semitic or other discriminatory motives;
Amendment 247 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point k
Paragraph 1 – point k
Amendment 260 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point l
Paragraph 1 – point l
(l) comply with the commitment to fully and effectively implement existing EU legislation and the bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products; demand the adoption of EU legislation banning trade with settlements in the oPt, in compliance with international humanitarian law;
Amendment 263 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) engage with the PA to jointly establish a more regular political dialogue at the ministerial level and to launch, as soon as possible, negotiations on a full association agreement between the EU and Palestine; convene an assbuild up towards an eventual association agreement once the PA shows it respects the demociration council when an agreement has been reachedc principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 265 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m
Paragraph 1 – point m
(m) engage with the PA to jointly establish a more regular political dialogue at the ministerial level and to launch, as soon as possible and with strict conditionality, negotiations on a full association agreement between the EU and Palestinethe PA; convene an association council when an agreement has been reached;
Amendment 271 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point m a (new)
(m a) address the widespread antisemitism among the Palestinians in private and public; reiterate the EU:s commitment to combat all forms of antisemitism and stress that such a commitment will affect all of its relations with the Palestinian Authority.
Amendment 276 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n
Paragraph 1 – point n
(n) work towards an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip while making sure that both parties respect each other’s right to exist; strongly and publicly condemn the rhetoric from Hamas wanting the annihilation of the State of Israel;
Amendment 280 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point n a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point n a (new)
(n a) strongly condemn Palestinian terrorist groups firing indiscriminate rockets into Israel;
Amendment 284 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point o
Paragraph 1 – point o
(o) actively offer to deploy an election observation mission to the oPtWest Bank upon the announcement of general elections;
Amendment 287 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) enhance funding, including humanitarian aid and development assistance, for the green transition, good governance and anti-corruption efforts, including public financial management reform; expand aid to Palestinian civil society, including to human rights defenders under attack; create a scrutiny mechanism to make sure that the funding is going to the right place and assess if progress is being made and make sure that that EU funds do not directly or indirectly finance terrorism any longer, including the six Palestinian organisations who has close links with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), an EU terror designated group;
Amendment 290 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) enhance funding, including humanitarian aid and development assistance, for the green transition, good governance and anti-corruption efforts, including public financial management reform; expand aid to Palestinian civil society, including to human rights defenders under attack; call on the PA to stop rewarding terrorists via the provision of payments to their families from the "Palestinian Authority Martyrs' Fund", which acts as a means to incite and glorify terrorism;
Amendment 291 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) enhance funding, including humanitarian aid and development assistance, for the green transition, good governance and anti-corruption efforts, including public financial management reform; expand aid to Palestinian civil society, including to human rights defenders under attack and develop a more rigorous process to check where European funds are used to prevent any taxpayer money going to terrorist organisations or affiliates;
Amendment 293 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p
Paragraph 1 – point p
(p) enhance funding, including humanitarian aid and development assistance, for the green transition, good governance and anti-corruption efforts, including public financial management reform; expand aid to Palestinian civil society, including to human rights defenders under attack; make sure that access to EU funding is subject to a clear conditionality in the fight against antisemitism, extremism and terrorism;
Amendment 299 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point p a (new)
(p a) call on the PA to eradicate all anti- Semitic content and incitement to violence from its school textbooks; call on the EU and its Member States to reiterate in their exchanges with representatives of the PA that this is a longstanding issue that must be resolved immediately;
Amendment 313 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) express concern about how EU policy and effectiveness of financial assistance in the Palestineian Territories are undermined by illegal settlements, the Israeli occupation and related restrictions on the Palestinian economy; demand compensation for the demolition of all EU- funded infrastructure in the oPt;
Amendment 314 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point r
Paragraph 1 – point r
(r) express concern about how EU policy and effectiveness of financial assistance in Palestine are undermined by illegal settlements, the Israeli occupation and related restrictions on the Palestinian economycall for both parties to respect EU policy in order to ensure the effectiveness of financial assistance; demand compensation for the demolition of all EU- funded infrastructure in the oPt;
Amendment 331 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ensure continued and additional financial support to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA to meet the increasing needs on the ground; welcome the Commission’s firm commitment to fighting anti-semitism and engaging with the Palestinian Authority and the UNRWA to promote quality education for Palestinian children and ensure full adherence to UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, co- existence, and non- violence in Palestinian textbooks; call therefore on the Commission to establish a clear conditionality in the fight against antisemitism in order to gain access to EU funds;
Amendment 339 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u
Paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ensure continued and additional financial support to Palestinian refugees through UNRWA to meet the increasing needs on the ground while making sure that the financial support is being used to activities reflecting the EU values;
Amendment 344 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
(u a) make sure that all education curricula funded by the EU are in line with UNESCO standards of peace, tolerance, co-existence and non-violence and strongly condemns the hate speech, violence and antisemitism that continue to be found in Palestinian Authority education curricula;
Amendment 345 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u a (new)
(u a) express concern for the mounting violence that has characterised the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2022 and the potential for this to further escalate; note in this context that Israel suffered in January 2023, its most deadly Palestinian terrorist attack since 2008;
Amendment 348 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1 – point u b (new)
Paragraph 1 – point u b (new)
(u b) work to fully designate Hezbollah and the IRGC as terrorist organizations, which would strengthen the EU’s calls on the PA to end its links with those entities;