EU Urged to Deter Israel From Building in the West Bank

Pressure is mounting on Europe to respond to a flashpoint project in the occupied West Bank, with nearly 450 former EU ministers, ambassadors and senior officials urging member states and EU institutions to move against Israel’s planned construction of a controversial Jewish settlement that critics say would cut East Jerusalem off from the main Palestinian population centres.

In their appeal, the signatories urged member states to impose targeted sanctions on all individuals and entities involved in what they described as illegal settlement activity in the West Bank.

According to the statement, that could encompass politicians, settler leaders, Israeli land and local government authorities, as well as planners, lawyers, architects, engineers, developers, contractors, banks and other financial institutions.

The proposed measures, the statement said, should include visa bans and restrictions on doing business in the EU.

“To this end the Israeli government intends to publish on 1st June an initial tender for construction in the E1 area of 3401 residential units to provide housing for up to 15,000 illegal settlers.

“This E1 tender is proceeding despite persistent efforts by the EU and like-minded countries over many years to engage Israel in a critical dialogue to prevent it from illegally acquiring Palestinian land by force.

“The EU and its Member States must act now – including at the Foreign Affairs Council of 11th May – to oppose, together with partners, Israeli illegal settlement actions notably those in the E1 area.”

Those backing the call include former EU ambassadors, diplomats, European officials, MEPs and political figures from across the bloc, among them former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and former Swedish prime minister Stefan Löfvén.

Gaza flotilla activists challenge detention in Israeli court

In a separate development, two foreign activists detained by Israeli forces after the interception of a Gaza-bound flotilla appeared in court today to challenge their detention.

Saif Abu Keshek, a Spanish national of Palestinian origin, and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila were among dozens on board a flotilla stopped in international waters off the coast of Greece last week.

The two were taken to Israel for questioning, while the other activists — including seven Irish citizens — were brought to the Greek island of Crete and later released.

An Israeli court yesterday extended the detention of Abu Keshek and Avila until Sunday, their lawyers said, giving police additional time to question them.

Their legal team subsequently lodged an appeal against the detention at the Beersheba district court.

Both men appeared in person at today’s appeal hearing with their feet shackled, an AFP journalist reported.

Watch: Gaza flotilla activists detained by Israel were tortured, spouses say

Israeli rights group Adalah, which is representing the pair, said the men had been subjected to continuous abuse while in detention.

It said they were being held in “total isolation”, exposed to round-the-clock high-intensity lighting in their cells and blindfolded whenever they were moved, including during medical examinations.

Israeli authorities have denied the allegations, but no charges have been filed against either man.

Adalah said the authorities had accused the pair of several offences, including “assisting the enemy during wartime” and “membership in and providing services to a terrorist organisation”.

Israel’s foreign ministry has said both men were affiliated with the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), a group Washington has accused of “clandestinely acting on behalf of” the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Representatives for Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila say Israeli authorities abused the two men

Spain, Brazil and the United Nations have all called for the pair to be released swiftly.

“Israel must immediately and unconditionally release Global Sumud Flotilla members Saif Abu Keshek and Thiago Avila, who were detained in international waters and brought to Israel where they continue to be held without charge,” UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement.

“It is not a crime to show solidarity and attempt to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population in Gaza, who are in dire need of it,” he said.

The flotilla had departed from France, Spain and Italy in an attempt to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.

Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under Israeli blockade since 2007.

Additional reporting: AFP