| [ 01/11/2010 – 04:12 PM ] |
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OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)– A delegation of the European parliament led by British MP Sir Gerald Kaufman on Sunday met with the Jerusalemite officials and lawmakers who have been staging a sit-in at the Red Cross headquarters for 123 days in protest at Israel’s decision to exile them from their occupied holy city. All members of the delegation entered the West Bank after an uphill struggle to cross the Jordanian Al-Karama bridge into the occupied Palestinian territories, except for one British member called Ayman Abu Awad who was detained at the pretext he hails from the Gaza Strip. The delegation, composed of seven lawmakers from Scotland, Britain and Netherlands as well as parliamentary assistants, expressed its solidarity with the Jerusalemite officials and its serious concern on the future of Palestinians especially in Jerusalem in light of Israel’s persistent violations against them. The delegation expressed dismay at the level which Israel’s legislation has stooped to, where its laws deliberately target the Palestinians’ presence and their holy sites in occupied Jerusalem. Jerusalemite lawmaker Mohamed Totah, one of the officials facing exile, stated in a news conference held at the Red Cross headquarters that such visits contribute to conveying what is happening to the Palestinians in Jerusalem to international public opinion. Totah added that the sit-in which he and his colleagues staged is an effective way to resist the Israeli occupation and its scheme to uproot the Palestinians from their native city. The lawmaker explained to the visiting delegation the issue of Israel’s decision to exile him along with other officials from their city and the impacts of the international community’s support for the Israeli occupation. For his part, head of the delegation MP Sir Gerald Kaufman called on Israel to stop subjecting the Palestinians to its policies which violate their rights and threatens their future. Kaufman promised that the delegation will relay the daily suffering of Palestinians and Jerusalemites to the European union and all international institutions. |
European MPs visit Jerusalemite officials at Red Cross headquarters.