Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-09-08-Speech-3-286"
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"en.20100908.15.3-286"2
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"Mr President, Mr Füle, ladies and gentlemen, the proposed legislation on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Israel has given us all great cause for concern. We were worried that the ability of NGOs in Israel to act would be significantly restricted.
During a visit by a delegation of committee chairs from the European Parliament, which I took part in as chair of the Working Group on the Middle East, we expressed our concern to our colleagues in the Knesset in Jerusalem, in particular, during a very positive meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister, Dan Meridor. I would like to see clever, level-headed people such as Dan Meridor playing a much more prominent public role, rather than the Foreign Minister, for example, whose position we do not agree with at all.
As all the speakers have said, the draft includes some improvements. I very much welcome what Mr Füle has said, but there are still some questions which need answering. Whenever restrictions are imposed on the tasks and the sphere of influence of human rights organisations and other NGOs, we must make our voice heard. The legislation has not yet been adopted and a decision is expected during the session of the Knesset in October. We will continue to monitor the situation very carefully.
As a genuine friend of Israel, I would like to say that the Israeli Government and the Israeli Parliament must be treated in the same way as any other government or parliament. Israel rightly claims to be a democracy. Therefore, it must also accept criticism when we feel that it is appropriate to give it.
I would like to add that I do not understand why the Israeli embassy in Brussels issued a statement to the press yesterday saying that we are discussing a non-existent subject today and that the debate should not take place because of the peace process in the Middle East.
I would like to call on the Israeli Government and to make it very clear that we are opposed to all the statements made by the President of Iran concerning the security of Israel, that we are opposed to terrorism of whatever kind and that when Israelis are killed in Hebron, we will issue a strong condemnation. However, we must also say to Israel that settlement building must not restart after 26 September. Instead, Israel must lay the foundations for the continuation of the peace process. Israel has a great responsibility in this area and we hope very much that there will be a stable and lasting peace in which both Israel and the Palestinian state have secure borders. The dignity of both the Israelis and the Palestinians is important."@en1
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