“As long as Israel does not respect any international and human rights laws, and as long as it maintains its ongoing apartheid policy, its occupation and its aggression toward the Palestinian people, Europe should not consider Israel neither as a reliable partner nor as a democratic State whom to deal with” affirmed strongly Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative.

The EU-Israel Association agreement will enable far greater Israeli participation in European Community programs. This agreement offers a status of quasi-EU member state to Israel, a country that has been violating for decades, and in impunity, international law standards, and does not respect the rulings of the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Association agreement involves the strengthening of a broad spectrum of ties with Israel – including economic, trade, academic, security and diplomatic relations – at a time when the European Union should be challenging Israel and holding it accountable for its persistent violations of human rights and international law.

The Parliament’s vote on this issue was originally not supposed to occur before 2009. But suddenly this week, an announcement was made about moving forward the debate and the vote to December 4^th. As a consequence, a very short time was allowed for the civil society to organise mobilisation and make her voice heard.

Despite the lack of time, and the clear attempt from both the EU and Israel to minimize the voice of the civil society, and to manipulate the democratic process, civil society and solidarity groups throughout Europe managed a fast-steady mobilisation campaign, empowering the civil society voice and passing their message to their EU representatives.

Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi joined the cause of the civil society and held several meetings with various European deputies and international figures in order to raise the Palestinian voice and advocate against the agreement without any Israel real compliance.

Despite the presence of Tzipi Livni, who clearly went to Brussels to put pressure and back up the initiative, the European deputies voted for the postponing of the vote on the EU-Israel Association Agreement to January 2009. A small majority of European deputies (194 deputies) voted for the postponing (all the left-wing groups and some from the right) while 173 voted against.

The postponing of the vote was justified by the fact that the situation in Israel and Palestine has not evolved in conformity with the commitments that resulted from the Annapolis Peace Conference in November 2007.

For the first year anniversary of the Annapolis peace process, Mustafa Barghouthi presented current facts on the ground in order to demonstrate the lack of impact the Annapolis conference has had on the establishment of a serious and long-lasting peace process. “Since Annapolis, Israeli attacks have increased by 300%, the settlement expansion in the West Bank has risen 20 times and 38 times in Jerusalem; the checkpoints have gone from 521 to 699 and the building of the Wall continues. There were no negotiations”, confirmed the deputy.

By postponing the vote on the agreement, the European Parliament is aiming to put pressure on the Israeli government to commit to real steps toward Peace, respect the conclusion of the Annapolis round talks and improve the disastrous situation in the oPt, and especially in Gaza.

To Barghouthi, by postponing this agreement, the EU has sent the message that it condemns the Israeli apartheid regime, and that it will challenge Israel on its massive violations of Palestinian rights. “A great and necessary step forward has been taken. The European Union is on its way to hold a strong position to put pressure on the Israeli government. But more mobilisation is now needed in order to refuse such an agreement as long as Israel violates every commitment to peace and international law“, Mustafa Barghouthi stated.