By Palestine Chronicle Staff
On Thursday June 1, Hagai El-Ad, General Director of B’Tselem, The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, met with Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Anders Samuelsen in Copenhagen.
On June 4, El-Ad will join ambassadors of the 28 EU member states in a meeting of the Political and Security Committee (PSC), the body tasked with monitoring the implementation of EU foreign and security policy, according to a statement by B’Tselem.
“Shawan Jabarin, General Director of the Palestinian human rights NGO Al-Haq, will also attend the PSC meeting. Delegates from Gaza-based human rights organizations were also invited to participate, but their arrival depends on Israel’s willingness to open a crack in its ten-year blockade over Gaza to let them out,” the organization noted.
We don't need another report, we need political will 2take action. So this reality is not lasting another 50 years. @HagaiElAd @btselem pic.twitter.com/8Jvug8cKlG
— Pax Christi Int'l (@PaxChristi) June 2, 2017
B’Tselem highlighted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration this week that he would not meet with leaders who meet with organizations that work toward ending the occupation. “This is yet another step taken by the Israeli government in its efforts to silence those who oppose its policies: the media, activists, academics, artists and human rights organizations,” added B’Tselem.
El-Ad says he will use his meetings to clarify that ending the occupation is pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian, and pro-justice.
“The non-violent path to ending the occupation at the present time is international action against it. Without international action, the violence will go on unabated, and so will the oppression, the injustice and the fear. Upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms is a human responsibility anywhere and at any time. Europe has a unique moral responsibility toward Israel’s security, but our security cannot be based on the oppression of Palestinians. In fact, their oppression is the foundation for our lack of security”.
(PalestinneChronicle.com)
