Cristian Preda - Boycotts of Israel should be clearly rejected

Following a cross-party initiative led by Cristian Preda (EPP, RO), Ioan Mircea Pașcu (S&D), Arne Gericke (ECR, DE) and Petras Austrevicius (ALDE), 60 members of the European Parliament have sent on Tuesday, 28th of November, a letter to High Representative/Vice President of the European Commission Ms. Federica Mogherini asking for a clarification of EU position regarding calls for boycotts of Israel.

The initiative gathered the support of Members of the European Parliament from 23 Member States, including 30 signatories from the EPP Group. The letter calls on the EU to ensure that no funding goes to organizations that call for destruction of the state of Israel and to instruct its agencies not to engage with organizations, companies or entities engaged in the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

“I think as Members of the European Parliament, we should seek clarity in the position of the European Union regarding calls for boycotting the State of Israel.” said Cristian Preda, spokesperson for Foreign Affairs of the EPP Group. “It is our duty not only towards our citizens, as these calls create tensions between communities in our home countries, but also towards Israel, which is our important partner in the region. Ambiguity towards the BDS movement will harm our relations with Israel, especially at a time when we should seek an upgrade of our relations in order to work together for peace and stability in the Middle East”.