5 hours Ago
SINN FÉIN MEP Lynn Boylan has said that Israel refused to allow MEPs to travel through Israel to Palestine yesterday as part of an official European Parliament delegation, describing it as “an insult to all members of the EU”. Boylan is the chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Palestine. “I was due to travel to Palestine today as part of an official European Parliament delegation, but was refused permission to travel by Israel, and deported,” Boylan said in a statement.
“Israel’s blocking of MEPs and senior EU officials from travelling to Palestine is an insult to all in the EU,” she said. “The EU is the largest donor of support to Palestine and its officials and elected representatives must be able to be on the ground in Palestine as part of this work. “Boylan said it was “particularly insulting” that the delegation was refused entry on the same day that the EU held a series of talks with Israel as part of the EU-Israel association council.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was in Brussels for the talks yesterday. “The EU must respond to this disgraceful conduct by Israel,” Boylan said, adding that the refusal ”poses a real issue for the diplomatic relationship between the EU and Israel”. “European leaders must send a message to Israel and make it clear that they cannot continue to act without consequences.
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