kfajdsl/voxpopuli huggingface dataset:
in fact in the first few months of two thousand and sixteen more palestinian homes have been demolished than in the whole of two thousand and fifteen thus making families homeless and undermining the two state solution.
with the failure of the so called structured dialogue clear for all to see i believe it is time to increase the pressure for action from the israeli government.
now we debate the west bank displacement and demolitions including projects founded by the eu.
i stress that this agreement was co signed by the european union.
it is wrong.
we have to prevent israel from acting with impunity.
they are part of a deliberate strategy to displace palestinians out of the west bank and make way for illegal israeli settlements.
since january this year more than five hundred palestinian homes and other structures have been bulldozed by israeli authorities more than in all of.
' unfortunately they know that the answer is nothing and it is going to be nothing in six months' time. this outrage must stop.
israel as an occupying power has a duty to protect the palestinian population and to facilitate its socioeconomic well being.
in the first quarter of this year some five hundred houses and other structures were demolished and six hundred and fifty people displaced.
we all know that the lack of progress towards peace especially in the holy land is always a prelude to a new escalation and this is why we need to keep focusing on the two state solution even when israel and palestine do not make the headlines.
israel's decisions to declare more parts of area c as state land pave the way for further settlement activity and as you know settlements are illegal under international law and the european union always refers to them in this way and restates this position.
demolition of a house or a humanitarian project has of course a very strong economic impact on those involved and also on us but this is not just about money and we know this very well this is about the present for the people and the future of the political settlements. we also know very well that only a serious and meaningful peace process can lead us out of the current downward spiral.
the expansion of settlements challenges the two state solution.
we are raising the issue with israel in our regular dialogue and we have established a specific consultation mechanism with israel to discuss obstacles to the two state solution and to the socioeconomic development of the palestinians including the issue of settlements and the issue of demolitions in area c.
terrorist attacks and hate speech challenge the two states and the possibility of people living side by side.
member states have agreed to continue the dialogue for six more months while pushing for an immediate moratorium on adverse developments in area c especially demolitions and confiscations.
i know that i can count on you and on your support to do this as we focus on the parts of the problem we are seeing but let me ask you at one of the next part sessions to come back to the process itself and the european union's contribution through the quartet report to other initiatives that are also in place and being coordinated
but that still does not prevent us from continuing to work every single day for the two state solution.
this is something you normally ask of me but tonight i will be asking this of you.
a growing sense of disillusionment and despair on both sides among the people is a powerful enemy of peace.
these mechanisms were used most recently last month on this particular matter of demolitions and dislocations and the issue was also highlighted in the council conclusions we adopted last january.
i know this sounds like a daydream today but we need to keep that daydream alive and to turn it into reality.
the same goes for the worsening living conditions of palestinians in the west bank and gaza.
you know that we are working on the report of the quartet together with the united states russia and the united nations.
however as a result of planning policies applied by israel projects funded by the european union and member states in area c are often deemed illegal under israeli law and are therefore demolished or threatened with demolition by the israeli authorities.
we follow the humanitarian imperative of giving support to the most vulnerable whenever and wherever this is needed so where humanitarian projects are concerned it is not conceivable for us to ask for prior authorisation from the israeli authorities.
unfortunately we see many different challenges taking place on the ground.
the quartet report will address these issues and will also include some substantial recommendations for the way forward and i will be very glad to discuss the report with you in the coming weeks in one of the next part sessions because we know very well that what is key is working at the concrete perspective of the two states and how to put that in place in the near future.
you all know that the european union is doing a lot to promote development and improve humanitarian conditions in palestine.
eu humanitarian aid always respects the principles of neutrality and impartiality.
let me be very clear from the outset. demolitions and israel's settlement policy are not the only challenges to the two state solution.
today your focus is on settlements and on the issue of demolitions.
we continue to work on a daily basis on two states living side by side in peace and in security to end the conflict and all claims.
mr president let me start by thanking parliament for keeping the situation in palestine and israel in the spotlight at the top of our political agenda.
so we always need to keep in mind the bigger picture even when we focus as we do tonight because this is the issue on which you decided to focus our debate tonight on one specific element of this bigger picture that is not encouraging for many different reasons and on many different aspects.
tangible results have so far been very limited.
i hope this is not a political sign.
there is an urgent need to improve the situation on the ground and at the same time we have to keep an eye on the goal. again let me conclude on the bigger picture because we are focusing tonight on one aspect which is important relevant and serious but we have to keep focused on the bigger picture.
this is a consistent constant eu effort to work in that direction because we all know that on the ground the viability of a twostate solution is challenged on a daily basis and it is our key interest and also it is our political duty to keep it alive and possible in concrete terms.
the lack of palestinian unity challenges the two states and their political perspective.
we are also engaging with member states to agree common messages on this issue including on the possible restitution or compensation for the confiscated or demolished eu assets.
such as the french initiative to hold an international conference in coordination with the work we are doing in the quartet on our contribution to solve the crisis in the middle east and to revitalise the political peace process to get to a two state solution. again i know very well that we are all on the same page on this
we oppose demolitions and confiscations evictions forced transfers including of bedouins illegal outposts settler violence and let me remind all of us we oppose all forms of violence on all sides as i mentioned before and we oppose the restrictions of movement and access.
in the meantime the israeli government plans to expand settlements in strategic areas like e one outside jerusalem and e two near bethlehem which will block off palestinian communities and threaten the viability of the two state solution putting both palestine and israel at risk.
israeli ngos who report on human rights abuses oppose the occupation and advocate peace.
mr president in a few days' time israelis will mark their annual national memorial day for victims of the conflict and their sixty eighth independence day so it is a good time to reflect on the state of play.
the israeli government has demolished hundreds of palestinian homes schools and clinics in recent months leaving thousands of palestinians homeless and under pressure to relocate.
so the eu must make clear that the two state solution is a red line demand a stop to these demolitions and request full compensation for the damage caused to eu infrastructures.
they find themselves under pressure from the government and right wing groups.
whoever we talked to frustration and desperation was everywhere frustration over the stalled peace process and desperation as the situation of the palestinians had worsened over the years.
but what really angered us was the random destruction of community structures that were built or at least financed by the european union.
i will leave out the numbers because they have been mentioned here before.
the bedouins we talked to showed us the remnants of their tents with even the eu symbols almost beyond recognition.
the european union has a special role to play in the middle east not only because we are the first donor to the palestinians and not only because we are the first trading partner to the israelis but because we are i would be tempted to say the only political actor that is constantly and so passionately focusing on this conflict let us say that we are among the few in the world doing that and because we have a special role that
i believe that they are not negotiable and they are our strengths but i also believe that we have to keep clear in our minds what our role is.
our role is that of trying to build bridges trying to encourage those who still inside palestine and inside israel and inside their societies inside their political camps and there are fewer and fewer by the day unfortunately believe that peace can only result from israelis and palestinians working together and living together.
i see very clearly that today we are facing the risk of generations of israelis and palestinians growing up not only politically but in their own societies considering this not to be normal the idea of israelis and palestinians working together for peace.
i think that as europeans and as europeans in institutions we have a special responsibility in trying to help and in trying to facilitate.
having said that which is our political responsibility our policy is crystal clear and evident to both the israelis and the palestinians.
time and again we have demonstrated that there is a european unity on this position so that any attempt to divide member states or institutions of the european union does not work.
i mentioned a few of the issues that are clear and firm for us clearly the fact that we oppose any kind of violence and hate speech clearly the fact that we oppose the settlement policy and clearly the fact that we consider our projects funded by the european union budget and by the member states
budget as taking place under the humanitarian imperative.
our aid always respects the principles of neutrality and impartiality.
as i mentioned we follow the humanitarian imperative of giving support to the most vulnerable whenever whatever and wherever this is needed and this is something we will not give up.
i stress that fact that we need to work in this respect together with all the member states building and keeping the unity of our union because this is the point of strength that we have in every single step we take. let me finish by saying that i really believe that the way forward for us is investing in the mechanisms and structures
that is why when some of you asked me for an assessment of the mechanisms we have put in place i was very glad that we managed to put in place these mechanisms because especially when you have difficult problems to discuss you need institutional frameworks to do so in transparency in clarity in respect and with firm positions which sometimes we do not share with our israeli friends.
and including some elements of recommendation that at that stage the international community could put forward to the parties. again there is no magic wand and there is no magic solution that from one day to the next can create the two states but when i see the trend of work that we have revitalised re energised restarted
i know that saying this today can seem very very optimistic but i think that if we are not guided by the hope of changing things we will never manage to change things for real.
so again i ask you to come together as much as you can in your efforts to facilitate this work knowing that we have a special responsibility to the palestinians and to the israelis.
the abuse of human rights is a daily fact of life and yet we have people in this parliament who support this corrupt and evil regime just like those european companies which continue to do business with iran their eyes and ears are closed to the screams of the oppressed.
they should remember the lessons of history every fascist regime is doomed to fail;
last friday as paulo casaca told us their executioners took a twenty three year old girl from her cell and led her to the gallows without first allowing her access to her parents.
did not meet the minimum standards required for a fair and transparent trial.
two thousand and nine we hope that the iranian judiciary will ensure a fair and transparent appeal trial without any delay with all the guarantees provided by the iranian legislation.
including in relation to the international covenant on civil and political rights and the universal declaration on human rights.
the improvement of the human rights situation in iran is for the commission essential to enhance its political dialogue and cooperation with iran in the near future.
also in this case the eu issued a statement strongly condemning the execution. the commission has repeatedly urged and will continue to do so the iranian authorities to respect their international commitments on human rights
the commission is deeply concerned at the steady deterioration of the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in iran.
i agree with those positions but i want to approach the subject from an angle similar to that used by my fellow mep mr mayer who has just left. iran a country with thousands of years of civilisation and culture is today in a sorry state of affairs as far as democracy civil rights and justice are concerned.
some of our countries in the west are not free from blame for this situation. let us not forget that governments such as those of the usa and britain have for years supported armed and kept in power the well known monstrous dictatorship of the shah of iran.
then came the excessively aggressive behaviour of successive us administrations and the position of drastic sanctions which only caused further suffering to ordinary iranian people and further aggravated their hostile feelings towards the west. hopefully the new president of the usa mr obama who has shown signs that he prefers to fight with his brain rather than with his fists as the previous president mr bush so unsuccessfully did will give new hope for the improvement of the likes of the iranian people and the betterment of relations with the west.
and work with them to secure a decent humanitarian civilised government for the good people of iran and let the murderers be condemned.
the eu has no competence to prescribe the internal organisation of a country as long as that country is able to meet its obligation as an eu member state and there are various models among the eu member states.
the country suffers from the highest youth unemployment in europe and its citizens expect jobs and economic opportunities not nationalism and divisive rhetoric.
two thousand and sixteen all these efforts demonstrate the strong commitment of the country's authorities to decisively advance towards the european union deliver on the necessary reforms and meet its citizens' aspirations for a more prosperous future.
two thousand and sixteen and finally the consideration of bosnia and herzegovina's membership application by the council of the european union in september two thousand and sixteen and the invitation to the commission to deliver an opinion on the merits of the country's application.
the signature of the stabilisation and association agreement protocol in december;
the commission is also fully dedicated to advancing bosnia and herzegovina's eu perspective and we appreciate the support this resolution provides for the eu's approach to the country in particular the focus through the reform agenda on socio economic rule of law and public administration matters.
another key outstanding issue is unemployment.
this is a key requirement in the opinion preparation process and the functioning of the coordination mechanism. which working groups still need to be established will be tested. the commission shares the view that the authorities need to keep up their efforts on further implementing the agreed two thousand and fifteen two thousand and eighteen reform agenda.
comprehensive well balanced and reflects the state of play in this country. congratulations. positive developments have been the result of reform efforts pursued over the last two years and should facilitate the country remaining on the path of the eu accession process.
this is a pity.
i would like to invite the country's authorities to maintain the reform momentum and to actively promote european values in order to advance the country's european perspective.
however this country also continues to struggle with fragmentation as well as ethnic and political polarisation. necessary cooperation and coordination between the entities and all levels of government remain fragile and are often subject to nationalist rhetoric and actions.
in order to improve its citizens' lives additional measures need to be taken and implemented including progressive alignment with our eu acquis.
they also need to play a full and active role in the negotiation process. but there are still key issues to resolve in particular regarding peace making reconciliation and strengthening relations between communities.
the perfect example is a pan european arts and democracy project called the complete freedom of truth' it won a european citizens' award in two thousand and fifteen and it continues to grow and to develop young leaders. i also want to recall the role of women including some from my own north west england constituency
who have made and continue to make a crucial contribution to the reconciliation process for building a more coherent and harmonious society.
here again i want to reiterate the importance of people to people contacts and civil society initiatives in particular through the use of arts and culture which are tools for both empowerment and intercultural dialogue.
and let me stress here the council's unequivocal commitment to bosnia and herzegovina's eu perspective as a single united and sovereign country. in this context we encourage all authorities to increase the focus on sustainable reforms and to overcome divisive rhetoric rooted in the past. we encourage bosnia and herzegovina actively to promote reconciliation and to ensure the equality of all its citizens
we expect the authorities to continue to pursue socio economic reforms while also focusing on reforms in the field of the rule of law.
let me also welcome the signature on fifteen december two thousand and sixteen of the adaptation protocol to the stabilisation and association agreement which takes into account croatia's accession to the eu.
in line with the recently adopted legislation on anti discrimination and the eu acquis.
this mechanism as rightly underlined in your resolution is an essential tool for the country to be able to provide replies to the commission.
i want to make it clear it is only the vote that we are referring to and not the rest of the order of business.
only yesterday a crane on the brent charlie platform and some of its support structures were damaged.
one hundred and sixty seven men lost their lives and only fifty nine men survived.
it is therefore fitting that this house remember those who lost their lives in the north sea. as one of the survivors said piper has never left me; it was yesterday and will always be yesterday.
the piper alpha tragedy is still today not just europe's but also the world's most deadly off shore disaster.
' that is why we should always support the highest standards in health and safety especially in the off shore environment.
no one was injured and an investigation has been launched.
despite the good friday agreement providing for the employment and reintegration of ex prisoners the sdlp and others have allowed the politics of exclusion to re emerge imposing a retrospective punishment in breach of article seven of the european convention on human rights.
mr president last month the north of ireland drew further to the politics of exclusion by passing legislation barring politically motivated ex prisoners from taking on the role of advisers to executive ministers.
i must declare an interest in this issue as my husband is directly affected.
we now have a ludicrous situation whereby ex prisoners can be ministers making decisions like i was but not advisers to ministers.
but we also need the learning from pilot projects and i am calling on the european commission to announce the results of the youth guarantee pilot projects without further delay.
they have emphasised the necessity of focusing on what young people need and to ensure that we address shortcomings of existing esf funded projects.
two thousand and sixteen proper implementation of the youth guarantee will be crucial.
if the youth guarantee is to work then we must consult widely with grassroots organisations in drawing up plans.
it is totally unacceptable that my constituent should have been attacked by police from spain in this way when no offence has been committed and when he was not within their waters.
my constituent mr dale villa was riding a new jet ski with family and friends when without warning a patrol boat of the spanish guardia civil fired a shot at him then chased him and fired three more shots even though he was within waters
if you arm the rebels you will not just help these cut throats destroy the last tolerant secular state in the middle east you will also bring wahabi terror to our streets.
they spoke freely about their aim once they were done in syria to bring their bloody jihad to europe to london paris madrid stockholm and manchester.
if you send arms to syria they will go to men who will bring them back here and turn them against us.
because of demographic ageing but also because of equality between men and women as the care of children and dependants is still carried out mostly by women.
therefore we have to put into practice measures that help women enter or stay in the labour market by improving family life conditions especially those that facilitate a balance between professional and private life.
as specifically concerns the situation regarding the care of dependants the commission has already put the following actions on the table. filial leave to care for dependent family members was included in the consultation of the european social partners on the reconciliation of work private and family life. the commission is also studying the quality of services for elderly dependent people and protection against ill treatment as well as measures which could be taken at european level in cooperation with the member states to speed up the development and modernisation of infrastructure and services.
the eu cohesion policy through the european social fund will continue to cofinance initiatives at national and local level.
the open method of coordination in the field of social protection and social inclusion pays particular attention to the modernisation of pension schemes to take greater account of new forms of work career breaks and long term care for dependent people.
we would like to congratulate parliament on the very important work done.
mr president the european union is based on three pillars multinational companies and banks order those in political power deliver and the media sells it to the people.
it is a complete concentration of power and of course the most important european value is completely absent from it separation of powers checks and balances.