MEPs take stock of the widespread public protests in Israel over the government’s attempts to limit the judiciary’s powers. Israel has recently seen the biggest protest movement in the country’s history erupt on its streets, with hundreds of thousands of people in several cities marching against a planned legal overhaul of the judiciary pushed by the Netanyahu-led government. Extracts from the debate.

statement

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

EU - Israel (T)

BORRELL FONTELLES, Josep (PSE, ES, EC)

Deterioration of democracy in Israel and consequences on the occupied territories: extracts from the debate

Title: Deterioration of democracy in Israel and consequences on the occupied territories: extracts from the debate (EBS)

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP of the European Union, I will be clear once again. Settlements are illegal under international law. Is that being anti Israeli? Saying that. No settlements are illegal under international law. And the expansion must stop, as well as demolition and evictions of Palestinians from their homes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP of the European Union, Palestinian Authority must act too. They must redouble their efforts in terms of security cooperation and work to prevent acts of terror that have claimed many Israeli lives. It is equally important that the Palestinians worked towards reconciliation in order to reunite the Palestinian territories under one single legitimate authority.

SOUNDBITE (English), Josep BORRELL FONTELLES, HR/VP of the European Union, Palestinian factions should engage constructively in reconciliation talks. Palestinian people deserve the right to vote in national democratic elections to renew the legitimacy of their leadership. Of course, we are strong believer in the two state solution. And there is no viable alternative to that. And with our international partners, we will continue to work for a peaceful solution to the conflict. And I am using this Parliament to say that, I suppose you agree, that the European Union has to engage or look for peace in the Middle East.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), The legislation that is currently passing the Knesset seeks, among other issues, to enable the Knesset to overrule Supreme Court decisions. Such legislation must be a no go in a functioning democracy. But there is hope and protest. Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog last Thursday said that the government would abandon proposed legislation to overhaul the country's judiciary in favour of a model with broad national support.

SOUNDBITE (English), Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE), I also put my trust in Israel as a vibrant civil society. Hundreds of thousands of citizens are demonstrating every day against this onslaught on a liberal democracy, and they will not let it happen. Israel, with its founding legacy, must remain on moral high ground.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pedro MARQUES (S&D, PT), This government is paving the way for a de facto annexation of the occupied territories. So let me end, Mr. President, with the sentence. There is no room for ambiguity. We are not anti-Israeli. We are by the side of the hundreds of thousands of the millions of Israelis that are fighting for democracy in Israel in the streets these days. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (German), Nicola BEER (Renew, DE), I'm worried about the spiral of violence in the Palestinian areas. I'm concerned about the plan to reform the judiciary. It would lead to an end of the division of power, and it would lead to a lack of independence of the judiciary. There are demonstrations and rallies. There have been statements made by President Hertzog that shows that Israel enjoys a lively democracy, which is searching for solutions. We as the EU, we as the Parliament, we should be trustworthy partners that provide support. We can be open with each other, we can be friends with each other. And I think it's better to be constructive instead of enjoying a blame game.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jordi SOLE (Greens/EFA, ES), We see growing violence, expansion plans for illegal settlements, a de facto annexation done turning into a covert the annexation, daily discrimination against Palestinians demolitions. It is necessary that it also gets international attention and condemnation, and that the EU finally gets vocal and consistent opposing occupation policies from the current government, as well as former ones, which seek to make a just and lasting peace an impossibility.