A number of human rights institutions based in the United Kingdom have sent an urgent message to the European Union and the British government to immediately reverse their decision of suspending financial aid to the Palestinian people, describing it as "an act of gross inhumanity and political provocation".
Signatories of the letter stated that the continuation of such aid suspension will aggravate human, security, and economic situation in the occupied Palestinian lands.
"We call upon all citizens of Europe to take all possible steps to bring about a reversal of this policy", they added.
"Against the better advice of many experts, the European Union (EU) adopted the US-Israeli plan to punish the Palestinian people. Former US President Jimmy Carter wisely cautioned in the Washington Post (February 20) that, ‘Any tacit or formal collusion between the two powers (US, Israel) to disrupt the process by punishing the Palestinian people could be counterproductive and have devastating consequences.’"
"The actions by the Israeli government withholding monies which belong to the Palestinian people, coupled with the European Union decision, threatens the jobs of 150,000 people in the occupied territories including 11,000 health workers and 38,000 teachers."
"This action, coupled with the blockading of the main crossing into Gaza is resulting in the rapid reduction of stocks of essential foodstuffs and soaring inflation of the price of daily necessities."
"We condemn the hypocritical double standards of the European Union which demands that Hamas renounces violence, recognize Israel and respect international treaties whilst failing to make the same demands of the government of Israel which has been responsible for political assassinations, aerial bombardment of civilians and persist in its illegal occupation of Palestinian lands, building settlements and the Apartheid Wall stealing more and more lands," read the statement.
The following institutions signed the message:
The Palestinian Return Centre ( PRC)
Arab Media Watch
British Muslim Initiative
End the Israeli Occupation
Friends of Al-Aqsa
Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC)
Jews for Justice for Palestinian
Muslim Association of Britain (MAB)
Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC)
Pax Christi’s
Reforest the Earth
The Association of Palestinian Community in UK
The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC)
The Palestinian Forum in UK
