u/newsspotter

>Czechia will oppose any further EU trade sanctions against Israel, Foreign Minister Petr Macinka said on Wednesday after talks in Prague with Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar.

>Speaking alongside the Israeli foreign minister in Prague, Macinka said Czechia had serious reservations about last week’s EU sanctions package targeting violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

>“We got into a situation where we would have been completely alone and blocking all 27 member states,” he said, adding that Prague ultimately backed what he described as a compromise because it did not include Israeli politicians.

>“But from now on, our position can be more self-confident”, he said.

>Czech support for Israel has long stood out within Europe, rooted in historical ties dating back to former Czechoslovak President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and reinforced after the fall of communism. Last year, Czechia abstained in a UN General Assembly vote backing a two-state solution.

>Research by Prague’s Herzl Centre for Israel Studies found Czech society remains broadly pro-Israel, though views on the Gaza war are increasingly divided, particularly among younger voters and women.

>Macinka also ruled out supporting any suspension – partial or full – of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. “On this, our position will be a clear no,” he said.

Die Europäische Bürgerinitiative/ Petition befindet sich auf der offiziellen Webseite der EU Kommission.: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/055/public/#/screen/home

Das erste Ziel (1 Mio.) wurde bereits erreicht. Das neue Ziel der Organizatoren ist 1,5 Mio..Dies wurde in folgendem Artikel (englisch) erwähnt.: https://europeancorrespondent.com/en/r/one-million-call-for-eu-action-on-palestine (Der Artikel linkt zur Petition.)

Voraussetzungen:

• Staatsbürgerschaft eines EU-Landes.
• Mindestalter für Deutsche ist 16 Jahre (identisch mit dem derzeitigen Wahlalter bei der Europawahl).
• Vorschriften über die Datenanforderungen für EBI nach Mitgliedstaaten: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/data-requirements_de

>The project could also send over £200m towards Delek Group – an Israeli fuel conglomerate that the UN flagged for human rights violations in Palestine. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign has warned the UK government that it risks breaching its own obligations under international laws on these grounds, should it allow Rosebank to go ahead.

>With a government decision due over the next couple of months, trade unionists are urging more members and organisations to sign on. You can read the letter in full here.

>On the Rest is Politics podcast, Mr. Stewart said the risk for Mr. Starmer and his center-left project was the possibility that clinging to office could make it easier for Nigel Farage, the leader of the right-wing populist Reform U.K. Party and an ally of President Trump, to eventually become prime minister.

>“This is again, the Biden critique, right?,” Mr. Stewart said. “The problem with hanging on is you end up with Trump. The problem with hanging on is you’re taking the risk of ending up with Farage.”

>The Bill, which will be debated in the Dáil on 14th May and voted on on 20th May, is the first proposal in any Western parliament to fully sanction all economic relations with Israel. It would ban trade, investment, financial dealings and state-linked economic activity with Israel, in line with Ireland’s obligations under the Genocide Convention and international law.

• Please note that you must be a EU citizen to sign the European Citizen Initiative (petition)!

Rules on ECI data/ min. age requirements by Member State: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/data-requirements_en

• Austria, Belgium, Germany, Malta: min. age 16 years

• Greece: min. age 17 years

• Other EU countries: min. age 18 years

The blog post links to the petition on the webpage of the EU Commission.

• Press Release: “Justice for Palestine” European Citizens’ Initiative reaches 1 million signatures, next step is 1.5 million signatures >We now aim at reaching 1,5 million signatures to build further pressure on the European Commission and ensure that we have at least 1 million valid signatures. Under EU law, a European Citizens’ Initiative must collect at least 1 million valid signatures for the Commission to formally consider legislative or policy action.This is why increasing the number of signatures is now more important than ever. https://www.justiceforpalestine.eu/post/justice-for-palestine-european-citizens-initiative-reaches-1-million-signatures-next-step-is-1-5

PS: The petition was launched by the European Left Alliance/ members of the EU Parliament.

Please note that you must be a EU citizen to sign the European Citizen Initiative (petition)!

Rules on ECI data/ min. age requirements by Member State: https://citizens-initiative.europa.eu/data-requirements_en

• Austria, Belgium, Germany, Malta: min. age 16 years

• Greece: min. age 17 years

• Other EU countries: min. age 18 years.

PS: The news article links to the petition.

Signed by Directors of all 21 Amnesty International EU offices, including:

Ileana Bello – Director of Amnesty International Italy

Julia Duchrow – Director of Amnesty International Germany

• The article was republished on the website of euobserver.: https://euobserver.com/215464/red-lines-not-red-carpets-why-italy-and-germany-must-back-suspending-eu-israel-agreement/

• Article in Italian:
https://ilmanifesto.it/italia-e-germania-basta-coprire-i-crimini-di-israele

• Article in German:
https://www.fr.de/meinung/gastbeitraege/rote-linien-statt-roter-teppich-fuer-israel-94300961.html

>Foi em meados de janeiro que a Aliança da Esquerda Europeia - que integra o Bloco de Esquerda, Podemos, França Insubmissa e outros partidos da esquerda europeia - anunciou o lançamento de uma Iniciativa de Cidadania Europeia pela suspensão total do acordo de Associação UE-Israel. Menos de três meses depois, o limiar de assinaturas necessário para validar a iniciativa foi atingido, mas ela continuará aberta a subscrições aqui até ao verão.