European Parliament Passes ‘More Balanced’ Resolution On Mideast Peace
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — The European Parliament passed a resolution on Israel and the Palestinians that omits any reference to Hamas, but which advocates of the Jewish state said was more balanced than previous documents endorsed by that institution.
The resolution, titled “Situation in the West Bank, including settlements,” that the parliament passed Thursday in Strasbourg “condemns all acts of violence, acts of terrorism against Israelis, and incitement to violence which are fundamentally incompatible with advancing a peaceful two-state solution.”
Past resolutions generally avoided identifying culprits and victims, a style that critics complained suggested that both parties might be guilty of such acts rather than just the Palestinians.
“While we would have wished for even clearer language, we appreciate the important step Parliament has taken to end the counterproductive habit of sheltering the Palestinians from legitimate criticism,” said Daniel Schwammenthal, the director of the American Jewish Committee‘s Transatlantic Institute in Brussels, in a statement.
The resolution features numerous allegations against Israel and a statement that Jerusalem should be “the capital of both states” – an Israeli and a Palestinian one. While condemning terrorism in general and against Israelis particularly, the resolution does not mention Hamas, the militant group which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by the European Union and which controls Gaza.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
