by Yair Altman
EU funding of groups that promote Israel boycott harms Europe-Israel ties, encourages continuation of Palestinian conflict, Strategic Affairs Minister Erdan writes to Federica Mogherini
European Union
foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini
Photo: Reuters
Strategic
Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan has called on the European Union to end
its "hypocrisy" and stop funding organizations that support the boycott
of Israel.
In a letter to European Union foreign
policy chief Federica Mogherini, Erdan wrote, "The fact that the
European Union provides funds to organizations that support a boycott of
Israel and call for the arrest of IDF officers discriminates against
the Jewish state, harms ties between the European Union and Israel, and
encourages the continuation of the conflict with the Palestinians."
The EU has upheld the rights of its
citizens to call for a boycott of Israel as freedom of expression but
has stressed that as a body it opposes any boycott of Israel.
Erdan sent the letter to Mogherini after the Strategic Affairs Ministry found the EU was donating millions of dollars to organizations that support the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in violation of its own policy.
According to a report by the ministry, the
EU has directly transferred more than €5 million ($5.9 million) to
organizations that promote the delegitimization of Israel. Millions more
are transferred indirectly to such organizations via third parties,
according to the report.
Erdan called on Mogherini to "stop the
funding of organizations that promote a boycott of Israel, demand that
organizations that receive EU funding not be involved in promoting
boycotts against Israel, and act with full transparency" in how those
organizations use EU financial assistance.
In a statement, the EU delegation to Israel said it was examining the report's findings.
"The European Union opposes any attempt to
isolate Israel and does not support calls for a boycott," the statement
said. "The union does not fund activities related to boycotts. … Claims
that the EU supports incitement or terrorism are unfounded."
Yair Altman
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/05/28/minister-calls-on-eu-foreign-policy-chief-to-halt-bds-funding/
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