European Union and Palestine: MEPs respond (sort of)

2 or 3 weeks ago I wrote to the London Members of the European Parliament about the humanitarian problems in Palestine caused by the attempts of Israel, the USA, and the European Union to punish the Palestinians for democratically electing the `wrong' party, Hamas.

I have had three replies so far.

Here's the shortest, from Mary Honeyball, (Labour):

Thank you for your email addressed to Mary Honeyball. She has asked me to advise you that she has noted your comments.

Kind regards, Helen Hegarty, Assistant to Mary Honeyball MEP.

Er, fair enough. With several million constituents (all Londoners) I suppose it might be a bit much to ask for a personal reply. And at least she had the courtesy to respond. But it doesn't tell me her attitude to the issue. Surely a short statement could have been appended?

Here's number 2, from Gerard Batten, (UKIP):

I am afraid that I don't approve of the EU interfering in world trade or giving funds to anyone. Its own accounts have not been signed off by the auditors in eleven years, and also the money it has handed over to the Palestinians in the past cannot be properly accounted for; i.e. we have no idea how much of it has ended up in the hands of terrorists. I also think it interesting that Yasser Arafat managed to die a multi-millionaire.

I attach a copy of my Personal Manifesto, which explains the basis upon which I hold my seat in the European Parliament. I am sure you will appreciate from this that I don't think the EU should be spending any British taxpayers’ money on anything.

Whether Britain sends aid to the Palestinians or not or reviews existing trade agreements should be something solely for the British government to decide so I am sorry but I will not be raising this matter in the Europarliament.

Yours sincerely,

Gerard Batten MEP

This is pretty much what I would expect UKIP to say. His response was extremely fast. He may not be willing to recognise the EU enough to take any action, but he does seem to respond to constituents quickly. Is that any comfort to you?

Here's number 3, from Dr Charles Tannock, (Conservative):


The Conservative Party does not support any funding to a Hamas led government of the Palestinian Authority (PA), unless they renounce violence, disarm and recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist. In the past, hundreds of millions of Euros from the European Union including the UK have been donated in aid to the PA with little to show for it in terms of securing a lasting peace as envisaged in Oslo in 1993, there has instead been widespread corruption and embezzlement of public funds. I personally, although accepting the democratic victory of Hamas, regard them as a banned terrorist organization as do the EU and the USA and, therefore, would never countenance supporting any funds for them until they change their charter and terrorist ideology. The recent suicide bombing outrage in Tel Aviv and ostensibly carried out by Islamic Jihad was publicly supported politically by the Hamas PA Government which is an outrage. Nevertheless, I am committed to lasting peace in the Middle East with a two-state solution in which a viable democratic Palestinian state can live together in peace and security side by side with Israel within internationally recognized borders.

I have to say that I was staggered by the extraordinarily one-sided nature of this response, so I replied:

Dear Charles Tannock,

Thank you very much for your reply. I appreciate the fact that you have taken the time to respond to my e-mail - not all your London MEP colleagues have had the courtesy to do so.

Normally I would not bother you any further, but I would ask you to allow me to respond very briefly to your comments, as they were so very one-sided. I can understand why you would consider Hamas to be a terrorist organisation. However, you make no reference whatever to the state terrorism of Israel, which I find astounding.

Israel has killed - and continues to kill - many more Palestinian citizens than the number of Israeli citizens killed by Palestinian organisations. The recent murders of the Palestinians on the beach in Gaza is only the latest manifestation of this. The current punishment of the entire civilian population of Gaza, and the kidnapping by Israel of elected politicians, is yet another example of their lawless behaviour (shamefully backed up by both the USA and the EU).You completely ignore this.

Secondly, it is of no importance what you think of Hamas. They have been democratically elected by the people of Palestine. The game the European Union is playing in refusing to recognise them is a disgraceful capitulation to US warmongering in the Middle East. Israel itself was established by terrorists (who killed British soldiers as I am sure you are aware). Many independent states have been established at least in part through methods you would describe as terrorism - why do you uniquely single out the Palestinians for this treatment?

The shameful capitulation of the EU to US foreign policy in the Middle East - which you appear to wholeheartedly concur with - can only further delay any possibility of peace. Israel is still stealing land from the Palestinians, is still inflicting terror upon them, is still a completely lawless state which behaves wth contempt towards international law, and is still bristing with nuclear weapons which are totally ignored by both the EU and the USA (in contrast to Iran, which doesn't have any!!!).

If the policy statement you sent me remains Conservative Party policy on the Middle East you will share responsibility with the USA for all the needless death and destruction that will continue there until a just peace is brought into being. As far as I am concerned, until you change your policy, you will be completely unelectable and I will never vote Conservative at any election - European, national or local.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Grouchy.

So that leaves the following MEPs still to reply: John Bowis (Conservative), Claude Moraes (Labour), Baroness Ludford (Liberal Democrat), Syed Kamall (Conservative), Jean Lambert (Green), and Robert Evans (Labour).

Personally, I shall feel disinclined to vote for any of them at the next election if they can't even be bothered to send an acknowledgement. Just because they are working in Europe rather than in this country, that is no excuse for failing to be accountable to their constituents.