Resolution on Palestine: raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian TV stations
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Palestine: raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian TV stations. The resolution was tabled by the Greens/EFA, S&D, EPP, GUE/NGL and ALDE groups. Parliament is deeply concerned by the raids in Ramallah conducted by Israeli security forces affecting the Palestinian television stations Wattan TV and Al Quds Educational on 29 February 2012, when Israel Defence Forces soldiers and officials of the Israeli Ministry of Communication raided these two Palestinian television stations, confiscated transmitters, computers, broadcasting equipment, cassettes and administrative and financial documents, and held employees for hours. It supports the efforts of the Palestinian authorities and the two television stations to restore broadcasting equipment and continue interrupted broadcasting, and urges the Israeli authorities to immediately return the confiscated equipment and allow resumption of activity by the two TV stations.
Members note that the Israel Ministry of Communication said that it had repeatedly warned both stations that they were using frequencies that violated Israeli-Palestinian agreements a spokesman for the Israeli military said that the interference was affecting aircraft communications at Ben Gurion International Airport. However, the Palestinian Authority replied that the Israeli accusations concerning the interruption of flight communications were false, adding that neither itself nor the two television stations had received any warning from the Israeli authorities, and that the two stations were not guilty of any violation of the agreements between Israel and the PA, while the Israeli raids had breached those agreements, which require such issues to be resolved through consultation.
The resolution calls on the Vice President/High Representative, the Council, and the Commission to place this issue, which concerns the basic rights of public access to information, press freedom and freedom of expression, on the agenda of the EU-Israel Association Council, and reiterates in this context the EU's obligation to ensure consistency between the different areas of its external action and between those and its other policies, pursuant to Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union. The EU and Member States are urged to affirm a strong and united position and to play a more active role, also within the Quartet, in the efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Parliament stresses the central role of the Quartet, and fully supports the High Representative in her efforts to ensure that the Quartet establishes a credible perspective for the relaunching of the peace process.
Parliament calls on the Israeli authorities to fully respect the provisions of the existing agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority when dealing with Palestinian media. It urges the Palestinian Communications Ministry to work more closely with the Israeli authorities so as to ensure that all broadcasting facilities are safe and within the law. It also wants Israel and the Palestinian Authority to make the best possible use of the Israeli-Palestinian Joint Technical Committee, established by the Oslo Accords to address any issues arising in the telecommunications field, with a view to the urgent resolution of any issues concerning broadcasting by these television channels.
Lastly, Parliament welcomes Palestine's institution-building efforts. It notes that raids by Israeli forces affecting Palestinian cities where the Palestinian Authority, under the Oslo Accords, has assumed powers and responsibilities over internal security and public order constitute a breach of those accords.