In July 1999, José María Aznar became the first international president to arrive in the new country. airport Loop. The arrival of the Spanish president’s plane in the Mediterranean region occupied by Israel was full of symbolism. Spain contributed 30 of the 70m euros at the time of the infrastructure cost. The rest was provided by the European Union.
However, the airport was operated for only two years. It was disabled in separate attacks by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in 2001 and 2002 (see photo above). State of Israel
This The European Union did indeed demand compensation from Tel Aviv. 27 countries have funded and continue to fund basic infrastructure in Palestine with hundreds of millions of euros (schools, hospitals or roads). “Israel has been asked several times to return or compensate assets that have been demolished, dismantled or confiscated and financed with EU money,” Brussels said in a response to the Left group convened by this diary on June 7. “This includes at least 16 joint letters sent to Israeli authorities between October 2017 and December 2022 and signed by representatives of EU institutions, relevant Member States and other donors.” Tel Aviv did not answer. The Union says it will continue to use diplomatic and political channels until they do.
This newspaper requested information on this matter from Israel through its embassy, but did not receive a response at the close of this issue.
demolition of schools
EU diplomats based in Jerusalem are very active in advocating cooperation projects. For example, on April 27, the heads of delegations of EU countries and the heads of the European mission in Palestine visited a school in Jubbet Adh Dhib, near Bethlehem, in the Palestinian territories from the West, which Israel threatens to demolish. Bank. In vain: Israeli authorities demolished it a week later. According to the EU delegation, 81 Palestinian children attending kindergarten and primary school were left without school. It’s not the exception, it’s the norm. In total, there are currently 58 schools in the West Bank and East JerusalemAccording to the British Consulate in Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories are partially occupied by Israel and are awaiting destruction.
The European Union condemned this destruction as “contrary to international law” because it was in an occupied territory. And all of the above. “Last year (2022) 954 facilities were destroyed or expropriated by the occupation authorities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.” This is the highest figure since 2016. Nearly all were in Area C, which Israel had to return to the Palestinian Authority under the 1999 Oslo Accords. In reality, much of it is forbidden to Palestinians and Israel controls all natural resources there and has military bases, shooting ranges and illegal settlements for about 700,000 Jewish settlers.
Raid and destruction in Jenin
Last week, Israel entered the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank with blood and fire. Deployed IDF soldiers, armored vehicles, drones and bulldozers. Destroyed houses, roads and schoolsIn addition to taking the lives of 12 Palestinians and losing an Israeli soldier. It was the largest military operation in the West Bank in recent years. The city and the refugee camp are strongholds of Palestinian armed groups, including 18,000 civilians.
Since the beginning of the year, violence related to this conflict has killed at least 190 Palestinians, as well as 26 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian, according to the French news agency AFP. Since 2008, when the United Nations began counting the casualties caused by the conflict, Israel killed 6,327 PalestiniansMost are civilians, including 1,417 children. 408 Israelis died at the hands of PalestiniansMore than half are civilians, 43 of them minors. There is no material damage count.