The European Parliamentary Group of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has sent a new letter to the Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, condemning the latest Israeli pirate attack against the solidarity flotilla heading to Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid.
The letter by the Party’s MEPs, Kostas Papadakis and Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, reads as follows:
“Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs / Vice-President of the European Commission
Madam High Representative,
On May 1, we addressed a question to you regarding the unacceptable act of state piracy carried out by Israel against vessels of the Gaza solidarity flotilla in international waters off Crete. On May 18, the Israeli state attacked and abducted at least 100 members of the flotilla in international waters once again, this time off the coast of Cyprus. The occupying state also proceeded to seize the flotilla’s vessels and carried out acts of violence against those abducted.
This is the third time that Israel has conducted military operations against civilian ships carrying humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people in international waters, including within search-and-rescue zones under the responsibility of EU member states such as Cyprus, Malta and Greece.
Daily developments prove that Israel is emboldened by the cover provided by its international allies, such as the EU and the Greek government, and has elevated pirate attacks in international waters into an extremely dangerous practice, trampling upon every notion of humanitarian principles.
The EU also bears particular responsibility for the escalation of Israeli aggression not only in Gaza and the West Bank, but also against Lebanon, Iran and Syria, since it continues to maintain and expand its economic, military and political relations with Israel and refuses to take even the minimum step of terminating the EU-Israel Association Agreement.
Based on the above undeniable facts, what is your position regarding:
• These dangerous pirate attacks by Israel against civilian vessels?
• The abduction of civilians from international waters by Israeli military forces, who must be immediately released?
• The torture and humiliations suffered by those abducted at the hands of the Israeli authorities?”.
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