RAMALLAH, Chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine (DPAL) Margrete Auken today stated that the delegation believes that the two-state solution only makes sense if we insist on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.

“We should insist that the two-state solution only makes sense if we insist on 1967 borders and East Jerusalem,” Auken said during a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Ramallah.

The seven-member delegation, whose members come from six EU countries and represent four different political groups, arrived here on Monday evening before visiting Haram Sharif, the South Hebron Hills (Masafer Yatta) and Bethlehem. It had separate meetings with Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad Malki and representatives of political parties.

The visit came a day after the Israeli occupation authorities denied MEP Ana Miranda, who was on an official mission, entry into the occupied Palestinian territories, and almost a week after the occupation authorities also blocked the participation of the former DPAL Chair Manu Pineda.

“It is not Israel to decide who the European Parliament is sending and we are very angry about it,” Auken remarked.

Auken referred to what Israel, the occupying power, describes as “facts on the ground”, notably Israeli colonial settlement construction, which continue to undermine the possibility of achieving the ever diminishing two-State solution.

Such a term, she said, is the “the occupier’s language. It must never be our language,” while pointing that the delegation advocates the implementation of the two-state solution on 1967 borders “without ]the[ settlements”.

The member of the Greens/European Free Alliance (EFA) parliamentary group reiterated that “We are bound to the international law and to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions,” while calling for a stronger stance on the implementation of UNSC Resolution 2334 (2016).

Aukin described the Israeli occupation as “the core of the issue here”, a problem that should not be mitigated, but stopped.

Noting the accelerated pace of Israeli colonial settlements and land grab, she said described “the speed of the annexation” as “really shocking” and “it is pushing the whole country of Palestine and also Israel to the brink.”

Commenting on the need to facilitate elections in the occupied territories, including in East Jerusalem, Aukin stressed: “We think that it is not Israel to decide if you should have elections in Palestine.”

She expressed her hope that they could seek the EU intervention to make it possible to have elections in East Jerusalem.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency