Paris, 13 July 2022

The Foreign Ministries of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden agreed to continue their “cooperation and strong support for the civil society in the ‘OPT’ (‘Occupied’ Palestinian Territories),” noted Dr Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre.

The statement continued, “a free and strong civil society is indispensable for promoting democratic values...”

Most people who know the Palestinian reality would consider this language as “gobbledygook,” argued Samuels.

The Gaza Strip is run by the terrorist Hamas, financed by Qatar and Iran. This branch of the Muslim Brotherhood has shown its form of ‘civility’ towards domestic Fatah members, by throwing their members from the top of buildings.

Hamas Charter calls for the murder of Jews anywhere. The nine European countries must know that “democratic values” and “civil society” have no space in Gaza.

In the West Bank, “the democratic values” have never been established in view of cancelled elections by the PLO and Fatah... essentially to block the terror-master, Hamas, from taking over all Palestinians.

One might ask European taxpayers if they support jailed terrorists, or their families participating in the so-called “Pay for Slay” scheme, officially known as the “Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund,” whereas perpetrators of violence against Israelis and Jews are awarded a monthly stipend.

Do they know how UNRWA – a UN Agency that has been perpetuating Palestinian refugee status for 70 years running rather than solving it! – is financed by each UN member state, out of citizens trying to make ends meet?

Would they be concerned that UNRWA is also currently financing school books that call for Palestinian children to hate and murder Jews?

“The Wiesenthal Centre calls on the European Commission to seek the reality of ‘civil society’ and ‘democratic values’ and question their largesse in financing hate and violence in the ‘OPT’,” concluded Samuels.