I have been contacted by a constituent about the demolition by the Israeli authorities of a café, a porcelain shop and a barn sheltering 135 sheep in the village of Sabastiya in the Northern Palestinian West Bank, on August 8th and 9th 2016.

My constituent claims that the demolition took part without warning or justification and that recent statistics by Btselem, an Israeli human rights organisation have shown that in the first half of 2016, Israeli authorities demolished more homes in Palestinian communities in the West Bank than in the entire previous year’.

 

Can the VP/HR confirm?

  1. If she is aware of this incident and if she has raised her concerns with the Israeli government?
  1. What action she plans to take to persuade the Israeli authorities to stop these demolitions.

 

Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini

 

The HR/VP is aware of this incident in the town of Sebastiya, near Nablus. The EU is very concerned about the recent rise in demolitions and confiscations of Palestinian structures in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem by the Israeli authorities.

The appropriate response to Israel’s demolition of Palestinian structures is discussed continuously between the EU and its Member states, with the aim of further developing a strong and coherent approach. Although the specific case referred to in this question has not been raised with the Israeli Government, the EU frequently raises the matter of demolitions and confiscations with representatives of the Israeli authorities. The EU also regularly condemns demolitions in its public statements.

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