Green MEP welcomes peace cyclists to European Parliament

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP, greeted Peace Cyclists at the European Parliament yesterday calling for a suspension of the EU-Israel trade agreement.

At a meeting hosted by Jean Lambert, the activists made a presentation to MEPs on human rights abuses carried out by the Israeli authorities, witnessed over the past five years in Israel and the Occupied Territories of Palestine.

Representing a wide range of backgrounds, ages, faiths and nationalities, the cyclists had travelled over 200 miles from the International Courts of Justice in The Hague to Brussels.

Believing Israel to be in serious breach of the terms of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the Peace Cyclists delivered a petition calling for the agreement, which gives favourable trading terms to Israel, to be suspended immediately.

Jean Lambert, who is a Member of the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties and a long-time peace activist, said:

"The Peace Cycle is a real example of individuals taking constructive action on this divisive issue. I echo their call that we need to break the cycle of violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories of Palestine. To move toward peace we need governments to address the human rights abuses so that trust can be developed and built upon."

Ms Lambert, who visited Gaza last year, continued:

"The people of Gaza have been suffering for many years as a result of the Israeli blockade and many necessities including food and medical equipment are not getting through to people. Its effect is simply to strengthen the hands of the hard-liners and to undermine the ability of citizens to live in what we would all consider normal conditions. Lifting the siege is essential for both human rights and human dignity."