Sinn Féin MEPs Kathleen Funchion and Lynn Boylan have questioned the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, over a telephone conversation she had with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ms Funchion questioned whether or not Ms. von der Leyen raised the arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking from the European Parliament in Strasbourg, MEP Funchion said:
“The President of the European Commission spoke with the Israeli Prime Minister yesterday evening.
“Whilst I agree that we all must do what we can to avoid further escalations, I would find it concerning if Ursula von der Leyen failed to reference an outstanding ICC arrest warrant which was issued for the Israeli Prime Minister.
“Therefore, I have written to the European Commission, asking them if Ms. von der Leyen referenced the ICC arrest warrant during their conversation, and if so, did she advise the Prime Minister to present himself to the ICC?
“I also questioned the Commission on whether or not it was their advice that if an individual subject to an outstanding ICC arrest warrant enters the territory of any EU Member State, that State should take the person into custody?
“It is my firm belief that Ms. von der Leyen and the EU institutions are not going far enough to try and bring about a ceasefire.
“One practical step the EU could take is to immediately suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement and send the message that there can be no trade deals for war criminals.”
Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan, who is chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Palestine, said:
“Ursula von der Leyen has shown herself time and time again to be a willing, complicit partner in Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza, and now she is giving political and diplomatic cover to Netanyahu’s dangerous escalation with Iran.
“The EU Foreign Affairs Council will not convene until its special meeting tomorrow. Therefore, Ms. von der Leyen is speaking without a mandate from Member States and unilaterally and unacceptably purporting to align the EU with Netanyahu, a wanted war criminal who has engaged in mass murder, as he provokes destructive conflict across the Middle East.
“At the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Simon Harris must make it clear that Ms. von de Leyen is abusing her position and does not speak for the Irish people.
“She does not speak for citizens across Europe who recognise what Israel is doing is genocide and deplore the EU’s complicity in violations of human rights and international law.”
