Belgian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Marc Botenga has criticized the European Union (EU) for its continued support of Israel, despite its genocidal war in Palestine.
In the interview with the Anadolu News Agency, Botenga highlighted the hardships and humiliations faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation, as well as the destruction of Gaza’s economy and other parts of occupied Palestine.
Botenga recently visited the occupied West Bank, defying Tel Aviv’s attempts to “prevent the world from seeing what’s happening,” as he told Anadolu.
An outspoken critic of the EU’s stance towards Israel since the start of its war on Gaza on October 7 last year, Botenga explained that his visit to the West Bank was aimed at exposing what Israel is trying to conceal and expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.
“We planned it because you know that Israel is hiding very much what they’re doing in Gaza, so they’re killing journalists there, keeping them out to prevent the world from seeing what’s happening,” Botenga told Anadolu.
“But also in the West Bank, they are doing many things they’re trying to hide. So our mission was to go and see what is ongoing there,” he continued.
During his visit, Botenga traveled to Hebron (Al-Khalil), Nablus, Ramallah, the South Hebron Hills, and Masafar Yatta, confirming that ethnic cleansing is taking place. In Khusra, he supported Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season, but their efforts were met with resistance.
A Qusra, un village où les Palestiniens subissent la violence quotidienne des colons et de l’armée israélienne, qui les empêchent même de récolter leurs olives
Pendant ce temps, l’Union européenne reste complice. C’est inacceptable, et ça doit changer❗️ pic.twitter.com/FuamDogN8D
— Marc Botenga MEP (@BotengaM) October 30, 2024
“The Israeli army and settlers blocked this. As soon as we arrived to help the farmers with their olives, the Israeli army fired tear gas and stun grenades to chase us away,” Botenga explained.
A consistent advocate for Palestinian rights, Botenga has participated in numerous demonstrations protesting Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7. Last week, he joined lawmakers in denouncing the killing of children in Gaza after the United Nations reported that over 13,000 children had been killed during Israel’s ongoing war.
“We wanted the (European) Parliament, which still has not clearly condemned this genocide, to make a statement. With our colleagues from the left, Rima Hassan, we insisted on expressing this in a protest inside Parliament,” Botenga emphasized.
“We went to a place and showed a banner that read: ‘33 Palestinian children killed every day for a year. This cannot be considered self-defense. This is genocide.’,” he added.
Botenga also criticized Kaja Kallas, the incoming EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, for her perceived double standards. While Kallas labeled Russia a ‘terrorist state’ for its actions in Ukraine, Botenga questioned why the same label was not applied to Israel.
“She considers Russia a terrorist state for its actions in Ukraine. But what about Israel?” Botenga asked Kallas during her presentation to European Parliament committees ahead of her confirmation.
Belgian MEP Marc Botenga asks European leaders how they can still say good night to their children while enabling Israel to commit a genocide against children in Gaza.
🇧🇪 🇵🇸 pic.twitter.com/o1cibxCO7k
— sarah (@sahouraxo) September 22, 2024
“Over 13,000 children have been killed in Gaza. Would you call Israel a terrorist state and its army a terrorist army? Will you finally sanction Israel, as we have imposed 14 sanctions packages on Russia, yet there is not one against Israel?,” he continued,
“I was very disappointed in her response,” Botenga remarked, describing it as “evasive.”
The MEP concluded by condemning Europe’s ongoing support for Israel. “What is Europe doing? You’re still delivering weapons. This is unacceptable,” he said.
Staggering Death Toll
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,985 Palestinians have been killed, and 104,092 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
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Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
