Israel refuses entry to pro-Palestine MEP as delegation boycotts visit

Roberta Metsola visits Jaffa’s old city with Dimiter Tzantchev, EU ambassador to Israel

European Parliament president Roberta Metsola has said she will raise the exclusion of MEPs from a delegation visit to Israel, after blacklistings raised questions of disrespect for the EP.

Metsola in Israel for a three-day since Sunday, but last-minute Israeli blacklistings and red lines forced six MEPs to call off the official trip led by Spanish left-winger and well-known Palestinian supporter Manu Pineda, who were to meet Palestinian ministers in the occupied territories.

“I regret the decision,” Metsola said. “Respect for MEPs and the European Parliament is essential for good relations,” Metsola said, who will also address the Knesset on Monday.

I regret the decision to refuse entry to Israel to @ManuPineda, the Chair of the @Europarl_EN Delegation for relations with Palestine.

I will raise the issue directly with authorities concerned.

Respect for MEPs and the European Parliament is essential for good relations.
— Roberta Metsola (@EP_President) May 22, 2022

The EUObserver reported reported that Israel had informed the EU embassy in Tel Aviv on Friday, 19 May, that Pineda was persona non grata, prompting the other MEPs to boycott the trip in solidarity. It also said that MEPs would not be alloed to visit Gaza.

EU staff at the airports were told to turn around and go home because Israeli restrictions had made the visit untenable.

“I was standing in the queue to board my flight from Dublin Airport when we got the news that Israel was obstructing our access,” Irish Green MEP Grace O’Sullivan said.

However in an unprecedented move, Israel has refused our entry to Gaza and banned the Chair of the Delegation @ManuPineda from entering Israel and Palestine altogether

We will be calling for a strong response from President @RobertaMetsola and Ireland to this shocking treatment
— Grace O'Sullivan MEP (@GraceOSllvn) May 22, 2022

“Once again, Israel is blocking Parliament’s attempts and work to assess the situation of the Palestinian people,” Pineda, who is chair of the EU Parliament’s delegation for relations with Palestine, said.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is also due to visit Israel shortly.

“The European Parliament, and the EU at large has shown that it can take appropriate retaliatory measures in cases where countries such as Russia or China target our MEPs,” O’Sullivan said.

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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