Families of Israeli Captives Urge EU to Cancel Minister’s Invitation Over Gaza Ceasefire Opposition
Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Families of Israeli captives have called on the European Parliament (EP) to rescind an invitation to Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs, to speak at a panel on International Holocaust Remembrance Day due to his controversial record, including his opposition to a Gaza ceasefire deal.
In a letter addressed to the two parliamentarians organizing the conference, both from the center-right European People’s Party, more than 40 relatives and family members of Israeli captives as well as another 32 Jewish community leaders and representatives in Europe referred on Thursday to the minister’s problematic record due to his opposition to a deal over the captives.
“Minister Chikli’s record, especially his recent actions within the government, renders him an inappropriate representative for such an important occasion, dedicated to remembering the atrocities of the Holocaust and advancing the values of human dignity and justice,” said the letter, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
The letter noted that Chikli voted against the ceasefire deal, the first stage of which went into effect on Sunday.
Days before the ceasefire deal was reached, Chikli threatened to resign if Israel withdrew from the Philadelphi Corridor, the 14km (8.7-mile) strip of land along the border between Gaza and Egypt, “or if we do not resume fighting to complete the war’s goals”.
“His opposition to this agreement is in stark contrast to the values of empathy and solidarity that should guide us, particularly on Holocaust Remembrance Day,” the letter said.
The Israeli minister, the letter noted, has also supported the ethnic cleansing in Gaza and Lebanon.
“Such a position, which is deeply troubling, is incompatible with the human rights and dignity that should underpin Holocaust remembrance and education,” it said.
