[[{"content_id":"367854","domain_id":"0","lang_id":"en","portal_id":"2","owner_id":"114","user_id":"44","view_accesslevel_id":"0","edit_accesslevel_id":"0","delete_accesslevel_id":"0","editor_id":"0","content_title":"MEPs boycott trip after Israeli snub","content_number":"","content_date_event":"2022-05-23 10:57:42","content_summary":"Last-minute Israeli blacklistings and red lines have prompted MEPs to call off an official trip, posing the question if Israel can belittle the EU Parliament with impunity.","content_summary_fill":"1","content_body":"Six MEPs led by Spanish left-winger and well-known Palestinian supporter Manu Pineda were due to meet Palestinian ministers in the occupied territories this weekend.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut instead EU staff, some of whom were already at airports, were told to turn around and go home because Israeli restrictions had made the visit untenable.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFor one, Israel 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.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAnd to top things off, Israel told the EU that MEPs wouldn't be allowed to visit Gaza anyway — the most miserable part of Palestine.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n"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 on Sunday.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n"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.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFor some in Brussels, Israel's tactics looked like deliberate sabotage of Pineda's whole mission.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe EU Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, who arrived in Israel for a three-day visit on Sunday, said she'd "raise the issue" of Pineda's exclusion with Israeli authorities.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n"I regret the decision," she said.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n"Respect for MEPs and the European Parliament is essential for good relations," the centre-right Metsola, who is due to address the Knesset on Monday, also said.","content_html":"

Six MEPs led by Spanish left-winger and well-known Palestinian supporter Manu Pineda were due to meet Palestinian ministers in the occupied territories this weekend.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

But instead EU staff, some of whom were already at airports, were told to turn around and go home because Israeli restrictions had made the visit untenable.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

For one, Israel 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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

And to top things off, Israel told the EU that MEPs wouldn't be allowed to visit Gaza anyway — the most miserable part of Palestine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

"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 on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

"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.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

For some in Brussels, Israel's tactics looked like deliberate sabotage of Pineda's whole mission.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

The EU Parliament president, Roberta Metsola, who arrived in Israel for a three-day visit on Sunday, said she'd "raise the issue" of Pineda's exclusion with Israeli authorities.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

"I regret the decision," she said.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

"Respect for MEPs and the European Parliament is essential for good relations," the centre-right Metsola, who is due to address the Knesset on Monday, also said.<\/span><\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_columns":"0","content_date_start":"2022-05-23 10:57:42","content_date_finish":"2022-05-23 10:57:42","content_date_register":"2022-05-23 11:04:27","content_date_last_edit":"2022-05-23 11:04:27","content_show_img":"1","content_show_details":"0","content_show_related_img":"0","content_show_slider":"1","content_show_title_slider":"1","content_comment":"1","content_score":"0","content_recorded":"0","content_confirmed":"0","content_status":"1","content_kind":"0","old_id":"0","tag_id":null,"tag_word":null,"tag_service":null,"tag_total":null,"tag_soundex":null,"attach_token":"3790689372","attach_date_register":"2022-05-23 11:04:26","attach_id":"504003","attach_file_ext":"jpeg","attach_file_header":"image\/jpeg","attach_img_type":"2","attach_img_width":"770","attach_img_height":"415","attach_file_media":"1","attach_show_watermark":"1","score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"visit_count":"459","visit_date_last":"2025-05-10 01:27:43","attach_title":"MEPs boycott trip after Israeli snub\r\n 2","node_title":"news,Political,Top news,Latest news","ot_node_left_right":"[{\"node_id\":122, \"left\":2, \"right\":53},{\"node_id\":136, \"left\":29, \"right\":32},{\"node_id\":143, \"left\":47, \"right\":48},{\"node_id\":144, \"left\":49, \"right\":50}]"}]]