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Transatlantic Friends of Israel Statement

7 October 2023

 

We are horrified by the brutal terror war Hamas has launched this morning against Israeli civilians. The Palestinian terrorists have fired 1,000s of rockets and infiltrated Israeli towns, where they reportedly killed and abducted Israeli civilians. We follow with great anguish news about 100s of Israeli casualties.

As members and supporters of the Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI), we affirm our unwavering and steadfast support for Israel in her hour of need. The Jewish state - our key democratic ally - has, like all sovereign states, not only the right but the duty under international law to defend its citizens against terror and rockets. We call on European leaders to stand with Israel and support without any reservations its right to self-defence.

As this unprecedented attack is still unfolding and Israel prepares for what could be a lengthy war, now as ever is the time for moral clarity. Europe must clearly condemn Hamas and Islamic Jihad – Iran-funded terrorist organizations dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Hamas and Islamic Jihad commit the double war crime of murdering Israeli civilians while using their own population as human shields. Particularly in this age of disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda, it is important for EU leaders to loudly proclaim this basic truth. 

Finally, this is also the time for EU leaders to rethink their Iran policy. Both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are funded and supported by Iran. From its support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, to its nuclear violations, spread of terror and war throughout the region and even here in Europe, Tehran is a major threat to international peace and security. We must find a proper answer to this challenge.

 

SIGNATORIES

  1. MP Friedrich Merz, Germany - Party Leader, Christian Democratic Union of Germany; Leader of the opposition in the Bundestag
  2. MEP Lukas Mandl, Austria - Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  3. MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, Greece - Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  4. MEP Petras Auštrevičius, Lithuania - Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  5. MEP David Lega, Sweden - Vice President, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  6. MEP Carmen Avram, Romania - Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  7. MEP Dietmar Köster, Germany - Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel

  8. MP Martin Engelberg, Austria - Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Austria

  9. MP Romana Deckenbacher, Austria - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Austria

  10. MP Petra Bayr, Austria - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Austria

  11. MP Johannes Margreiter, Austria - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Austria

  12. Senator Marco Scurria, Italy - Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Italy

  13. Senator Deborah Bergamini, Italy - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Italy

  14. MP Lorenzo Cesa, Italy - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Italy

  15. MP Nicola Carè, Italy - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Italy

  16. Senator Simonetta Matone, Italy - Vice-Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel Italy

  17. MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White, Spain

  18. MEP Sara Skyttedal, Sweden

  19. MEP Bert-Jan Ruissen, The Netherlands

  20. MEP Miriam Lexmann, Slovakia

  21. MEP Lóránt Vincze, Romania

  22. MEP Andrey Kovatchev, Bulgaria

  23. MEP Ondřej Knotek, Czech Republic

  24. MEP Frédérique Ries, Belgium

  25. MEP Tomáš Zdechovský, Czech Republic

  26. MP Michael Roth, Germany - Chair, Bundestag's Foreign Affairs Committee

  27. MP Marijana Petir, Croatia - Chair, Croatia–Israel Interparliamentary Friendship Group

  28. MP Metin Hakverdi, Germany

  29. MP Christoph de Vries, Germany

  30. MP Marko Mihkelson, Estonia - Chair, Estonian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee

  31. MP Rihards Kols, Latvia - Chair, Latvian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee

  32. MP Žygimantas Pavilionis, Lithuania - Chair, Lithuanian Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee

  33. MP Ekaterina Zaharieva, Bulgaria - Former Foreign Affairs Minister

  34. MP Georg Georgiev, Bulgaria - Former Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister 

  35. MP Kevin Kühnert, Germany - Secretary General, Social Democratic Party (SPD)

  36. MP Sebastian Roloff, Germany

  37. MP Magnus Berntsson, Sweden

  38. MP Daniel Mitov, Bulgaria

  39. MP Adonis Georgiadis, Greece - Labour Minister

  40. MP Kostas Karagounis, Greece - Former Deputy Justice Minister

  41. MP Konstantinos Kyranakis, Greece - Deputy Digital Affairs Minister

  42. MP Falko Drossmann, Germany

  43. MP Carmen Wegge, Germany

  44. MP Davor Ivo Stier, Croatia - Former Foreign Affairs Minister

  45. MP Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Croatia

  46. MEP Niclas Herbst, Germany

  47. MP Peter Beyer, Germany - Former Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation

  48. MP Sofia Voultepsi, Greece - Deputy Immigration and Asylum Minister

  49. MP Miltos Chrysomallis, Greece

  50. MP Siniša Jenkač, Croatia

  51. MP Ye-One Rhie, Germany

  52. MP Inge Gräßle, Germany

  53. MEP Stefan Berger, Germany

  54. MP Marty Morantz, Canada - Vice Chair, Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group

  55. MP Valentin Tonchev, Bulgaria

  56. MP Roderich Kiesewetter, Germany

  57. MP Katrin Göring-Eckardt, Germany - Vice President, Bundestag

  58. MP Cem Özdemir, Germany - Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture

  59. MP Ricarda Lang, Germany - Co-Chair Green Party

  60. MP Omid Nouripour, Germany - Co-Chair Green Party

  61. MP Claudia Roth, Germany - Minister of State in the Chancellery Federal Commissioner for Culture and the Media

  62. MP Agnieszka Brugger, Germany

  63. MP Konstantin von Notz, Germany

  64. MP Kirsten Kappert-Gonther, Germany

  65. MP Sabine Grützmacher, Germany

  66. MP Manuela Rottmann, Germany

  67. MP Jamila Schäfer, Germany

  68. MP Nina Stahr, Germany

  69. MP Tina Winklmann, Germany

  70. MP Wolfgang Strengmann-Kuhn, Germany

  71. MP Markus Kurth, Germany

  72. MP Sven-Christian Kindler, Germany

  73. MP Marcel Emmerich, Germany

  74. MP Stephanie Aeffner, Germany

  75. MP Harald Ebner, Germany

  76. MP Boris Mijatovic, Germany

  77. MP Lamya Kaddor, Germany

  78. MP Dr. Paula Piechotta, Germany

  79. MP Niklas Wagener, Germany

  80. MP Julian Pahlke, Germany

  81. MP Robin Wagener, Germany

  82. MP Erhard Grundl, Germany

  83. MP Sandra Detzer, Germany

  84. MP Jan-Niclas Gesenhues, Germany

  85. MP Sven Lehmann, Germany

  86. MP Laura Kraft, Germany

  87. MP Swantje Michaelsen, Germany

  88. MP Ekin Deligöz, Germany

  89. MP Awet Tesfaiesus, Germany

  90. MP Claudia Müller, Germany

  91. MP Irene Mihalic, Germany

  92. MP Max Lucks, Germany

  93. MP Chantal Kopf, Germany

  94. MP Lukas Benner, Germany

  95. MP Kerstin Vieregge, Germany

  96. MP Tobias Winkler, Germany

  97. MP Carsten Müller, Germany

  98. MEP Ilana Cicurel, France

  99. MEP Marion Walsmann, Germany

  100. Christian Wulff, Germany - Former Federal President

  101. Geoffrey Van Orden CBE, United Kingdom - Former Leader of the British Conservatives in the European Parliament

  102. MP Zvonimir Troskot, Croatia

  103. MP Domagoj Hajduković, Croatia

  104. MP Matko Kuzmanić, Croatia

  105. MP Hristo Gadzhev, Bulgaria - Chair, National Assembly's Defence Committee

  106. MP Beate Müller-Gemmeke, Germany

  107. MP Lina Seitzl, Germany

  108. MP Davor Bernardić, Croatia

  109. MP Andreas Minnich, Austria

  110. MP Eva Blimlinger, Austria

  111. MP David Stogmüller, Austria

  112. MP Axel Melchior, Austria

  113. MP Florian Krumböck, Austria

  114. MP Therese Niss, Austria

  115. MP Carmen Jeitler-Cincelli, Austria

  116. MP Franz Hörl, Austria

  117. MP Helmut Brandstätter, Austria

  118. MP Yannick Shetty, Austria

  119. MP Andreas Ottenschläger, Austria

  120. MP Elisabeth Pfurtscheller, Austria

  121. MP Andreas Kühberger, Austria

  122. MP Alexandra Tanda, Austria

  123. MP Rudolf Taschner, Austria

  124. MP Petra Oberrauner, Austria

  125. MP Johanna Jachs, Austria

  126. MP Corinna Scharzenberger, Austria

  127. MP Rebecca Kirchbaumer, Austria

  128. MP Agnes Totter, Austria

  129. MP Nico Marchetti, Austria

  130. MP Andreas Audretsch, Germany

  131. MP Anthony Housefather, Canada

  132. Senator Andrea de Maria, Italy

  133. Senator Antonio De Poli, Italy

  134. MP Augusto Curti, Italy

  135. MP Cinzia Pellegrino, Italy

  136. MP Elena Bonetti, Italy

  137. MP Francesco Bruzzone, Italy

  138. MP Andrea Orsini, Italy

  139. MP Andrea Di Giuseppe, Italy

  140. MP Eugenio Zoffili, Italy

  141. MP Fabrizio Benzoni, Italy

  142. MP Paolo Formentini, Italy

  143. MP Elisabetta Gardini, Italy

  144. MP Gianfranco Rotondi, Italy

  145. Senator Gianni Berrino, Italy

  146. Senator Lucio Malan, Italy

  147. Senator Paola Ambrogio, Italy

  148. MP Ettore Rosato, Italy

  149. MP Zvane Brumnić, Croatia

  150. MP Guenter Krings, Germany - CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group Spokesperson on Legal Affairs

  151. MP Jens Spahn, Germany

  152. MP Johannes Steiniger, Germany

  153. MP Michael Donth, Germany

  154. MP Kai Whittaker, Germany

  155. MP Catarina Santos-Wintz, Germany

  156. Peter Lehnert, Germany - Vice President, State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein

  157. MP Matthias Hauer, Germany

  158. MP Melanie Bernstein, Germany

  159. MP Mario Czaja, Germany

  160. MP Alexander Dobrindt, Germany - Chairman, CSU Parliamentary Group in the German Bundestag

  161. MP Christian Hirte, Germany

  162. MEP Daniel Caspary, Germany - Head, CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the European Parliament

  163. MP Felix Schreiner, Germany

  164. MP Nina Warken, Germany

  165. Veronika Bode, Germany - Deputy Chairwoman, CDU parliamentary group of the Lower Saxony State Parliament

  166. MP Dietrich Monstadt, Germany

  167. MEP Michael Gahler, Germany

  168. MP Hans-Peter Friedrich, Germany

  169. MP Thomas Rachel, Germany

  170. MP Mechthild Heil, Germany

  171. MEP Sabine Verheyen, Germany

  172. MP Christian Haase, Germany

  173. MP Fritz Güntzler, Germany

  174. MP Patrick Schnieder, Germany

  175. MP Dr. Thomas Gebhart, Germany

  176. MEP Hildegard Bentele, Germany

  177. MP Lars Rohwer, Germany

  178. MP Paul Lehrieder, Germany