TFI Press Release
TFI Statement on EU-Israel Cooperation to Battle Coronavirus
Brussels, 27 April 2020
The Transatlantic Friends of Israel (TFI) group calls for stronger EU-Israel and transatlantic cooperation on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.
As the world fights a deadly disease that knows no borders, it’s incumbent upon the family of Western democracies to step up their cooperation and mobilize critical resources for the benefit of all of humanity. In order to avert devastating famines due to the pandemic, we must together assist the world’s most vulnerable people to avoid food shortages and provide humanitarian relief.
While we stand to gain from deeper EU-Israel cooperation in all fields and at all times, in this pandemic Israel ought to be recognized as the EU’s and the Western world’s premium partner in battling the virus given the Jewish state's global leadership in medicine, technology, and innovation. In this context, the pandemic has also specifically highlighted the need for close transatlantic coordination.
Not only are our collective security and our economies inextricably linked with one another but also the preservation of our values. Malign actors within our societies and on the world stage are using the pandemic to spread dangerous misinformation and conspiracy theories that divide our societies and sow hatred and chaos.
Consequently, the Transatlantic Friends of Israel group calls for:
- Political dialogue at the highest level between the EU and Israel. The pandemic has again underscored the need for dialogue to unleash the untapped potential of Israel-EU cooperation to protect the safety of the population and, in the long term, improve pandemic preparedness and response, hone best practices to save lives, and work toward an exit strategy. In addition, only if democratic and rule-of-law abiding countries work together can we achieve our goal of international organizations doing their work effectively.
- Close cooperation in the fields of medical research and high tech. The world’s brightest minds are racing to find a cure and vaccine against the novel coronavirus. Doctors, researchers and companies in Israel, European, and North America ought to forge even stronger partnerships, exchange data and best practices, and shore up the innovative energy to fight the virus.
- A common strategy to fight misinformation. Hate-filled ideologies are thriving in this period of uncertainty and economic turmoil. Elements within our societies as well as malign state actors are spreading disinformation. The transatlantic partners, including the Jewish state, must stand on guard and together root out dangerous conspiracy theories and antisemitic blood libels that threaten our democratic way of life.
MEP Lukas Mandl, Austria, EPP
Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel
MEP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, Greece, EPP
Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel
MEP Petras Auštrevičius, Lithuania, Renew Europe
Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel
MEP Dietmar Köster, Germany, S&D Group
Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel
MEP Alexandr Vondra, Czechia, ECR
Vice Chair, Transatlantic Friends of Israel