17
Oct
2023
Watch
General budget of the European Union for the financial year 2024 - all sections (debate)
Mr President, the budget is a political instrument: It can serve to promote peace policies or death policies. But doing both at once is an exercise in cynicism. You cannot sponsor the ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people, Mrs Metsola and Mrs von der Leyen, but then promise to triple humanitarian aid to Gaza. Which way? Where will such aid come from if the only available corridor has just been destroyed by Israel? You can't fund the Israeli military industry with hundreds of millions and then fund UN schools that are destroyed by the bombs and missiles that we fund. Although now it seems that the Popular Group also wants to eliminate aid to UNRWA. That is why we propose that this budget be used for peace policies. We suggest suspending the Association Agreement with Israel until Israel respects UN resolutions and international law. We call for an end to the arms trade with this occupying power. We suggest that Europeans' money be used to strengthen rights and free lives.