Support Palestine

Palestinians receive supplies donated by the European Union and distributed by world food Programe (WFP) in the West Bank city of Hebron, July 9, 2006. (MaanImages/Mamoun Wazwaz)

Support Palestine - Contact all 27 foreign ministers of the European Union and ask them why their country and government supports the embargo against Palestine?

Information about the Embargo can be found at Electronic Intifada:

One-third of Palestinians 'food insecure'

The European Union is once more supporting the Embargo against Palestine, with economic pressure and starvation being used as a political weapon against the democratically elected Hamas government. Because Israel, America and the European Union don't like the Hamas government they are using a medieval-style siege to collectively punish the Palestinian people. This is a crime against democracy and humanity.

According to the ECONOMIST (March 24th 2007), 50% of all families within Gaza and the West Bank are living below the poverty line. Because of the Embargo foreign countries have suspended budget support and development aid, and Israel is withholding $800m of tax revenues and customs which belongs to the Palestinian Authority. There has also been a drastic increase in checkpoints and other closures in the West Bank and a clampdown on the flow of goods in and out of Gaza.

Services such as health and education are deteriorating sharply because of supply shortages and strikes by workers. Hospitals can only now deal with emergencies. Banks within Palestine have frozen credit to the Palestinian Authority, and foreign banks are too fearful of providing loans incase they get prosecuted for sending money to the Palestinian Authority. The economy is shrinking rapidly.

If you feel strongly enough about this issue please contact all Foreign ministers of the 27 members of the European Unions starting with Austria and ending with the United Kingdom.

Use you own words, questions, ideas and suggestions, but here are a few sample points that might give a few ideas.

(1) Why does your country support a embargo against Palestine, which is punishing the ordinary people of Palestine?

(2) Does the people of your country realise that because of the embargo one-third of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza are food insecure, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)? And about 34 percent of Palestinians can't afford a balanced meal? (March 2007)

(3) Why is your country selective in regards to promoting democracy, especially since you are opposed to the democratically elected government of Palestine?

(4) Is this embargo therefor anti-democratic?

(5) There are sections of the Israel political and military establishment which do not recognize Palestine. Why do you punsh the people of Palestine but continue to enjoy trading relations with Israel?

(6) The European Union claims to be a post-modern institution, so why does it support medieval tactics against the democratically elected goverment of Palestine?

The list of Foreign ministers and the countries they represent is below. *Do not as yet have contact addresses for Poland Spain and Portugal*

Austria

Ms Ursula Plassnik

http://www.bmaa. gv.at/view. php3?r_id= 547&LNG=en& version

Belgium

Karel De Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs

kab.bz@diplobel. fed.be

Bulgaria

Ivailo Georgiev Kalfin

iprd@mfa.government .bg

Cyprus

Mr George Lillikas, Minister of Foreign Affairs

communications@ pio.moi.gov. cy

Czech Republic (since 2004-05-01)

Mr Karel Schwarzenberg, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://www.czechemb assy.org/ wwwo/mzv/ defaultart. asp?

id=45409&ido= 6568&idj= 2&amb=1&type= send

Denmark

Mr Per Stig M¸ller, Foreign Minister

um@um.dk

Estonia

Urmas Paet, Foreign Minister

http://www.vm. ee/eng/request/

Finland

Mr Erkki Tuomioja, Minister for Foreign Affairs

umi@formin.fi

France

Mr Philippe Douste-Blazy, Minister of Foreign Affairs

http://www.diplomat ie.gouv.fr/ courrier/ default.asp? lang=gb

Germany

Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal Foreign Minister

http://www.auswaert iges-amt.de/diplo/ en/service/ AllgemeinesKonta ktformular. jspamt.de/diplo/ en/service/ AllgemeinesKonta ktformular. jsp

Greece

Ms Dora Bakoyannis, Minister of Foreign Affairs

http://www2. mfa.gr/www. mfa.gr/MailForm. aspx?UICulture= en-US

Hungary

Ms Kinga Göncz, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://www.mfa. gov.hu/kum/ en/bal/header_ feedback

Ireland

Mr Dermot Ahern, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://foreignaffai rs.gov.ie/ home/index. aspx?id=8797

Italy

Mr Massimo D'Alema, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://www.esteri. it/eng/8_ 49.asp

Latvia

Mr Artis Pabriks, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Lithuania (since 2004-05-01)

Mr Petras Vaitiekûnas, Minister for Foreign Affairs

urm@urm.lt

Luxembourg

Mr Jean Asselborn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration http://www.gouverne ment.lu/function s/contact/ index.php

Malta

Mr Michael Frendo, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://www.foreign. gov.mt/pages. aspx?page= 5

Netherlands

Mr Maxime Verhagen, Minister of Foreign Affairs

http://www.minbuza. nl/en/contact

Poland

Ms Anna Fotyga , Minister for Foreign Affairs

Portugal

Mr Luís Amado, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Romania

Mr Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, Minister for Foreign Affairs

mae@mae.ro

Prime Minister of Romania

http://www.gov. ro/engleza/ legaturi/ mail-premier- eng.php

Slovakia

Mr Ján Kubiš, Minister for Foreign Affairs

informacie@foreign. gov.sk

Slovenia

Mr Dimitrij Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs

info.mzz@gov. si

Spain

Mr Miguel Angel Moratinos, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation

Sweden

Mr Carl Bildt, Minister for Foreign Affairs

http://www.sweden. gov.se/sb/ d/2085

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Ms Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs http://www.fco. gov.uk/servlet/ Front?pagename=OpenMarket /Xcelerate/ ShowPage& c=Page&cid= 1007029390545