European Christian Political Movement to host pro-Israel conference

Many European Parliament members, representatives of the European commission and NGO leaders are expected to attend this event in a show of support for Israel.

By GIL HOFFMAN
View of the European Parliament during a plenary session in Brussels, Belgium, March 2, 2017. (photo credit: REUTERS)
View of the European Parliament during a plenary session in Brussels, Belgium, March 2, 2017.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Thursday’s pro-Israel conference at the European Parliament in Brussels can be seen as the exception that proves the rule.
An Israeli delegation from the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus, including Likud MK Yehudah Glick and caucus director Josh Reinstein, will participate in an event organized by the European Christian Political Movement, in cooperation with the European Coalition for Israel and the Israel Allies Foundation.
The event will be hosted by European Parliament members Bastiaan Belder, Arne Gericke and Branislav Škripek of the ECPM, a political party that unites national parties from across Europe which share Christian democratic politics.
The event will highlight what organizers call the growing support for Israel in the European Union.
The conference’s two seminars are entitled “EU, Israel and European Jewry – the next 15 years,” and “The future of Israel – EU relations and from Horizon 2020 to Horizon Europe.”
Topics discussed will focus on the antisemitic nature of the BDS movement in Europe, economic cooperation between Israel and Europe, and the threats to European Jewry.
Many European Parliament members, European Commission representatives and NGO leaders are expected to attend this event in a show of support for Israel.
“Our aim is to highlight different policy areas in which the EU can enhance its cooperation with Israel,” the ECPM’s European Affairs director Leo Van Doesburg said. “It is encouraging to see that there is already so much collaboration on the practical level. On the other hand, it is regrettable that there are other areas where the economic collaboration is blocked by the EU, like the discriminative labeling of products from the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.”
Speakers at the conference include: Glick, Reinstein, European Jewish Congress executive vice-president Raya Kalenova, European Coalition for Israel founding director, Tomas Sandell, and MEP Heinz K. Becker on behalf of the Austrian Presidency of the EU.
Glick said he was looking forward to speaking to European Parliament Members about how to strengthen the relationship between the EU and Israel.
“The European Union recently made the laudable choice to stand by Israel and reject the antisemitic remarks of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani,” Glick said.