Officials Worldwide Decry Minister’s Death, Urge Swift Investigation BRUSSELS, December 11, 2014 (WAFA) – Officials from the Bureau of the European Parliament, United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany and Italy decried Thursday the murder of Minister Ziad Abu Ein and urged for a swift investigation. The Bureau of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council (DPLC) condemned Abu Ein’s death and described it as “a disgrace and a crime against the Palestinian people which he [Abu Ein] represented,” according to a press release from the General Delegation of Palestine to the EU. DPLC expressed its ‘shock’ and ‘disgust’ over the attack and stated: “The fact that Minister Abu Ein was involved in a peaceful demonstration planting trees to symbolize hope for both peace and justice to mark International Human Rights day emphasizes the injustice of the Israeli occupation and the culture of impunity that persists.” It demanded the Israeli government to “bring to justice to those responsible for Abu Ein’s killing” and called on the international community, including EU member states, to “act to protect the Palestinian People by ensuring that Israel stops committing war crimes and ends the occupation.” UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond expressed his ‘shock’ by Abu Ein’s death and expectations that a ‘swift and transparent investigation’ be carried out. He urged “leaders on all sides to redouble efforts to reduce tensions and promote calm.” Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called the Israeli authorities to ‘clarify the circumstances of this tragedy.” US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki stated that her country is ‘deeply concerned’ about Abu Ein’s death and called the Israel to conduct a ‘swift, fair and transparent’ investigation. She also called the Palestinian and Israeli sides to “work to lower tensions and prevent an escalation of violence.” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that Abu Ein’s death “marks a new low in the weeks-long tensions between Israelis and Palestinians.” “Now it is vital to shed light on the circumstances surrounding his death quickly, comprehensively and transparently for all parties. If this reveals indications of misconduct, consequences must follow,” added Steinmeier. He noted: “This incident shows once again that the current situation is untenable.” Italian Parliament speaker Laura Boldrini expressed her ‘deep sorrow’ over Abu Ein’s death and hoped that “the responsibility for this dramatic act would be clarified soon.” On the other end, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni remarked that What happened raises our concern for the growing tension in the area,” and called on “all the parties involved to show a sense of responsibility and avoid behaviors that could lead to further deterioration of the already fragile situation.” palestine.dk/officials-worldwide-decry-ministers-death-urge-swift-investigation/
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 02:01:48 +0000
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