The recommendation, which was adopted on Tuesday by 41 votes in favour and 21 opposed and with 9 abstentions, was spearheaded by Swedish Social Democrat MEP Evin Incir, the rapporteur for recommendations on the EU’s relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Encir is vice-chair of the EU parliament delegation for relations with Palestine.

The plenary session of the EU parliament is expected to vote on the recommendation at one of its next meeting.

European Coalition for Israel Director Tomas Sandell promised to continue raising awareness of the flaws of the proposed recommendation before it reaches the plenary session of the European parliament for a final vote either next month or in the first plenary session in September.

The European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee has recommended the EU to help the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Israel for war crimes.

The recommendation, which was adopted on Tuesday by 41 votes in favour and 21 opposed and with 9 abstentions, was spearheaded by Swedish Social Democrat MEP Evin Incir, the rapporteur for recommendations on the EU’s relations with the Palestinian Authority (PA). Encir is vice-chair of the EU parliament delegation for relations with Palestine.

The recommendation takes a very critical line against the Israeli government whereas the Palestinian Authority, which has been the subject of much discontent within the European Parliament in recent years, gets a free pass.

It ‘’regrets the limited progress on the ICC investigation in war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the occupied Palestinian territories’’ and commits ‘’to help the ICC and its prosecutor move forward with the investigation and the prosecution.”

In one of the most appalling clauses the recommendation urges the Palestinian Authority to release all political prisoners, which include convicted terrorist operatives from EU black-listed terror groups such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

The members of the foreign affairs committee also expressed concern against what they claimed were Israeli “punitive measures,” such as withholding funds from the Palestinian Authority and limiting construction in Area C, in response to the PA petitioning international legal forums.

The funds were frozen as a response to the Palestinian Authority’s policy of paying terrorists (‘pay for slay’). Limitations on Area C construction were in response to Palestinians’ construction without the required permits, some of which were funded by the EU.

The committee also called to “consider targeted EU measures specifically addressing settlement expansion in the West Bank.”

The MEPs also “regret the unilateral decisions of some states to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital and move their embassies.” Three countries have so far moved embassies to Jerusalem – the US, Guatemala and Kosovo – and Hungary plans to be the first EU member state to do so, though it has yet to set a date.

The recommendation also called for closer ties between Brussels and Ramallah in the form of an Association Council, a high-level dialogue meant to strengthen relations between the EU and non-member countries.

The conservative European Conservative and Reformist (ECR) political group in the European Pzrliament attempted to amend the text so that it condemns terrorism and calls for Hamas to immediately return the remains of IDF soldiers Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul and release Israeli civilians Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, but the amendments did not past.

They however added a call for international cooperation to prevent the rearmament of terrorist groups in Gaza and the West Bank and for the PA to regain control of the Gaza Strip.

MEP Charlie Weimers, vice chairman of  the ECR Group, called the text ‘’a travesty that the foreign affairs committee does not condemn Palestinian terrorism, one of the greatest obstacles to a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

European Coalition for Israel (ECI) Founding Director Tomas Sandell promised to continue raising awareness of the flaws of the proposed recommendation before it reaches the plenary session of the European parliament for a final vote either next month or in the first plenary session in September.

“Europe cannot compromise on its core values and principles by continuing to turn a blind eye on Palestinian terrorism and its culture of hate and incitement”, he said in a statement.

Last April,  ECI issued the first comprehensive vote ranking on the national parties represented in the European Parliament and their views on Israel.

“We will continue to keep a close eye on how these various party groups vote in the next plenary session as we prepare for a new vote ranking ahead of next year’s elections to the European Parliament in June”, Tomas Sandell said