Green MEPs Cuffe, O’Sullivan Call for International Engagement Using ‘All Available Tools’ in Israeli-Palestine Conflict Green MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O’Sullivan have called on the EU and wider international community to explore all avenues, including considering targeted sanctions against Israel, in light of an escalation of violence in East Jerusalem and other areas in recent days. With the UN Special Envoy to the Middle East Peace Process describing the situation as ‘escalating towards full-scale war,’ the Green MEPs have joined calls for urgent action.MEP for Dublin, Ciarán Cuffe said: “It’s time to end the rhetoric and take action. We’ve witnessed appalling events over recent days and a disproportionate response from Israel. Since Monday, the death toll stands at least 53 Palestinians, including 14 children. There are deaths on the Israeli side too, with reports of 6 deaths.” Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney and our Green Party Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs Senator Vincent P. Martin, have called for action. Grace O’Sullivan MEP and I want this action to be meaningful. We have written to Minister Coveney to ask him to engage with his US counterpart on the issue. It is time for the EU and others to consider targeted sanctions against Israel.”Grace O’Sullivan, Green MEP for Ireland South and member of the European Parliament‘s Delegation for Relations with Palestine, spoke of her meeting with the Ambassador Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff at a delegation meeting earlier today:“Ambassador Kühn von Burgsdorff is Head of the EU Delegation to the West Bank and Gaza. I made it known to him that the political situation in Palestine is being followed very closely in Ireland and explained how worried I am that things will only get worse if the EU and Member States do not show leadership and use all tools at hand to call for an end to violence.” “At the moment, it seems to me that the EU is not doing enough to de-escalate tensions. We can and must do more than just share our concerns and statements. The current situation on the ground is perilous. Lives are being lost. It’s time to make it clear that we can no longer tolerate the ongoing abuse of human rights.” ENDS.Issued 12.5.21