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Socialist group in EP welcomes EU assistance for Palestinians

BRUSSELS, Feb 1 (KUNA) -- The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S and D) in the European Parliament welcomed Thursday the new assistance package of EUR 42.5 million (USD 53 million) for Palestine, announced by the European Commission yesterday.
S and D Group vice-president Elena Valenciano in a statement said "while the Trump administration is playing with fire in the Middle East without offering any new hope for peace, Palestinians need our solidarity and support more than ever. This is true in East Jerusalem in particular, where local Palestinians are facing rapidly deteriorating conditions and isolation." "Our position continues to be crystal clear: we want to see a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with the state of Israel along the 1967 borders with Jerusalem as capital of both states," she said.
The new assistance package as announced yesterday supports exactly these goals: Palestinian state-building and the preservation of the Palestinian character of East Jerusalem, she noted.
The S and D Group, the second-largest in the EP, called for international solidarity also with UNRWA.
"The vital services provided by the agency to hundreds of thousands of vulnerable Palestinian refugee families cannot fall victim of political gambling. UNRWA deserves our full and strong support," added the statement. (end) nk.sd