European Union to mark Balfour Declaration

It is not often that pro-Israel events happen at the European Parliament in Brussels, but that is exactly what is scheduled to occur on Wednesday.

An Israeli delegation from the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus (KCAC), led by chairman MK Robert Ilatov (Yisrael Beytenu) and deputy chairman MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union), will participate in a prayer breakfast at the parliament with dozens of politicians and hundreds of religious leaders from around the world.

Following the breakfast, the MKs will partake in a conference on Israel organized by the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM), in cooperation with the European Coalition for Israel (ECI), Europe Israel Public Affairs (EIPA) and the Israel Allies Foundation (IAF).

At the conference, there will be two main seminars, titled “100 Years since the Balfour Declaration” and “Innovation & Technology: What the EU can learn from Israel.”

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud), who will speak at the conference, said he would ask the European Parliament to take action to stop funding for boycotts of Israel. Erdan, who leads Israeli efforts against the BDS movement, said he would tell them that boycotts of Israel are illegitimate and distance chances for peace.

Erdan will meet the heads of the foreign affairs and legal committees of the European Parliament. The KCAC delegation will also have a private meeting with ECPM MEPs where they will discuss the antisemitic and illegal trend of labeling Jewish products from Israel in Europe. At the meeting, the policy-makers will discuss how Israel’s allies in Europe can help stop this unfair movement.

“At a time when antisemitism is resurfacing in Europe, I am pleased to see such strong support for Israel coming out of Brussels,” Ilatov said. “This gathering will show the world that despite the negative voices emerging from the EU, Israel still has allies in Europe.”

Besides Erdan, Ilatov and Hasson, speakers at the conference will include European Union Israel Allies Caucus Chairman MEP Bas Belder and Lord Turnberg from the UK’s House of Lords.