"Brussels, 12 April 2002

To the General Affairs Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union (convened in Luxembourg, 15 April 2002)
To the Spanish Presidency of the European Union
To the Secretary General of the Council of the European Union and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, Mr. Javier Solana

Your Excellencies,

We, the Members of the Executive Committee of the Association of World Council of Churches related Development Organizations in Europe (Aprodev), together with the Executive Committee Members of Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité (CIDSE), express our deep concern at the unprecedented grave humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, and the suffering of the Israeli society.

Aprodev is the Association of the 15 major Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox development and humanitarian aid organizations in Europe. Nationally, the Aprodev agencies are related to the Churches in their respective countries. Globally, Aprodev works together with the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation. With them, it participates in the World Council of Churches campaign to end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian Territories. Being part of the worldwide ecumenical movement, in the Middle East the Aprodev agencies work with partner organizations both in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and Israel. With them they share a common vision of political, economic and social rights for all people, and work to eradicate poverty and promote development in the framework of international law.

CIDSE is the Association of 14 Catholic Development NGOs in Europe and North-America, who is kept informed by its partners in the region on a daily basis about developments there, and shares with Aprodev the same vision on the grave situation in the Middle East.

We unite our voices addressing an urgent appeal to you.

As European citizens, we are deeply aware of Europe’s responsibility in the present crisis: after the second world war, the UN General Assembly resolution 181/1947 was the expression of the International Community’s will to create two homelands for two peoples in historical Palestine. This responsibility remains until a just, comprehensive and lasting peace is achieved in the Middle East.

In the present crisis, the E.U. and its Member States should use all lawful and peaceful means at their disposal in order to promote peace. The "European Community-Israel Association Agreement" was meant to be an instrument in this respect. With Israel’s material breaches of its obligations under the Agreement, the EU has no alternative but to suspend it.

Therefore we call for immediate suspension of the "European Community-Israel Association Agreement", in line with the European Parliament Resolution on the Middle East adopted on 10 April 2002.

For the same reasons, the EU and its Member States should review all their bilateral relations with Israel, with particular reference to scientific, technical and military related agreements, such as the Scientific and Technical Cooperation Agreement.

Indeed, we firmly believe that the success of the European project itself, based on values of democracy, human rights, development and peaceful relations with our Mediterranean neighbours also depends on the role the EU will play in the present crisis.

For APRODEV Executive Committee
Robert W. F. van Drimmelen
General Secretary

APRODEV Executive Committee:
Bert Boer
Konrad von Bonin
Genevieve Jacques
Daleep Mukarji
Peter Weiderud

For CIDSE Executive Committee
Jef Felix
Secretary General

CIDSE Executive Committee
Paul Chtinis
Luc Claessens
Jeane Marie Fardeau
Hans Kruijssen
Jürgen Nikolai"

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