Doc. 10994
28 June 2006

The abduction of the soldier Gilad Shalit

Written Declaration No 380

This written declaration commits only the members who have signed it

      The undersigned members of the Parliamentary Assembly

Recall that the Parliament of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East, enjoys observer status in the Assembly of the Council of Europe since 1957;

Affirm their indignation of any invitation made to such Palestinian delegations including Hamas members, a recognised terrorist organisation by the international community which abducted the soldier Gilad Shalit;

Recall that Hamas is supported by the Iranian regime, which is negating the Holocaust and does not recognise Israel’s right of existence;

Express the firm wish that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will abstain from any contact with Hamas, as done by United Nations; European Union and the majority of the international community;

Strongly condemns the recent abduction of Gilad Shalit, a soldier holding double French and Israeli nationalities, perpetrated against international law by Hamas;

Appeal to Council of Europe member states and observers to urgently exercise all necessary pressures, actions and initiatives to guarantee the immediate release of Gilad Shalit, assuring that his physical integrity will not be harmed;

Invite the organs of the Council of Europe, including INGOs enjoying participatory status as fourth pillars of the institution, to clearly express themselves as INGOs and draw necessary conclusions on the future policy of the Council of Europe concerning developments in the Middle East.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed: ¹

SCHREINER, Bernard, France, EPP/CD

BADRÉ, Denis, France, ALDE

BARGHOLTZ, Helena, Swede, ALDE

BRANGER, Jean-Guy, France, EPP/CD

CILEVIČS, Boriss, Latvia, SOC

COLOMBIER, Georges, France, EPP/CD

COSARCIUC, Valeriu, Moldova, ALDE

DUPRAZ, John, Switzerland, ALDE

EÖRSI, Mátyás, Hungary, ALDE

ERTSBORN, Jan, Swede, ALDE

GOULET, Daniel, France, ALDE

GREFF, Claude, France, EPP/CD

JUNG, Armand, France, SOC

NAKASHIDZÉ, Nino, Géorgie, ALDE

PAPADIMITRIOU, Elsa, Greece, EPP/CD

REIMANN, Maximilian, Switzerland, ALDE

REYMANN, Marc, France, EPP/CD

SALLES, Rudy, France, ALDE

SCHMIED, Walter, Switzerland, ALDE

TEVDORADZE, Elene, Georgia, ALDE

ZINGERIS, Emanuelis, Lithuania, GDE

__________________________

Total = 21

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group