About Us – European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine

PALESTINE: ONGOING APARTHEID AND COLONIAL REGIME

Since 1948, Palestinians have been living under a colonial and apartheid regime that violates different rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, starting by the article number 1 “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”.

The State of Israel is imposing different laws upon the Jewish and the Palestinian communities, and a differentiated regime for Palestinians living within Israel pre-1967 borders, in the occupied territory, or in the diaspora.

On a daily basis, the Palestinian people is subjected to arbitrary arrestations, collective punishments, restriction on their freedom of movement, torture, house demolitions, arbitrary court ruling, political repression, and regular military incursions.

The European Union is complicit with the colonial and apartheid regime of the State of Israel, through not respecting its duty of non-recognition and non-assistance of Israeli occupied territories, and through enabling a climate of impunity surrounding the state’s actions. While the State of Israel violates human rights and international law, the EU is granting it preferential trade agreements or funding for its companies through the research programs. The EU is also complicit through its refusal to take any sanctions regarding the violations committed in Palestine.

WHO WE ARE

The European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) was founded in 1986 as a network of European committees, organisations, NGOs and international solidarity movements, dedicated to the struggle of the Palestinian people for freedom and justice. ECCP is based in Brussels and has a legal status as a non-profit organisation under Belgian law.

ECCP in its work is trying to challenge EU complicity with Israel’s ongoing violations of International Law and Palestinian rights. We are coordinating political actions, grassroots campaigns and debates at the European level, highlighting the ways in which the EU, despite its many verbal condemnations, continues to fund Israeli companies and institutions that are directly involved in the maintenance of the Israeli regime of apartheid, colonialism and occupation.

ECCP OBJECTIVES:

ECCP supports a ‘rights-based approach’ (focusing on the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people) as opposed to a ‘solution-based approach’.

The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination as enshrined in international law and relevant UN resolutions
An end to the 1967 occupation of all Arab lands, particularly the occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, and its associated regime
The right of Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality
Respect, protection and promotion of the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes as stipulated in UN Resolution 194
The unconditional release of all Palestinian prisoners

OUR MEMBERS:

AUSTRIA

Society for Austro-Arab Relations – SAAR

Women in Black (Vienna)

BELGIUM

Association Belgo-Palestinienne (ABP)

Belgian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel – BACBI

Palestina Solidariteit

Intal

Centre National de Coopération au Développement (CNCD.11.11.11)

Plateforme Charleroi Palestine

CZECH REPUBLIC