Debate contributions by Sebastiaan STÖTELER

Madam President, Commissioner, this debate about the situation in the Middle East will likely be taken as yet another opportunity to bash Israel. But the situation is: the Middle East has become a lot safer thanks to Israeli actions in response to the horrific and traumatic day of 7 October. The Middle East is dealing with the dark terror forces of Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Houthis and so many other terror factions in the region. It was those Iranian proxies that started the war on 7 October – not the only true democracy in the Middle East that upholds our common interests and values. It is the State of Israel that is fighting for its people's survival. Yet, those dark forces, those terror groups (namely the Houthis) still find ways to make the world a more dangerous place. Just yesterday and today, the Houthis attacked commercial ships off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. Yesterday they attacked Liberian-registered ship Magic Seas. Fortunately, the crew of 22 people could be saved. And then this morning, another merchant vessel was attacked by reportedly five rockets, sustaining severe damage and losing power. From what we know now, two crew members were injured and two of them are still missing. We hope they found safety and are well. Dear colleagues, this is the situation in the Middle East. The Islamic Republic of Iran fear the Houthis, fear other proxies attacking world trade, world order and thereby seeking to destabilise the world and economy and security. We should support Israel and America in their efforts to putting things in order.

Mr President, the dictatorial terror regime of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been holding Mr Djalali for more than nine years. He was arrested during a working visit and has been in Evin prison in Tehran ever since. Mr Djalali, who had a permanent residence permit in Sweden, was arrested in 2016 on suspicion of espionage and sentenced to death in 2017. In 2018 he was granted Swedish citizenship. According to recent reports, his health has deteriorated sharply due to a lack of medical care. Sweden has also tried to get him released, but the ayatollah's terror regime reportedly does not recognize his Swedish nationality and therefore refuses to negotiate his release. Perhaps there is light at the end of the tunnel, now that the ayatollah regime has fallen wing-lame thanks to Israel. In the meantime, this resolution is an important support in Parliament for those who are actively working for his release.

Madam President, the title of this so-called joint debate is a Christmas tree that perfectly demonstrates this Parliament's cluelessness when it comes to what's going on in the Middle East. Israel attacking nuclear facilities and military targets in Iran isn't causing instability. On the contrary, by removing the offensive and world-destructive nuclear capabilities of the repressive Islamist and terror regime of the IRGC, Israel is stabilising the region and safeguarding the world. You'd better believe the ayatollahs when they chant 'Death to Israel!', 'Death to America!' and 'Death to the West!', that it is their goal, their sole purpose. The world should be on their knees thanking Israel for its heroic acts. Eastern European cities could easily be reached by the ballistic missiles of the IRGC. Europe should stand with Tel Aviv, the city that is now facing the enormous missile storm of North Korean technology. Europe and Ukraine should be thanking Israel now that the drone and missile exports from Iran to Russia will likely come to a stop, but instead, the European Commission is investigating Israel's compliance with certain parts of the Association Agreement. For what purpose – cancelling the agreement or changing the agreements? You cannot do either of those, so what is your aim? The EU has the same association agreements with Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and even an interim agreement with the Palestinian Authority, whose human rights standards are nowhere near those of Israel. Israel is a democratic country that upholds the rule of law and provides us Europeans with life-saving intelligence, health products, food and technology. Commissioner, High Representative/Vice President, criticising Israel or the Israeli Government isn't necessarily antisemitism, but holding the only Jewish State to different standards than other countries is. Colleagues, don't forget the hostages, bring them home now.

Madam President, High Representative, to address the situation in Gaza, which gets worse by the day, we need to look further than what's happening between Israel and Hamas. We should look at the whole of the Middle East, because in one way or another, everyone is involved: Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the IRGC in Iran, Egypt, Qatar – everyone. But now we have to focus on Gaza. Since Hamas came to power in 2005, they banned or eliminated their political opponents in 2007 and used all their time to indoctrinate the society – to indoctrinate a whole generation of young Gazans with their Islamic, antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda. They use resources to dig and build a military infrastructure to start war after war, aiming for the total annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people. Hamas took their best shots on 7 October 2023. Now, how do we solve this? Long term, the problems in Gaza are massive and plentiful: from deradicalisation to rebuilding civilian infrastructure. But for the short term, there are only two objectives: get the hostages back to Israel and remove Hamas from Gaza. Bring them home now.

Mr President, 7 October 2023 will be forever engraved in our memory. The barbaric massacre carried out by Hamas-led terror groups in Gaza was Israel's worst blow since the Holocaust. Only 471 days later were Romi, Emily and Doron released first, and those weeks afterward were weeks of hope. Hope for the families of the hostages and hope for Israel. Israel has released 1,904 prisoners, including terrorists convicted of multiple murder, terror attacks, kidnapping, sexual violence and torture. In return, Israel freed thirty hostages who were still alive, albeit barely, and eight bodies, including that of nine-month-old baby Kfir Bibas. May they rest in peace. Hamas still holds 59 hostages, of which only 24 are believed to be alive. All 59 must be released. That's priority number one, Commissioner. Bring them home now.

Mr President, the removal of democratically elected mayors in Turkey is yet another outrageous attack on democracy and yet another proof of President Erdoğan's authoritarian course. These mayors, elected by the people, have been replaced by state-appointed officials. This is yet another symptom of the same disease – the Islamisation of Turkey – and the ever-decreasing decline in democratic values. Turkey still calls itself a democracy, but of course that is a façade. Turkey is a country where the rule of law is increasingly eroded, where freedom of the press does not exist and where the opposition is criminalised. We must not turn a blind eye to dictatorial behaviour in a candidate country. So stop endlessly transferring money to Turkey and stop making deals. The EU must stop pampering Erdoğan. No more concessions, no more weak explanations. We must draw a hard line and immediately remove Turkey from the EU candidate list.

The European Union has not had any regulation or coordination in the European defence industry in the past. However, my party and my group fully support European defence cooperation, especially when it comes to industry. It is important to strengthen this cooperation so that we can better tailor what the needs are, what needs to be produced, where it needs to be delivered and the like. We will discuss this in the coming period in the SEDE Committee, of which I am a member. As in other areas, we will also make a constructive contribution here.

Mr President, the Commission's work programme is yet another example of Brussels' meddling and ideological blindness. We stand for a strong Europe, but not for a Europe that undermines our national sovereignty and ruins our economies. The obsession with climate neutrality by 2050 turns out to be completely unrealistic and, moreover, harmful time and time again. Our industries, from farmers to transport companies, are saddled with towering burdens. The competitiveness of the companies that run our economies is being sacrificed. This is destroying our economy. This is not a just transition; This is not even a transition. This is economic suicide. The fact that a call to suspend or withdraw the Green Deal is needed at all is unimaginable. The Commission, which always talks about reducing political interference, covert influence and protecting democratic processes, is right to declare elections invalid in such cases. Nevertheless, she secretly interfered in the political process. And now that it does so itself, the Commission does not go any further than 'yes, that was a little inappropriate'. You can point fingers from your moral plateau, but you yourself are no better. This work programme is a recipe for more centralisation, less freedom, more economic decline and less social cohesion. This has to be different. The Commission should be there for our citizens. Brussels should serve, not dictate.

Mr President, Mrs Lagarde, I am speaking today on behalf of my colleague in the delegation, Mr Zijlstra, who was shadow rapporteur on this dossier and unfortunately cannot speak today due to illness. When the European Central Bank was launched by Wim Duisenberg on 1 June 1998 under the Maastricht Treaty, we all thought that we would have a central bank whose aim was to keep prices stable. It is still in the mandate. Almost thirty years later, however, there appears to be little left of it. According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Dutch inflation has been around 20% since 2020. Consequence: Almost nowhere in the EU has everything become as expensive as in the Netherlands. People are getting more and more difficult to get around. Due to high inflation in recent years, around EUR 30 billion of Dutch savings evaporated, but bankrupt euro area countries were able to inflate their national debt away. This perverse system must be stopped. The Dutch saver, pensioner and entrepreneur are fooled by a central bank that only pays attention to the interests of ministers who have led their governments irresponsibly and do not get budgets in order. It is time for the European Central Bank to revisit the people who save, work and do business, and no longer punish them, but reward them. The fact that such a change of course may mean the bankruptcy of one or more euro area countries is a regrettable matter, but it should not be an argument for further financial smoking out of the Dutch.

Mr President, dear colleagues, the recent tragic mass shooting in Örebro, Sweden has left us all in mourning. Eleven lives taken in an act of senseless violence that left many others injured remind us of the fragility of peace in our societies. This incident is not just a Swedish issue: it's a European one. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive security measures, vigilant community involvement and a reassessment of our policies on public safety. We must stand with Sweden, offering our solidarity and support, but also demand accountability and action. Tomorrow, we call upon European leaders to prioritise the safety of our citizens. We need policies that protect our schools, our public spaces and our communities from such tragedies. We need a Europe where our children can learn in safety, where our citizens can live without fear. But today, Mr President, our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire Swedish community. Today, we mourn with Sweden.

Mr President, yesterday was the big day for Romi Gonen, Emily Damari and Doron Steinbrecher and their families. Yesterday was a great day for Israel and everyone who cares about Israel and the Israelis. Yesterday was the first day of at least four long months, in which Hamas still holds hostages, in which a ceasefire applies and in which a handful of hostages are released weekly by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, often terrorists with Israeli blood on their hands. And of course it's fantastic and amazing that innocent Israeli civilians are finally getting out of the hands of those terrible beasts. Israel's willingness to give so much in return demonstrates the great will of Israel and the Israeli people to bring their people back from the hands of those terrorists. But it's wry. In broad daylight, amid a "Allahoe Akbar" screaming crowd that seemed able to lynch those hostages on the spot, those terrorists were able to turn the hostages over to the Red Cross Uber service. In other times, a terrorist organization would not be able to negotiate. In other times, terrorist organizations were wiped off the face of the earth (see ISIS, see Al-Qaida). The good news of the day is that there will soon be no role for Hamas in the future government of Gaza. The question, however, is whether the European Commission sees this as well and whether we can count on the European Commissioner to do everything in his power to get Hamas out of Gaza. That means harsh sanctions against countries, organizations and individuals that still support Hamas. I call Iran, Turkey and Qatar. That also means putting pressure on them to ensure that humanitarian aid and health care can reach the hostages in the meantime. Because remember: A ceasefire is not peace. Bring them home now.

Mr President, dear women in Iran, you are having a hard time and you can count on the support of The Patriots for Europe in your fight for freedom. Although other parties considered the cordon sanitaire more important than a unanimous declaration by this Parliament in support of your dire situation, the Patriots simply negotiated the text and accepted our suggestions. Mr President, I quote: O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the wives of the believers to let some of their outer garments hang over them. And tell the believing women to lower their gazes and keep their chastity. Men are the guardians of women, because Allah has favored one over the other, and because they spend of their property on women. And as for the women of whom you fear disobedience: Remind them, ignore them and beat them. In Sura 4, Ayah 11, it says about the division of inheritances that the man is entitled to an inheritance in part that is twice as large as that of a woman. And Sura 2, aya 282, prescribes with regard to criminal law that the testimony of a man is worth as much as that of two women. And we are not even talking about the unjust and condescending allegations about the lack of intelligence of women, as can be read in various Islamic legal sources. And now we are sitting here with this terrible situation of women in Iran and we are waiting for a blue card from one of my colleagues here to tell me that this terrible situation of women in Iran has nothing to do with Islam. I can wait, ladies and gentlemen.

Mr President, Israel is engaged in a battle against an enemy who wants to wipe off the face of the earth not only Israel, but the entire Jewish people. Israel's action in Lebanon is not directed against the Lebanese people, but against the Hezbollah terror group, which controls parts of Lebanon. Hezbollah has occupied southern Lebanon, close to the Israeli border, and placed missile installations in children's bedrooms, with the sole purpose of committing the same mass murder as that perpetrated by Hamas on October 7. 60,000 Israelis have fled. Israel is fighting the same enemy as Hamas' extremist death cult. Terrorist group Hezbollah is another proxy of the rogue state of Iran. This enemy wants a worldwide Islamic caliphate where Sharia law applies and where, after the destruction of Israel, we too must be subjected to. This enemy is also our enemy. Israel's struggle is also our struggle. On Monday, it was exactly one year since Hamas committed a horrific massacre along the Gaza border with hundreds of innocent civilians, including men, women, children and even babies – many of them of European nationality. Think of 22-year-old German Shani Louk. Her half-naked body was paraded through the streets of Gaza while bystanders spit on her and “Allahu Akbar’ screamed. When the international battle against Al Qaeda and ISIS took place, they had to be completely wiped off the face of the earth. At that time, there were no calls for a ceasefire. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the President of the European Commission appeared here in this Parliament dressed in Ukrainian colors. The European Council has repeatedly and unequivocally expressed its support for Ukraine. Israel deserves at least as much support. Hamas and Hezbollah deserve the same treatment as Al Qaeda and ISIS. Neutrality in the fight against evil is itself an evil.

Mr President, today we commemorate the victims of the brutal terrorist attack by Hamas, exactly one year ago. Today we honor the innocent civilians massacred by an Islamic terror group in the largest attack on Jews since the Holocaust. But remembering that, honoring that, is not without obligation. That should not be without obligation. Honoring the victims of this terror only has value, Mr. Borrell, if Israel is fully supported in its existential struggle against Islamic barbarism and in its quest for the retrieval of the hostages. I would like to draw Mr Borrell's attention to the difference between the parties to this conflict. On the one hand, you have the fundamentalist death cult that drives hatred and is willing to sacrifice its own children in order to kill as many Jews and infidels as possible. And on the other hand, you have a democratic civilization of free people who pursue nothing but happiness, prosperity, prosperity and peace. The democratic state of Israel has invested billions in the most advanced air defense system on earth to protect its people, while Hamas terrorists have invested billions in rockets, launchers and tunnels under homes and mosques to use its people as human shields. There's only one good side to this fight, Mr. Borrell: that of civilisation, that of freedom, that of Israel. Bring them home now!

(NL) Mr President, on 7 October 2023, Israel was invaded by terrorists from Gaza. 1,200 Israelis were brutally massacred and 255 Israelis were abducted to Gaza, including 35 children, 19 of whom were under the age of 12. Hamas's goal was to hit Israel in the heart and turn the international community against the country. The terrorists knew that it would be virtually impossible for Israel to retrieve the hostages. "All Eyes on Gaza"It was clearly the goal, and Hamas has clearly achieved it. The real oppressor, however, is not Israel, but the terrorist organizations supported by Iran. These organizations appropriate international resources, making their leaders wealthy. They have abused development aid and built military infrastructure in Gaza with all this international support. In addition, the corrupt Palestinian Authority provides terrorists and their families with financial support from its martyr fund. This was the reason for many countries to stop development aid to the Palestinian Authority, but not for the European Commission. The Commission replied to questions from Members of the EPP Group that the money it transfers to the Palestinian Authority is not used for the Martyrs' Fund. However, instead of agreeing with the group and discontinuing the aid, the Commission is increasing the amounts. This support is then used by the Palestinian Authority as a martyr's fund, from which even the families of the terrorists involved in the attack of 7 October 2023 are rewarded. No wonder two-thirds of Palestinians are still behind the terrorist attacks. Israel has the right to defend itself against this aggression. Every human suffering is terrible, but Israel has not started this conflict and has every right to take back its hostages. The war can be ended today and a ceasefire can be reached immediately if Hamas releases the 101 hostages that are still being held. Let's fight for that and then talk about peace. Bring them home.

Mr President, it has been almost a year since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel on 7 October 2023 and murdered hundreds of young visitors to a music festival. They slaughtered innocent civilians in surrounding villages and took many hostages, including women and children. It was the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. While the brutal attacks were still going on, we already saw people cheering for Hamas in the West, with Palestinian flags and Hamas, Taliban and IS flags. This is not pro-Palestine, this is pro-terrorism. Since then, we do not see solidarity and empathy for the Israelis, but demonstrations in which Jews are threatened and expelled. We hear genocidal slogans such as "From the river to the sea", calls for intifadas and a new Kristallnacht and successful calls for the boycott of Israeli products, companies and universities. Last Saturday the following slogan was displayed in the Netherlands along the A12: "We are not only fighting for climate, but also against the Jews.. If this is not anti-Semitism, then what is? "Never again" can happen. For many Israelis and Jewish communities worldwide, every day since October 7 feels like October 8: Their lives stand still as they go from funeral to burial. They deserve our support in bringing back their family members and friends. We are their voice. Bring them home.