‘’With the rise of anti-Semitism and political extremism, the new European Parliament could become a very hostile place for Israel and the Jewish people unless we do something about it,’’ wrote the European Coalition for Israel (ECI), an umbrella group of international Christian pro-Israel organizations with activities in Europe, in urging on its website its members ‘’to pray and vote’’.
‘’Christians have a major responsibility to safeguard a European Parliament which has many friends of Israel. If we fail to go to the polls, we will have failed the Jewish people and opened up an opportunity for the new anti-Semites. Not voting is letting others decide the future of Europe. That is not acceptable,’’ the ECI said ahead of this week vote in the 28 EU countries to elect their representatives in the European Parliament.
Most Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are associated with a national political party in their home country. But in the European Parliament the national parties group into EU-wide political groupings and most MEPs belong to these.
These political groups are very important because it is through the party groups that an individual MEP can have influence in the daily work of the Parliament.
But individual MEPs do not always vote in line with their political group’s policy platform on various topics. What about their standing towards Israel ?
Here are the political groupings in the outgoing European Parliament:
European People's Party (EPP, centre-right, Christian Democrats), the largest group in the assembly. It consists of German Christian Democrats and other centre-right parties in Europe.
It is considered as being generally friendly to Israel. There are exceptions.
Group of Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D, centre-left, Social Democrats), the second largest group.
The Social Democrats have, generally speaking, been critical of the policies of the Israeli government and especially of the settlement policy. The exceptions are made up from the post-Communist countries (the new EU member states) where support for Israel seems to be irrespective of political affiliation.
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE, Liberals)
The Liberal group is a mixed group where some of the strongest supporters of Israel are seating along with the fiercest critics.
The Greens / European Free Alliance (Greens EFA, ecologists)
It has been one of the most vocal critics of Israel.
European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR)
The group is made of the British Conservatives and other MEPs from Eastern European countries.
It is perhaps one of the most Israel-friendly group in the Parliament.
European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL, extreme left)
With the Greens, it is one of the fiercest critics of Israel.
European Freedom and Democracy group (EFD)
A mixed group of MEPs united by their opposition to more EU integration and support for national sovereignty. Most of them are very good friends of Israel.
Non-attached members (mostly extreme right MEPs)
Some are open neo-fascist parties like the British National Party in the UK, or neo-Nazis like Golden Dawn in Greece or Jobbik in Hungary. Marine Le Pen’s National Front is also in this group.