The 45th Inter-Parliamentary Meeting between the Knesset and the European Parliament (EP) was held at the Knesset Sunday.
At the meeting, historical ties were mentioned and the Abraham Accords were praised. Both delegations welcomed the strengthening of the EU-Israel relations in many sectors like transportation, tourism, education, industry, justice, and counter-terrorism, The delegations also agreed that cooperation in the fields of innovation and entrepreneurship among high-tech industries, including innovative start-ups, should be further strengthened.
The Knesset delegation reiterated the message underlined by the Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid that the State of Israel and the European Union had started "a new page, especially on the economic front" and that there are opportunities worth billions of euros for Israel that have opened up and that will be developed in the future."
Both parties reiterated their support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism, stressing that it could be a useful reference for identifying antisemitic hate speech and conspiracy ideologies in the digital sphere.
The EP delegation informed about the recent adoption by the European Commission of the first-ever EU Strategy on Combatting Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish life. The strategy, acknowledging that antisemitism is worryingly on the rise in Europe and beyond, sets out a series of measures aiming to prevent all forms of antisemitism; protect and foster Jewish life; and promote research, education and remembrance of the Holocaust.
The Strategy proposes measures to increase cooperation with Internet companies to curb antisemitism online, to protect better public spaces and places of Worship, to set up a European research hub on contemporary antisemitism and to create a network of sites where the Holocaust happened.
The EP delegation reiterated that a "credible engagement and stronger relationship with Israel is needed to revive a path towards peace and justice for Israel and Palestinians both alike” and that the EU “expects Israel to offer a political perspective to end the conflict."
The EP delegation recalled its pledge to stop immediately the launching of rockets from Hamas and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip into Israel, acknowledging Israel's right to protect its population from such attacks.
The EP delegation recalled that the EU continues to call for the full consolidation of the ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomes the steps that Israel has taken to ease some restrictions on Gaza.
The meeting was fruitful, including discussions of implementing new anti-cyber attacks in an operation called "Strategic Compass," in preparation for future security.