A Palestinian delegation, composed of 10 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and led by Intisar Al Wazeer, also known as Umm Jihad, visited Brussels to meet an EU delegation.

The EU delegation was led by the Socialist delegation (PES) Poul Nyrup Rasmussen and included MEPs from the Foreign Affairs Committee and also political experts on the Middle East such as Piero Fassino, leader of Italian’s DS, and Labour international secretary Joe Mifsud.

A statement issued by the European side said the embargo imposed by the EU following the January 2006 election has helped the extremists and weakened the moderates.

Dr Mifsud said the Palestinian delegation brought with it the cries of anguish of a people who asks why the international community imposes many conditions when they have been living under occupation for the past 60 years?

It was amazing how people like Umm Jihad whose husband was killed in Tunisia, and Seham Thabit whose husband was killed just as he left his house, were heard saying that if a solution was found, they would be able to live together with the Israelis for this is what is best for their children and grandchildren.