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Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni shaking hands with European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering during their meeting in Jerusalem Tuesday. (Reuters) Last update - 19:46 30/05/2007 EU parliament chief urges Israel to free Palestinian lawmakers By Reuters The speaker of the European Parliament spoke before the Knesset on Wednesday and urged Israel to release funds to the Palestinian Authority and to free dozens of Palestinian lawmakers it has arrested. Coupling his plea for the jailed politicians with a call for the release of three Israel Defense Forces soldiers and a British journalist, all believed held by Arab militants, Hans-Gert Poettering told the Knesset that Europe stood by Israel and was ready to work to promote new talks to bring peace and security to the region. "The situation seems critical in a way that it has not for a long time," the German Christian Democrat legislator said. Advertisement "The European Parliament calls on the one hand for the release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev and Gilad Shalit, as well as of the British correspondent Alan Johnston, and on the other for the imprisoned members of parliament and other politicians, including Education Minister Naser al-Deen al-Shaer, to be released from custody." Shalit was captured a year ago by Palestinians in Gaza. Goldwasser and Regev were seized by Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas shortly after Shalit was abuducted, sparking a month-long war. Johnston is a BBC correspondent missing in Gaza for nearly three months. Israel detained more than 30 Palestinian legislators last year, mostly from Hamas, after the militant group won an election. In the past week it has seized Shaer and another Hamas minister along with more than 30 other Palestinian officials. Poettering also called for Israel to release some $700 million of Palestinian customs revenue it has collected but not passed on to the Hamas-led Palestinian government in an attempt to topple it. Israel, the European Union, United States and others have imposed sanctions on Hamas for refusing to renounce violence against Israel. "The Palestinians need this money to pay the salaries of the teachers and to pay the salaries of the policemen," he told Reuters before his speech in parliament. "This is Palestinian money ... This is not money which belongs to others." The cash should go to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, from Hamas' rival Fatah movement, Poettering added. He met with Abbas in Gaza and later with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni during a visit of several days. He did not meet Hamas officials, he said, calling Abbas the "highest representative" of Palestinians. "It's Abbas who counts," he said. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Internal fighting Human rights groups say torture is widespread in Palestinian lockups. Danger looms Pentagon chief Robert Gates warns: War with Iran would be 'disastrous.'   1.   LIARS 20:33  |  Andre 30/05/07   2.   EU parliament chief urges Israel to free Palestinian lawmakers 20:53  |  Raymond Z 30/05/07   3.   Ok, how about we release them to you? 20:54  |  David G 30/05/07   4.   Why isn`t the EU urging... 21:39  |  x 30/05/07   5.   The Knesset session with idiot German should have been in Sderot 21:47  |  Absolute Sweden 30/05/07   6.   For Raymond Z on taxes 21:58  |  Ed 30/05/07   7.   is solana the antiChrist? 22:04  |  terry 30/05/07   8.   EU- `Release terrorists and give them funding` 22:05  |  Jon 30/05/07   9.   re: Andre #1 22:16  |  Paulo 30/05/07   10.   "palestinian lawmakers" 22:24  |  Shmuelshachor 30/05/07   11.   hamas needs the tax-money for making kassam-rockets 22:28  |  nathan 30/05/07   12.   Hey, no problem but unfortunately there`s no reality either 22:35  |  Chick Corea 30/05/07   13.   Israel should free... 22:37  |  Karl Enright 30/05/07   14.   TAXES 22:37  |  YEHUDA 30/05/07   15.   The Deal 22:51  |  Darren 30/05/07   16.   YOU DO OK in TRADE WITH THE EU 00:02  |  Michael 31/05/07   17.   Forgive Poettering 00:18  |  Axel 31/05/07   18.   Gefreiter Axel,Poettering looks old enough to be born in the 3`d 00:53  |  Absolute Sweden 31/05/07   19.   U.S. Should Do the Same 01:16  |  J Olson 31/05/07   20.   The Thin Edge Of The Wedge Is Widening 01:26  |  chet 31/05/07   21.   Lets see give them money and release terrorists while they shoot? 01:54  |  Gee 31/05/07   22.   # 21 Gee 02:19  |  Axel 31/05/07   23.   Don`t give the money to the palestinians ! 11:12  |  eric 31/05/07   24.   where is shalit? 16:42  |  Igor D. 31/05/07   25.   Glad that EU parliamentary chief is calling upon Israel to 01:17  |  lakshmi 01/06/07   26.   Jailed for Political Views? 08:14  |  Newcomer 29/07/08

Read & React Pentagon chief: War with Iran would be 'disastrous' Responses: 261 Israel agrees to move part of West Bank separation fence Responses: 176 Olmert: Living with 270,000 Arabs in Jerusalem means more terror Responses: 201 Syria envoy to U.S.: Israel has chance for peace with all Arabs Responses: 65 Rosner's Domain Lieberman seen as good veep choice (WTR) What American Jews believe (WTR) Barack Obama, the fashionable darling of the Israeli left The Lebanese are undercutting goodwill in Washington (WTR) More Headlines 06:39 Talks with Hamas over Shalit to resume Tuesday 08:06 Jerusalem officials: Syria taking talks with Israel seriously 06:40 Decision on East Jerusalem terrorist home demolitions imminent 06:42 In one West Bank village, new barrier route won't help 06:43 Jewish blogger tackles perceived shortcomings of Orthodox Judaism 06:45 New al-Qaida Web video urges Muslims to kill Saudi king 06:46 Mother pulls seven children, ages 2 to 10, from burning house in Safed 05:31 Olmert: I'll dissolve coalition before replacing Justice Min. Friedmann 04:05 Knesset to debate creation of witness-protection program 06:38 State inquiry commission to investigate Israel's water crisis 06:10 Innocent bystander killed in Bat Yam drive-by shooting Previous Editions Select Day 28 jul 27 jul 25 jul 24 jul 23 jul 22 jul 21 jul 20 jul 18 jul 17 jul 16 jul 15 jul

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