A precedent-setting court suit has been filed with the European Union’s High Court, demanding that the EU provide protection to its citizens living in Israel. Just this morning (Sunday), Hamas terrorists in Gaza fired a Kassam rocket at Israel’s Negev region. The rocket landed near Kibbutz Alumim, causing no casualties or damage. It was the second attack of this nature in several weeks. Eyal Katorza, a resident of the Kassam-beleaguered city of Sderot and a European Union citizen of French nationality, filed the suit, at the initiative of the European Citizens Council in Israel, a nonprofit organization representing Israelis of EU nationalities. Represented by attorneys Mordechai Tzivin, Nechama Tzivin, and Mordechai Eisenberg of Tel Aviv, Katorza demands that the EU carry out a series of measures, both passive and active, to ensure his safety as a EU citizen living within range of potentially lethal rockets. The suit was also filed with the European Union Commission with the help of a Belgian lawyer, a member of the Belgian Parliament. The suit notes that Article 3.2 of the European Treaty stipulates that the EU shall “offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, in which the free movement of persons is ensured.” Article 3.5 of the same treaty states that the EU shall uphold and promote its values and interests and contribute to the protection of its citizens. The European Treaty stipulates that the EU shall 'offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers.' In addition to the EU’s obligation to protect and provide security for its citizens even if they live abroad, the suit states, the European Union must specifically protect its citizens against terrorism. This is confirmed by a note of December 12, 2005 from the Counter-Terrorism Coordinator to the European Council on "The Implementation of the Action Plan to Combat Terrorism." EU Must Pay for Protection and Stop Money Transfers to Gaza Specifically, the suit demands that the EU provide protection in the form of reinforced buildings and the like in areas adjacent to Hamas-run Gaza. The EU must also cease transferring monies to the Palestinian Authority government in Gaza, as well as to organizations that are likely, for lack of supervision, to use the money to fund terrorism. “We plan to add to the claim any Israeli who holds a European passport and who lives within terrorist-rocket range,” said Attorney Tzivin. “There are about 300,000 European citizens living in Israel, and thousands of them are estimated to be living in range of terrorist rockets. The EU grants hundreds of millions of euros a year in aid to Gaza, and it is inconceivable that European citizens should be harmed by money supplied by the EU. It's time that the EU takes responsibility." “The EU Commission must stop transferring money to Gaza,” Tzivin says, “and must reimburse its citizens for their reinforcement expenses – in fulfillment of its obligations to protect its citizens.” EU citizens living in Israel within rocket range who wish to join the suit are invited to write to < emkt@walla.com >.
