Martina Anderson : Israel attempted to sue former Derry MEP

Former Sinn Féin Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Martina Anderson says she will “never apologise for standing firmly with the Palestinian people”.

Ms Anderson was speaking to The Derry News following the revelation the state of Israel had spent thousands of euro seeking to sue her.

Israel took the action following Ms Anderson’s criticism of Israeli Lobbyists in the European Parliament.

“As someone from Derry, a city shaped by occupation, resistance and resilience, I will never apologise for standing firmly with the Palestinian people,” said Ms Anderson.

“I am proud to have been a thorn in the side of the Israeli state and its extensive lobbying machine, which works relentlessly to undermine Palestinian voices and to justify a brutal and oppressive rogue state,” she added.

“The fact that Israel spent thousands attempting to intimidate and silence me only underlines the truth I spoke.
“It obviously didn’t know me if they thought I would stop challenging and highlighting what they were doing every hour of every day to Palestinians.

“Solidarity with Palestine is a duty born of lived experience and a commitment to ending occupation, annexation and working to stop a Zionist regime lobby freely in the European Parliament.

“As chair of the Palestinian delegation in the European Parliament, I did my work diligently, as people who know me would expect me to do. Long live international solidarity,” added Ms Anderson.

The claims regarding Israel attempting to sue Ms Anderson, were reported by the online news platform, The Ditch, which said Israel “investigated the possibility with law firm Van Bael and Bellis”.

Van Bael and Bellis is based in Brussels and London and has an office in Geneva dedicated to World Trade Organisation matters.

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According to The Ditch, the European Jewish Congress criticised Ms Anderson in 2016 after she told an EU meeting Israeli lobbyists were “all over this place like a rash”.

“The state of Israel hired €373 an-hour Van Bael and Bellis to ‘investigate the steps open to Israel against Martina Anderson’ according to leaked records,” stated The Ditch article.

“The firm billed the Israeli government €3,656 for ‘research (and) analysis of legal options available in reaction to MEP Anderson’s comment,” it added.

This was the second time Israel went after Ms Anderson for her pro-Palestine views.

In February 2016, she was barred from entering Gaza by Israeli authorities for the fourth time in two years.