Question for written answerP-003853-16to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)Rule 130Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea(ALDE)(10 May 2016)Subject: VP/HR — Forced displacement of the Bedouin community

The Israeli authorities are forcibly displacing Bedouin communities under the framework of the E1 Plan, which has been declared illegal by the International Court of Justice.

As part of the operation, Israeli military forces have destroyed dozens of buildings which were financed by the European Union — including prefabricated houses built for Bedouins in Jabal Al-Baba — and have seized humanitarian aid. Their actions have caused the population to flee and are being repeated in other communities, such as Al-Araqeeb and Abu Nuwar.

The majority of Bedouin encampments and those who have been displaced do not have access to the electrical grid or running water.

Given that this forced displacement of the Bedouins breaches Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and that, as it prevents territorial continuity in Palestine, the E1 Plan is an obstacle to the two-state solution, which the EU supports:

1.

What specific measures has the VP/HR taken to denounce and stop the demolition of buildings and the seizure of aid allocated to the Bedouin community by the Union?

2.

What response has the VP/HR received from the Israeli authorities with regard to the destruction of buildings built with EU funding in the West Bank?

3.

What other action will the VP/HR take to provide more help to the Bedouin community in view of their current situation?