The S&D Group invited a delegation of the Arab Movement for Change party from Israel for a visit to the European Parliament in Brussels this week. During their meeting, S&D Group president Gianni Pittella and party leader Dr Ahmad Tibi agreed to establish a partnership between the Group and the party, and to sign a partnership agreement when Dr Tibi returns to Brussels in late June to participate in the S&D conference on the Middle East peace process.
 
S&D Group vice-president Elena Valenciano MEP said:
 
"The Palestinian Arab community in Israel has the potential to play a crucial role in achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, which makes their involvement in and contribution to the peace process imperative. However, this community is facing many challenges today and continues to fight for its individual and collective rights. Realising this potential requires equal rights for them in their own country, which is not the case today. We are particularly concerned about the new nationality law proposal that is currently discussed in the Knesset, which goes against this principle and would make Palestinian Arabs in Israel second-class citizens even more than they are today."
 
S&D Group vice-president Victor Boştinaru MEP said:
 
"The S&D Group has played a leading role in the political activities related to the Middle East peace process in the European Parliament and we are determined to continue on this path. We strongly support the two-state solution – with the state of Israel within secure and recognised borders and a sovereign, contiguous and viable state of Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security and mutual recognition along the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps and Jerusalem as capital of both states – as the only way to achieve a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The two-day S&D Group conference on the Middle East peace process, which will take place on 28th and 29th June in Brussels with the participation of prominent Israeli, Palestinian, European and American speakers, will be an excellent opportunity to continue our discussion."