Brussels, 04/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - Greek MEP Panayiotis Beglitis (PES) reproaches EU Member States with showing “selective sensitivity” and following a logic of “double standards” regarding the evolution of the situation in Palestine. “While thousands of employees are unpaid and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories has taken on disproportionate dimensions comparable to a civil war, the EU is behaving as a neutral observer towards Israel, which continues to violate the UN resolutions and the EU's decisions. In this way, the EU reaches a summit of hypocrisy and cannot claim to play a credible role in the Middle East for bringing peace”, he states in a press release. In a parliamentary question to the Council on freezing the EU's financial aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas' arrival to power, Mr Beglitis wished to know whether the EU intended to lift “economic sanctions” immediately should the Palestinian National Unity government be formed. The Greek MEP also wanted to know how the EU intends to answer Israel's persistent refusal to pay back the millions of dollars in taxes and customs duties to the Palestinian Authority. In its response, the Council confirms that, if the future Palestinian National Unity government follows the principles and requirements set by the Quartet (renunciation of violence, recognition of Israel, respect of existing agreements), suspension of aid will be “immediately lifted”. On the subject of Israel, the Council recalls that the EU has on many occasions called on Israel to carry out the transfer of taxes and customs duties to the Palestinians, this being necessary to put an end to the crisis in the Palestinian territories. (hb)