Johan Van Overtveldt calls for strict controls on European money for Palestinian territories

The preparation of the 2024 budget was discussed during the plenary sessions of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In his intervention, Johan Van Overtveldt, chairman of the Budget Committee, called for stricter controls on European funds going to the Palestinian territories. This concerns an annual amount of more than EUR 300 million, the final destination of which does not always turn out to be the right one.

An example comes from an investigation by the renowned French research institute Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, which reveals that millions of euros are channelled to Hamas through the European Erasmus and Horizon programmes through the Islamic University of Gaza. The investigation concludes that over the past ten years, a total of at least EUR 200 million in European funds ultimately ended up with Hamas and the extremist PFLP (the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) through various channels.

Not a cent to Hamas

“In the future, there must be stricter controls than is currently the case to ensure that not a single cent falls into Hamas’ lap. Hamas is a jihadist orchestra conducted by Iranian fanatics who want the destruction of Israel. The fate of the common people is of no importance to them,” is how Van Overtveldt concludes his intervention.

More money for security and border surveillance

The chairman of the Budget Committee also reiterated his call for a thorough reform of the European budget, with more attention to defence and the surveillance of Europe’s external borders.