EU Parliament President: 'No EU Boycott Against Israel'

Comments made as he received Hebrew University honorary doctorate for his
leadership, dedication to human rights, and efforts to deepen EU relations
with Israel and its universities

Jerusalem, February 11, 2014 — The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's
president, Prof. Menahem Ben-Sasson, awarded the Hebrew University's highest
honor to European Parliament President Martin Schulz during a ceremony on
Mount Scopus today. The honorary doctorate recognized Schulz’s efforts to
deepen the European Union's relations with Israel and with Israeli
universities. It also recognized his support for human rights and his public
condemnations of anti-Semitism, exclusion and intolerance.

Receiving the award, a clearly emotional Schulz said: “This is an
exceptional moment in my life. I could not hide, and will not hide, my
emotion at being awarded an honorary doctorate from such a prestigious
university." He added, "To be awarded here is a signal that there are more
chances of fruitful and in-depth cooperation between the European Union and
Israel than is normally publicly perceived or discussed, and that we should
increase our cooperation on the basis of mutual understanding and trust,
instead of mistrust."

President Schulz then delivered comments and answered questions from the
audience. Excerpts of his Q&A can be downloaded in high resolution from
http://bit.ly/1nsiT7C
or viewed on YouTube at
http://youtu.be/_PqWpbeEho4
hotos can be downloaded at
http://bit.ly/1m3yz5T

Asked about the European Parliament's approach to financial boycott
initiatives against Israel, President Schulz replied: "There is no boycott.
In the European Parliament there is for sure not a majority for a potential
boycott. There is a debate if some of the products produced in occupied
territories of settlements could have access to the European Union market in
compatibility with European Union rules, and this is an open debate. My
personal view is that a boycott is not a solution for anything. And
therefore as president of the European Parliament I was strongly in favor,
for example, of upgrading of the scientific cooperation between the European
Union and Israel."

He added: "Boycott is a very tough word. To boycott means to completely
block cooperation and trade between countries. We are not speaking about
such a boycott. There is no concrete position of the European Union or its
institutions for a boycott of Israeli products."

Asked about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, President Schulz said: "I
think before interfering as the European Union in such a very complicated
debate – I prefer to go another way: to support first of all [U.S. Secretary
of State] Kerry's efforts to bring both sides together, and without any
prejudices and preconditions. The best way to start negotiations is not to
put at the first day, and at the first moment, conditions. This is by the
way what I discussed yesterday with Mahmoud Abbas as well. If both sides
would be prepared to say 'We'll start without prejudices and without
conditions,' that would already be a historical step."

Martin Schulz was elected President of the European Parliament on 17 January
2012. He is married with two children.

Born on 20 December 1955, Martin Schulz grew up in Hehlrath, Germany, close
to the German-Dutch-Belgian borders. After high school he did an
apprenticeship as a bookseller, and in 1982 he opened his own bookstore in
Würselen, which he successfully ran for 12 years. Joining the Social
Democratic Party of Germany at the age of 19, he started out his political
career. Aged 31, he was elected as the youngest mayor of North
Rhine-Westphalia, a post he held for 11 years.

Since 1994, Martin Schulz is a Member of the European Parliament and has
served in a number of committees, first serving on the sub-committee on
Human Rights and then on the Committee on Civil Liberties and Home Affairs.
He led the SPD MEPs from 2000 and was subsequently elected Vice-Chair of the
Socialist MEPs.

In 2004 he was elected group leader of the second largest group in the
European Parliament. As leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the
European Parliament, Martin Schulz campaigned for social justice, promoting
jobs and growth, reforming financial markets, fighting climate change,
championing equality and creating a stronger and more democratic Europe.

Throughout his career, Martin Schulz has demonstrated a commitment to the
security of Israel and to deepening and strengthening the relationship
between Europe and Israel.

About the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is Israel's premier academic and research
institution, consistently ranked among the top universities worldwide.
Serving 23,000 students from 80 countries, it trains the public, scientific,
educational and professional leadership of Israel and world. Producing a
third of Israel’s civilian research, it is ranked 12th worldwide in
biotechnology patent filings and commercial development. The Hebrew
University was founded in 1918 by visionaries including Albert Einstein,
Sigmund Freud, Martin Buber and Chaim Weizmann. In the last decade, faculty
and alumni have won seven Nobel Prizes and a Fields Medal.

Media contact:
Dov Smith
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
+972-2-5882844 / +972-54-8820860


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