Al Mayadeen reported that the director of the Arab Union for the Protection of Nature, Mariam Al-Geagea, withdrew from an EU-sponsored training course entitled "Regional Training and study tour at the optimal level of irrigation management," which was organized by the European Union in the Italian city of Bari due to the participation of an Israeli delegation.
Al-Geagea was invited to attend a workshop on irrigation and water for the Arab area by one of the organizers, a representative of a network of Arab civil society groups. However, the environmentalist was shocked to see an Israeli delegation at the event.
Simultaneously, the environmentalist decided to withdraw after consulting with 30 organizations from 13 Arab nations that make up the "Arab Union for the Protection of Nature and the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty," which criticized the EU, accusing it of contradicting itself by inviting Israelis to these sessions.
Al-Geagea stated that she is a representative of a group that works to protect Palestine and Jordan's agricultural and environmental sectors from "the criminal practices of the (Israeli) occupation" and that she opposes the use of the environment in such contexts "to normalize relations with the occupation."
Shortly after, Al-Geagea made a short address to the organizers, stressing that "if they want to stop the conflict in a sustainable and just way, they must address its root causes such as occupation, theft of resources, and violation of human rights."
Additionally, she urged them to abide by international law, which is meant to be a legitimate standard for the organization.
She also rebuffed the claim made by some participants that “training is technical” not political.
It is worth noting that the EU has been funding the "Water and Environment Support" initiative since 2019 with an expected expenditure of €7.9 million (about $8.6 million).
This tactic is by no means new. Arabs and free people all around the world have long mastered boycotting as a way of resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestine spearheaded by the Campaign to Boycott Supporters of "Israel". So far, BDS and many individuals have achieved several victories against the Israeli occupation on many levels.
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