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History of the Delegation for relations with Israel (D-IL)

The European Parliament's Delegation for relations with Israel (D-IL) was established in 1979, just after the first direct elections to the European Parliament. This makes the delegation one of the oldest in the house.

In the course of its nearly four decades of activity, the D-IL delegation has held more than 40 inter-parliamentary meetings with elected representatives from Israel's parliament, the Knesset.

The most recent meeting between the two parliaments took place in October 2017 in Jerusalem. One year earlier, in November 2016, the partners met in Brussels.

This pattern - yearly meetings, in venues alternating between Israel and the European Parliament's workplace - has characterised the parliamentary relationship for much of its existence.

The regularity of these meetings reveals the European Parliament-Knesset relationship to be one of the Parliament's steadiest, as well as one of the most dynamic.

Contributing to the bilateral bond

In the early 1990s, the EU and Israel began negotiating a bilateral Association Agreement - one of a series of "Euro-Mediterranean Association Agreements" that were part of the "Barcelona Process" (also called the Euro-Mediterranean partnership) to bring the EU closer to its Mediterranean neighbours.

The D-IL delegation followed the negotiations closely, both in ordinary meetings and in inter-parliamentary meetings.The agreement, signed in 1995 and entering into force in 2000, reinforced the parliamentary relationship, stipulating that: "There shall be a political dialogue between the European Parliament and the Israeli Knesset."

The EU-Israel Association Council, a structure established by the Agreement and composed of ministers from both sides, was to "take all appropriate measures to facilitate cooperation and contacts between the European Parliament and the Knesset of the State of Israel."

Delegation meetings

Issues touching on the EU-Israel relationship have also occupied the D-IL delegation during their regular meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Members of the Knesset have occasionally contributed to these meetings: in April 2017, for example, an Israeli representative, Mr Amir OHANA, participated in a discussion about the fight against terrorism.

In general, contributors are drawn from other EU services, such as the Commission and the External Action Service, or from the worlds of journalism, non-governmental organisations, research or diplomacy.