IPSC commends Irish Government success in freezing transfer of EU citizen data to Israel

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Friday September 03, 2010 13:06

by Conor Mc - IPSC

info at ipsc dot ie

Press Release, 3rd September 2010

The Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) today praised the successful intervention by Irish Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to block a proposed European Commission data-sharing plan with Israel. If adopted, the proposal would have given the go-ahead to EU member states to allow the transfer to and storage of sensitive personal data on European citizens to Israel.

The European Commission proposal was for EU member states to give a green-light to a declaration that the EU recognises Israeli data protection standards as being sufficient to allow member states to transfer sensitive personal data to Israel. Without such a declaration, the transfer of sensitive personal data to Israel is illegal. As a result of Irish pressure, the move was debated in an EU committee that deals with protection of personal data.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern had pressed to have the plan halted in the light of disquiet about the use of eight fake Irish passports by the Israeli assassins of Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Accordingly, no vote was taken at the meeting of the Commission’s data protection committee when it sat yesterday, and the Commission has undertaken to seek clarification from Israel on its data protection systems. Mr Ahern’s spokesman said yesterday that “the bottom line with regard to this proposal was that a country that is at the centre of a very serious international incident involving the death of a man and the use of forged passports would be given the go-ahead with regard to transfer of personal data of EU citizens’.

Freda Hughes, IPSC National Chairperson, today said: “The IPSC commends Minister Ahern’s successful intervention to freeze this process – the sole EU minister to take this stance. The Israeli state has been routinely committing crimes against the Palestinian people for decades and the EU should not be taking steps to normalise this abusive behaviour by a rogue state. Furthermore, the very idea that EU citizens private data would be provided to Israel after the passport abuse in the Dubai murder is absurd. Israel’s actions have, time and again, proven that it is not a ‘normal’ state and should not be treated as such.”

Ms Hughes continued with a call to the Irish government and other EU states: “The IPSC understand that this important issue will be discussed again at a future meeting of the EU Commission’s data protection committee. We encourage the Irish government to maintain the strong line they have already taken on this issue and refuse to allow Israel access to sensitive data on EU citizens. We also call on other EU member states to rethink their positions on this matter as to allow such a move would leave millions of people open to state-sponsored identity theft of the kind we witnessed in Dubai last January, and indeed would be a tacit acceptance the legitimacy of such acts of state terrorism carried out by Israel.”

Ms Hughes concluded: “The fact that Ireland, standing alone, could put a temporary halt to this process shows that we can persuade Europe to listen to Irish concerns about Israel’s actions. The IPSC encourages the Irish government to expand this independent stance, especially with regard to the Euro-Med Agreement which grants Israeli preferential trading status. Ireland should seek the suspension of this agreement until Israel abides by its human rights clause in Article II. If Ireland were to make such a call it could generate a far-reaching debate on the EU’s relationship to Israel and send a strong message to the Israeli state that it can no longer deny the Palestinian people their rights while enjoying complete impunity.”

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Comments (2 of 2)

Religous extremists - Islam and the Zions

by NOTOISRAELANDTHEMADCLERICS

Sat Sep 04, 2010 23:30

islam is not a normal state and neither are any of the arab lands,these religious extremists,have proven time and time again,why should WE TRUST ISRAEL?

The U.N do not posses the backbone to kick ISRAEL OUT.

After all the political debates,nothing done about them to this very day,even after they murdered a hamas operative in dubai,and involving illegal irish passports,israel have always been know for doing a ''SWISS'' on information!

What do you think israel would do with the sensitive and very personal information on citizens residing in the EU?Pass it over to their murder squad and FEIGN INNOCENCE.And make more unreasonable demands on us,no apology,no good will gestures.They should be kicked out of the EU completely and some sanctions need to be brought on them for a change!

As we all know israel follows the nazi model and apply it to palestine every day,ISRAEL HAS DINED OUT ON THEIR ''HOLCAUST'' FOR LONG ENOUGH!

I never allowed my government to give away my data

by head the fred - Common Sense

Sun Sep 05, 2010 22:07

How or when did EU citizens allow their governments or the EU to give away their personal data to anyone? and to Israel

This has to be some sort of sick joke surely?

Would the government in question be obliged to tell a citizen that some information about them had been given away to the terror state of Israel?

Like it would be handy to know if Mossad were going to assasinate you or just use your passport or some personal details in the assasination of someone...

How on earth could any government allow any of their citizens data to be handed over to Israel????? They have no claim on EU citizens data and the EU and its MEPs along with governments should be doing everything possible to protect their citizens while all the time making sure they are doing nothing to help the rogue state of Israel!!!!

Perhaps we can have some common sense and decency back again....

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IPSC commends Irish Government success in freezing transfer of EU citizen data to Israel

Comments (2 of 2)