Seven European People’s Party delegates refused to put their names to a motion condemning Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and calling for the release of remaining hostages during the party’s congress in Valencia on Wednesday.
The resolution on ‘‘the urgent need to release all hostages held by Hamas’’ was one of several emergency motions on the second day of the congress, and was tabled by Sweden’s Christian Democrats and Austrian People’s Party delegations.
The resolution condemned, “in the strongest possible terms, the despicable [7 October 2023] terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel”, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas and for the bodies of deceased hostages to be returned.
The motion was approved by the congress but seven MEPs abstained on a show of hands.
The congress procedure did not record the identities of delegates who voted by lifting white slips in the darkened conference room.
Meanwhile a motion on “solidarity with Ukraine”, tabled by Baltic parties and Ukrainian groups, reaffirming determination “to use all means to put an end to Russia’s unprovoked, illegal, terrorist and unjustifiable war of aggression against Ukraine”, also met with the resistance.
It was also passed but one delegate voted against the motion, and 28 abstained.
