JERUSALEM, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A group of Israeli Europeans living in southern Israel near the Gaza border have asked the European Union to foot the bill to rocket-proof their homes.
The group of 14 British nationals, an Italian and a Frenchman, who hold dual Israeli citizenship, filed a lawsuit with the European Commission last month, Haaretz reported.
The newspaper said the group cited Article 3.5 of the European Treaty, which states the European Union will "contribute to the protection of its citizens" regardless of their whereabouts.
The group all live in communities surrounding the Gaza Strip that are prone to Qassam rocket attacks and have been hit in the past.
They also demand the European Union stop sending money to Hamas in Gaza, Haaretz said.
Mordechai M. Tzivin, who represents Eyal Katorza, a French national living in Sderot, said the European Union must provide its citizens with protection and security whether they reside within Europe or in a third state abroad.
In the event the commission fails to rule on the matter, the group intends to petition the Court of Justice of the European Communities in 12 months time, Tzivin said.
He said the petitioners also demand the European Union ensure that funds sent to the Palestinian Authority do not reach Hamas. "The European Union gives hundreds of millions of euros each year to aid groups in Gaza. This money cannot be allowed to target European citizens," he told the newspaper.
