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gnificant event aimed at developing a closer relationship between the European Union and Israel was launched in Brussels on Wednesday 13 September 2006. "European Friends of Israel" (EFI") unites those European and EU member state parliamentarians who wish to deepen the ties between the two. Some 200 European and national parliamentarians, together with senior European officials including European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero- Waldner and Elmar Brok MEP, Chairman of the European Parliament's Committee for Foreign Affairs participated in the event. "Never have we seen parliamentarians from so many member states of the European Union, never have so many friends of Israel come together at the same time", declared Gunnar Hökmark, MEP, Chairman of the Steering Committee of EFI in the European Parliament and President of the Swedish-Israel Friendship Association. To those guests of Israel who included several members of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, he continued: "Please take this message to Jerusalem from Brussels. We are friends of Israel, we are many and we come from all over Europe to stand up for Israel!" The audience also included formal representatives of Knesset Chairman Dalia Itzik and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.