Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-01-31-Speech-3-101"
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"en.20010131.5.3-101"2
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"Mr President, in Davos, President Arafat reiterated the need for peace and gave an honest account of the shameful, tragic living conditions of the Palestinian people, who are subjected to violations of human rights by the Israeli army. The media interpreted this as greater inflexibility on Arafat's part with regard to peace and criticised Peres for not standing up to him. The truth of the matter is that Peres knows that what Arafat is saying is true. The visit of our parliamentary delegation to the area also served to confirm this.
The Palestinian people are forced to live in an open-air prison, the roads leading into and out of the villages are under military occupation and closed off, countless check points on the main roads prevent the Palestinians from reaching their places of work and collective punishments are enforced. This is just one example: Sabrine was born on 24 January at a check point. At the next check point her umbilical cord was cut. The mother had left the village of Antis at 5 p.m. and arrived at Ramallah hospital at 8.30 p.m. The journey should have taken 40 minutes. Her epic ordeal was recorded in the Israeli newspaper
People who are seriously ill are turned back and medical staff beaten up.
In Gaza, we saw hundreds of metres of land where enormous palm trees and olive and orange trees had been uprooted and destroyed, and houses demolished. It had become desert land. Was there something wrong with the trees? Only in that they could have served as cover for any Palestinian attacks against the settlers who are overrunning the country and treating it as theirs, destroying Palestinian houses and crops. Meanwhile, the number of settlers and settlements is increasing every day in what ought to be the State of Palestine, the territories which have been occupied since 1967.
The Palestinian Legislative Council cannot function properly. The members of the different districts are unable to move about or to meet. Arafat himself said that his movements are hampered. Others have spoken of the tragic stifling of the economy. Imports and exports are blocked, and the European Union is witness to that: every day, the Commission in Jerusalem receives notification of the various violations;
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civil structures and schools provided by the European Union have been bombed. These are economic disasters whose effects will be felt for years to come.
All this is well-known, and none of us, particularly those in responsible political positions, can say that they were unaware of the facts. Our diplomats send back clear reports on the Israeli settlement policy and also clear reports – as we told all the Palestinian leaders we met – of the violations performed by the National Palestinian Authority. But they all asked us – from Arafat to the men and women in the refugee camps – why Europe does not intervene in an active, political way. "We have confidence in Europe," they said, "and a political partnership with the Middle and Near East would benefit Europe." This is our view as well: Europe must be able to develop an effective foreign policy which is in line with the fundamental values which we always claim to hold: respect for international laws and human rights. In terms of Palestine, that means upholding the UN Resolutions.
There is a pragmatic strain in the Palestinians; we have witnessed it and it was evident at Taba as well: they are pragmatic in implementation but resolute when it comes to principles and rights. We, too, should have realised this, for we are always discussing it.
Mr Solana is right: Europe is now playing a larger role but it must do much more. The United States has failed: our task is not to replace it but to become equal partners in the negotiations. It is not enough for us to provide economic aid: what we are being asked for – and our responsibility..."@en1
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"Ha’aretz."1
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