Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-16-Speech-3-032"
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"en.20010516.2.3-032"2
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"Madam President, unfortunately the names of European politicians have not been recorded in the annals of peace brokering in the Middle East over recent years. The Austrian chancellor Bruno Kreisky was one of the first to urge Israeli politicians to start direct talks with Arafat. What was then a Utopian ideal is now political reality. But where are today’s European Kreiskys? Where are the visions, the ideas, the creativity and the courage to go beyond standard, purely bureaucratic duties?
Europe has endeavoured over recent years, besides financial and political activities in the Middle East, to leave political brokering to the USA and to focus on purely economic issues in this region. Perhaps this was a reaction to Europe’s chaotic, uncoordinated political stance in relation to the warring factions.
One of the biggest obstacles preventing EU representatives from assuming an active role in the peace process is what are, at times, incomprehensible and intolerable unilateral accusations and intrepid judgements. For example, why on earth did the Swedish foreign minister issue such an aggressive, unilateral judgment of Israel’s show of power after visiting Israel and the settlements during the Swedish Presidency, thereby scuppering any chance of brokering by the EU during the Swedish Presidency.
No one can seriously ignore Israel’s desire for peace. No Israeli politician has ever ventured as far as the last prime minister, Ehud Barak, did in his proposals. The present catastrophic situation is the result. Blaming new Sharon government for it, as has been done here, merely hampers the efforts of the EU representatives to broker an agreement.
Europe should understand, once and for all, that none of us looks on the Middle East merely in terms of friends or foes. If Europe is to have any chance of being taken seriously as a broker, we need a consistent language in our foreign policy, a neutral attitude towards the warring factions and to work out and broker feasible peace proposals. Simply stating ones support for the claims of one side or the other is several principles short of a peace policy.
Issues such as the Palestinians' right to return, the division of Jerusalem and the Holy Mount, the problem of the settlement policy and Palestinian statehood and the Israeli people’s justifiable demand for security must be discussed directly by the parties to the conflict. Our opinions must take second place if we want to be taken seriously as peace brokers.
To do all this, we need high-profile, persuasive people to represent Europe, who will be taken seriously by all parties in the Middle East.
I arrived back in Strasbourg last night directly from visiting Israel. My statements are perhaps coloured somewhat by my private connections. But you can rest assured that this nation wants peace on both sides. It is part of our job to engage in talks with both sides. It does not always have to be the politicians currently in office."@en1
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