Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-13-Speech-3-004"
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"en.20020313.1.3-004"2
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"Before turning to the topic of this morning's debate I should like to make a brief statement in the presence of the President-in-Office of the Council on the grave developments in the Middle East over the past several days.
We have been watching with growing disbelief the violence and reciprocal atrocities that have plumbed new depths of horror in recent days. Military operations have now reached levels unknown in two decades. The region, and especially Israel and the Palestinian Territories, seem to be edging frighteningly and inexorably towards an all-out conflagration.
We have a responsibility in our Parliament in this unfolding tragedy to do anything that we can to prevent the holy places being transformed into killing fields. We must actively support the unanimous call yesterday evening by the United Nations Security Council for an immediate ceasefire. The EU's High Representative knows that our Parliament stands squarely behind him in his efforts in favour of peace and for a ceasefire.
Equally, I would like to take this opportunity this morning to place on the public record our Parliament's deep debt to the personal courage and unshakeable commitment of the European Union envoy, Mr Moratinos. He may not thank me for saying this, but I had the opportunity to speak to him at length yesterday about his diplomatic efforts on our behalf to keep channels of communication open with all sides. He is, for Europe, one of our unsung heroes.
I want to pledge to this House to take any action on behalf of Parliament which has a chance of promoting peace and of trying to draw this region back from the edge. I have taken steps to invite Mr Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat to seek to break that infernal cycle of violence by inviting them to come to address this House. I hope they will be in a position to take up this offer. We would welcome them as champions of peace through the hardest of times.
I, in cooperation with Mr Solana and the good offices of the Spanish Presidency, remain open to the suggestion to travel to Ramallah with the Knesset speaker, Avraham Burg and to meet there with Abu Ala in the Palestinian Legislative Council should circumstances permit.
Because the risk is looming of an all-out conflagration we have to do whatever we can. In the name of this Parliament, for humanity's sake, the essential appeal I want to make this morning is: please stop the violence, start the dialogue and give peace a chance."@en1
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The resource appears as object in one triple:
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