Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-24-Speech-3-054"
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"en.20020424.3.3-054"2
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"Mr President, I want to welcome Commissioner Patten´s statement today. It was a model statement which was at once calm and rational and strong and balanced, outlining the situation as it exists and the steps that are necessary on all sides to create a sustainable peace in the region.
I am puzzled by the Council's excessive caution. I say 'excessive' caution. I am not arguing against caution, but the Council expressed views today which were not balanced. I have also been to Jenin and seen the destruction there, the destruction of homes and of people's lives, the burying of people in the rubble of their own homes. I would like to suggest one practical thing here today. What we were asked for was heavy equipment to enable the people in Jenin to dig out the bodies that are still there. There was no heavy equipment when we were there yesterday. I appeal for urgent aid in that regard.
We have a responsibility as parliamentarians to avoid extreme language and extreme solutions. We need to demonstrate that the Sharon extremism will not bring security to the Israeli State, nor will Palestinian suicide bombers bring a Palestinian State into existence. Only through slow and painful negotiations with compromises can that occur, only then can the Israelis and Palestinians be secure in their own states.
I met with ambassadors in Tel Aviv, moved on to Jerusalem to meet Israeli peace groups and then on to Jenin to talk to the residents there. The objective of the Sharon Government at this point in time is the destruction of any possibility of a Palestinian State. I have no doubt about that at all. Europe, therefore, must bring pressure to bear on Sharon and his government to see that this is not a viable option for Israel.
In conclusion, the most important and effective weapon we have is the Association Agreement. What we are calling for is the suspension of that agreement, not a suspension of all contact with Israel, but a suspension of the preferential arrangements that Europe has with Israel so that at least it will begin to recognise that we are prepared to take action. It is a moderate approach which can be stepped up or cancelled when progress is made by Israel in withdrawing her troops from the Palestinian area, giving free access to humanitarian aid and free access to the United Nations mission in Jenin and elsewhere. There are many other conditions we could perhaps apply. There is no problem about an exit strategy. We simply state what our conditions are and what is necessary in order to begin talks under the quartet based on Oslo."@en1
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substitute; Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3,3
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