Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-187"

Predicate	Value (sorted: default)
rdf:type	lpv_eu:Speech2
dcterms:Date	"2003-09-24"^^xsd:date2
dcterms:Is Part Of	lp_eu:Middle East2
dcterms:Language	"en"^^xsd:language2
lpv:document identification number	"en.20030924.3.3-187"2
lpv:hasSubsequent	lp_eu:2003-09-24-Speech-3-1882
lpv:speaker	lp:Gerard Collins2
lpv:spoken text	"Mr President, there is great concern, and justifiably so, surrounding the extremely grave situation in the Middle East. Prospects for progress are bleaker now than at any time this year. There has been almost a complete breakdown in the implementation of the roadmap for peace in the region. The cease-fire announced by Islamic Jihad and Hamas has been called off and their leaderships have called for attacks on Israel. Planned Israeli withdrawals from some towns in the West Bank have been cancelled and the Israeli army has been active against Palestinians in Gaza. The Israeli security cabinet has also decided, in principle, to remove President Arafat from the Occupied Territories. This decision has been widely criticised, and rightly so. On the Israeli side there has been a failure to meet commitments, to dismantle settlement outposts and to freeze settlement activity. The Palestinian side has also been unable to fulfil many of its commitments on the issue of future security. New buildings continue to be erected on the settlements in and around Jerusalem and the prospects for the roadmap appear dim unless action is taken in the immediate future. I believe that imaginative gestures must be the order of the day if the roadmap is to have any chance of survival. Neither side has met its commitment under the roadmap for peace. That is one issue that we can all agree on. The new Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Alaa has international credibility as he is one of the Palestinian negotiators of the 1993 Oslo Accord. We cannot disguise the fact that the decision of the Israel security cabinet to remove President Arafat from the Occupied Territories has led to a deteriorating situation in the Middle East. At the moment the Israelis are insisting that their ban on contacts with those who meet Yasser Arafat also applies to people from within the European Union. This is an issue that will have to be resolved if the European Union is to have any effective role in the region. I strongly believe that efforts to isolate President Arafat will only exasperate tensions within the Palestinian leadership. Any attempt by Israel to expel him from the Occupied Territories will only undermine the Palestinian Authority and will further inflame the security situation. The Palestinian leadership has been presented with a list of security messages by the United States Government that will have to be implemented. I would also urge the government of the United States to remain fully engaged in the peace process and to press Israel on its commitment to the roadmap. Finally, I welcome the continued efforts of Mr Solana and Commissioner Patten to renew a cease-fire in the region. This has been a particularly bad year for the Middle East. Not only is the political situation becoming more unstable now in Iraq, but if we are not all collectively careful, the situation between Israel and Palestine could also deteriorate further."@en1
lpv:spokenAs	vice-chair; UEN (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 chair; Delegation for relations with South Africa (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3 member; Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 unknown; Fianna Fáil Party (1999-07-20--2004-07-19)3 substitute; Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy (2002-01-17--2004-07-19)3 member; Conference of Delegation Chairs (2002-02-07--2004-07-19)3
lpv:unclassifiedMetadata	"Collins (UEN )."1

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