Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-11-15-Speech-1-019"
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"en.20041115.11.1-019"2
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"The beginning of November brings memories of events in our history that we Europeans should never forget because, to a certain extent, they tie in with some of the events we are experiencing at the moment.
A week ago, on 9 November, we celebrated the fifteenth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and with it the Soviet empire, which has led to the unification of the continent within the European Union. So today we are here together for the first time to celebrate this anniversary in this Parliament for all Europeans.
The fall of the Berlin Wall was the last geo-political event stemming from the First World War. On 11 November we also celebrated the armistice that marked the end of that drama, of that great civil war amongst Europeans.
On 9 November we also celebrated the international day against fascism and anti-Semitism in memory of that night which marked the beginning of the institutionalised persecution of a people on the grounds of race.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can never let up in our defence of the human rights which the European Union has fought so hard for. Although it may not always be apparent, they are always under threat.
Our peace, the peace amongst Europeans which we are so proud of, has been threatened over recent days by new dangers which threaten our values and our co-existence. I believe I can say on behalf of everybody that we are following the events in the Netherlands
the escalation of ethnic and religious tension and confrontation
with sadness and concern. I believe this is a good opportunity to send a message of solidarity to the Dutch Government and the whole of Dutch society, regardless of its origins or beliefs.
We stand wholeheartedly behind all those who, through their own sense of personal responsibility, are committed to preventing the pointless spiral of violence. The European Parliament is aware that, at the end of the day, extremism and xenophobia, from whatever quarter, comes from a very small section of the population of that country and under no circumstances must it cast a shadow over the whole of Dutch society, which is one of the most tolerant and inclusive societies in Europe.
Furthermore, during this month of November, Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Legislative Council, has died, and I have sent a letter of condolence to that Council. Our Vice-President, Mr McMillan-Scott, represented us at the funeral in Cairo last Friday. For 40 years, Mr Arafat was the symbol of his people’s struggle for self-determination. Today, his departure offers a new opportunity for hopes of peace between the people of Israel and of Palestine.
I would like to express my agreement with the words of Mr Solana who, talking on behalf of the Council, has said that the Union must be prepared to participate in a new phase of peace negotiations if they are relaunched. I am sure that all Europeans wish to take this opportunity to promote the effective application of the Roadmap."@en1
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