Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-01-26-Speech-3-078"
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Mr President, I know that today’s sitting has been long and hard and I will therefore try to be brief; but there can be no question that the issue we are going to deal with is of extreme importance to the European Union and, therefore, while being brief, I will try to be as precise as possible in order to give you a picture of recent events in that region which is so close to our hearts and at the same time to give you an idea of how we can move forward together given the window of opportunity that has just opened up.
Ladies and gentlemen, in order to give you an idea of the situation persisting in the territories and the number of things that have to be done, please allow me to tell you a small anecdote from the meeting I held with a group of businesspeople, businesspeople who are working legitimately in Ramallah or Gaza and who are trying to contribute to economic development, in very difficult conditions. One of them said to me: ‘If I have to take a container of tomatoes, for example, from Ramallah to Gaza, it costs me twice as much as importing that same container from Hamburg (Germany) to Gaza, and takes half as long: two and a half weeks to take the container from Ramallah to Gaza, and practically a day or a day and a half from Hamburg to Gaza’. That is the economic situation also faced by those people who want to help in the economic re-establishment of the country. There is therefore a lot to do in all respects, from the political to the economic. And I hope this example will illustrate the current situation in the area to those honourable Members who have not been there.
The situation in Gaza is much more serious, ladies and gentlemen. Very few people have been in Gaza recently; I spent the whole day in Gaza, meeting with political forces and with civil society, and, at a time when we are talking about disengagement, about a withdrawal from Gaza, we must bear in mind that Gaza is effectively an area which, if not completely destroyed, has certainly changed dramatically since the last time I was there six months ago. The situation is one of extreme poverty, very great destruction, whether one visits the northern part, the part adjoining Israel, the southern part, the so-called ‘Philadelphia Corridor’, or the capital city itself, the historic city of Gaza.
So this is the situation we are in. But I said that the time between now and the summer is going to be very important. Why? Because of the legislative elections, as I said before, but also because the Palestinians themselves have decided to hold elections within the fundamental organisation, the organisation which is at the heart of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation; Fatah. There are also going to be elections in Fatah in the summer, which will undoubtedly mean a change in the Palestinian representative structures and undoubtedly a generational change as well within the Palestinian authorities themselves.
Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that these brief comments provide us with a view of the situation from the Palestinians’ point of view. If I wanted you to remember an expression, I would like it to be the one I used before: pride in what has been done and hope in relation to what still has to be done.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to move on to comment briefly on what I found in Israel having held talks with all the political leaders, from Prime Minister Sharon, the Foreign Affairs Minister, the Defence Minister, the defence services and also with society itself. As you know, while the elections were taking place in Palestine, there was a change of government in Israel; a change of government which, as you know, was elected by the skin of its teeth; Prime Minister Sharon’s government won by a margin of just two votes. So, although in Palestinian and Israeli society the majority in favour of peace is gradually increasing, in the
the Parliament, there is still such a profound division that Prime Minister Sharon failed to secure the votes of fourteen members of the majority party, of his own party
and the new government had to be elected as a result of the votes of a separate and minority party, the party of Yosi Beilin, and with the abstention by two members of an Arab party, who abstained in order to help the government to win.
That is the current situation of potential governmental instability in Israel. But the most important issue also facing us from the Israeli point of view is what we could call the abandonment of Gaza. We Europeans have stated the conditions in which we would support the withdrawal from Gaza, and in those conditions we will support it, and I believe that these conditions will come about more clearly in these circumstances. As you know, for some time our conditions have been that this process, which is known as the disengagement from Gaza, must be part of the final peace agreement we are all dreaming and thinking of and which must end in two States. The withdrawal from Gaza must not be the end of a process, but the beginning of a process which must lead to its final conclusion, which is to put an end to the occupation of the territories.
From that point of view, it is very important that we know the timetable for that disengagement from Gaza. The timetable practically coincides with the Palestinian election timetable. What still has to be voted for – and we will see whether this is a success at the end of March – is the approval of the budget; we will have to see whether there is a sufficient majority for the budget to be approved in the
and, if it is approved in the
the disengagement process, the withdrawal from Gaza, would take place at the end of August or the beginning of September. So, ladies and gentlemen, if we could superimpose maps illustrating the respective situations in Palestine and in Israel in terms of their respective timetables, we would see that the two timetables are practically the same. Therefore, ladies and gentlemen, we are facing an extremely delicate and difficult situation, but one which, as I said earlier, is full of hope and good will on the part of the majority of political players who have to play a definitive role.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can see that, in order for this hope expressed by the Palestinians to be maintained, in order for this sense of pride to be maintained, it is absolutely essential that things begin to move, and that means action on the part of the Palestinians, and they have already taken action, and President Abu Mazen has taken very important decisions over recent days to try to put an end to the acts of violence which were preventing a resumption of negotiation and dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis. As a result of the measures he has taken, today there has been the first meeting since those which were suspended, between the heads of the offices of Prime Minister Sharon and Minister Erekat, a meeting which, I have just been told, has been positive and which has offered a little hope of being able to resume contacts between Palestinians and Israelis.
If everything goes well, there will be a new Palestinian Government in two weeks time, Prime Minister Abu Ala has practically completed it, and there is an agreement between President Abu Mazen and Prime Minister Sharon to hold a first high-level meeting once the government is formed. That is also the position of our Israeli friends and they are prepared to maintain the current security situation. Thanks to the efforts of President Abu Mazen, therefore, it is possible that that meeting will take place and that a dialogue will begin between the two parties which will lead to a political perspective somewhat clearer than the one we have had so far.
Why is it essential that there be a political perspective?
It would be a mistake to believe that the European Union is not playing an extremely important role in that region. There are clear examples of this. There is a Member amongst you, Mr Rocard, who has headed the whole observer mission, and whom I would like to congratulate on my own behalf and I believe on behalf of all the Members of Parliament and, undoubtedly, on behalf of all the Palestinians and all the men and women of Israel, on the extraordinary work he and the people working with him have done during this extremely complicated election period in Palestine. Thank you very much, therefore, to our friend Michel Rocard, and I wish him the greatest of success in the work he still has before him.
Without a political perspective it will be very difficult for the citizens of Palestine to maintain their sense of hope and pride in what they have done, and for us to take advantage of it. There must, therefore, as I said previously, be a political perspective, which Israel’s leaders must offer.
Ladies and gentlemen, I do not believe it is a window of hope that has opened up, nor a door of hope. I would go further: I believe a path of hope has opened up, an avenue of hope, and we must do everything possible to ensure that that path can be taken and that we can reach its end. And we all know what the destination is: the destination is two States, a viable, democratic Palestinian state which can live side-by-side with the State of Israel, so that there is not just peace between Israel and Palestine, but that it should also have an influence on the whole of the region. I can tell you that that is the dream of all the citizens of Palestine; I believe it is the dream of many citizens of Israel and it is certainly the dream of all the citizens of Europe, and in particular all those who have dedicated much of their lives to trying to find a definitive solution to this terrible problem, which does not only have consequences for those who suffer most directly, but also further afield.
I like to say, and I would like to say once again, that certain countries see the problems of the Middle East as strategic problems. We do not see them as just strategic problems. We Europeans also see them as neighbourhood problems; what happens in the Middle East affects us and not just, as I have said, for strategic reasons, but also for reasons of proximity. The Middle East is in our neighbourhood, they are our neighbours, as well as our friends.
I must therefore insist once again that we Europeans have a great responsibility. We have been working since the first day, both with the team of the Prime Minister Abu Ala and President Abu Mazen, and with the team of Prime Minister Sharon, in order to see how we can do the two things which I mentioned previously, which are fundamental: to change the situation on the ground and to try to provide a political perspective, which can only be to return as quickly as possible to the roadmap, which is what has been agreed by all of us, the international community, in order to make progress towards that dream.
What can we do and what must we do? We must do at least three serious things, in cooperation with the other members of the international community wishing to do so.
Firstly, to continue to cooperate as intensely as possible in the electoral process; I would insist, and I have already insisted, on the importance of the electoral process between now and the legislative elections and, subsequently, the elections within the Fatah organisation itself.
Secondly, to help from the point of view of security. As you know, we are already giving advice, support and assistance in the planning of Palestinian security forces from a European perspective, in close cooperation with a great country which is making a great effort, Egypt, so that they can mobilise and play their role in the best possible way.
Thirdly, we have the obligation to provide economic assistance, and we have been doing so for many years, but we should perhaps now do so, if not in a more intense manner, then at least in a more determined manner, more focussed on the fundamental priorities of the moment.
Ladies and gentlemen, my time is running out; I just wanted to leave you with these initial comments. I could spend hours telling you about the emotions and experiences of these few days of great experiences and political intensity. Time does not allow me to do so, but I would like to leave you with this feeling: the feeling that there is hope, that there is opportunity, that there is a will to work, and to work together, for them and for us, and a sense of responsibility and obligation to find a way to resolve this extremely serious problem.
If we want to, we will be able to. They want to; we are going to help them.
I can also tell you that I had the privilege, representing the European Union, of being the first person to have talks with the President-elect, Abu Mazen, and also with the Prime Minister, Abu Ala. I believe that the two meetings were fundamental in terms of trying to piece together the future of Palestine and finding the best possible way for we Europeans to contribute to resolving the historic problems which are undoubtedly closer to being resolved today.
During the week I spent there, which I would like to describe to the honourable Members, I also had the opportunity to visit his Majesty the King of Jordan and his government, as well as President Mubarak and the people in Egypt who are handling the cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis with great determination.
Ladies and gentlemen, for the sake of brevity, I would like to divide my speech into three parts: firstly, how I see the situation in Palestine; secondly, how I see it from Israel’s point of view; and, thirdly, how I believe we should move forward, from a European perspective, with a view to supporting the peace process, which I believe requires greater speed, momentum and determination.
Ladies and gentlemen, from the Palestinian point of view, I would like to demonstrate and share with you the mood of the citizens of Palestine on the day of the vote and subsequent days. If you will allow me, I would sum up the feeling I experienced over those days in Palestine, whether in Ramallah or in Gaza, in two words. The first word is pride: pride in having been able to handle a very difficult crisis very well; a crisis whose end, when it began, with the arrival of President Arafat in Paris, could not be predicted. They have done so extraordinarily well and with great maturity, and I believe that the international community and we Europeans must take good note of the capacity and skill of a society which, with pride, is able to do things well. And, as well as that sense of pride, there is a general sense of hope; a hope we must be capable of satisfying, and which we cannot allow to fade through lack of political action, whether on the part of Israel or on the part of the international community.
Ladies and gentlemen, the most difficult time we are going to have to face will undoubtedly be the time from now until July, August or perhaps September. During that period, certain very important events still have to take place. From the Palestinian point of view, the most important is perhaps the legislative elections. The presidential elections are sometimes perhaps the easiest; the legislative elections are going to be more complex, they are going to require more detailed preparation on our part, and, as you know, they are going to be carried out in accordance with an electoral law which has a majority component and also a proportional component. The different political formations throughout Palestinian political life will therefore have the opportunity to participate. It would be very significant for everybody, above all for us and for the Palestinian people, if those wanting the peace process, those wanting to make progress in the direction that President Abu Mazen made very clear during the election campaign, were to represent a majority.
During the election campaign, President Abu Mazen said some very courageous things, which we have listened to and applauded: issues relating to the violent intifada, the peace process and his willingness to hold dialogue. In truth, we must acknowledge what President Abu Mazen has done, both during the election campaign and during his first days in office, as extraordinary. He had the courage to say the things he had to say and he said them well, and not only has he said them, but he has put his words into practice; he has begun to apply the measures that he said he was going to apply during the election campaign.
It is therefore absolutely essential, ladies and gentlemen, that the international community and the European Union support this process. Allow me to point out that this feeling which I would like to share with you not only exists amongst the hierarchy, in the Presidency or amongst the people who lead the Palestinian Authority at the moment. Civil society has the same feeling. I met in Ramallah with leaders from civil society and I saw that they felt and shared the same feelings, the feeling of hope and the feeling of pride, which is felt amongst businessmen and teachers, doctors and people who work in the administration. We, therefore, have the obligation to do what we can to maintain these feelings of pride and hope."@en1
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