Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-01-19-Speech-4-010"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20060119.3.4-010"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to thank Mrs Ferrero-Waldner for the information she has provided us with. I should also like to send my best wishes to Prime Minister Sharon, as well as to Mrs Livni, for the important tasks she is taking on within the Israeli Government.
The situation in the Middle East is constantly changing. In Israel, Deputy Prime Minister Olmert seems determined to take forward the process begun by Prime Minister Sharon, in view of the elections on 28 March. In Palestine, the imminent elections – the outcome of which is by no means clear – bring with them the important news that Hamas is standing in the national parliamentary elections for the first time.
We are faced with a dynamic situation, but one that is vulnerable to further setbacks. The extremely fragile peace process – one might say that it never got off the ground in the way it was designed to in the Road Map – may be ruined once and for all by the escalating situation in the entire area, from the difficulties in stabilising Iraq to the alarming position taken by the Iranian leadership, the fragile situation in Lebanon, the role of Syria and the turbulent situation within Egypt.
Returning to the Palestinian elections, I do not wish to sidestep that most thorny of issues – that is to say, the issue of Hamas. Regardless of the outcome of the elections, Hamas will play a key role in relation to the institutional representation of the Palestinian people. I will refrain from doing or saying anything that might increase the support for, and influence of, Hamas and I will instead try to emphasise the fact that if a movement aspires to the highest echelons of political and institutional representation, then it must be willing to play the democratic game, starting with respect for international law and an end to violence.
From that point of view, I see it as a positive development that Hamas candidates have signed the code of conduct, even though there remains a general feeling of concern at the climate of violence in which the elections will take place, particularly in Gaza. I should, however, like us to be more appreciative of the pluralism that is emerging in Palestine, which is also symbolised by new, secular electoral lists, bearing witness to the need for democracy, transparency and efforts to combat corruption.
The state of Israeli-Palestinian relations also has a bearing on the situation within Palestine. That is another reason why Israel should stop the settlements in all the territories and refrain from acting in such a way as to jeopardise the chances of resolving the conflict, beginning with East Jerusalem, where a real annexation policy is being pursued. The voting agreement in East Jerusalem is therefore – as you said – a positive development, even though we are well aware of its limitations, having observed the Presidential elections. Nevertheless, it still has huge symbolic value."@en1
|
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples