Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-06-Speech-3-172"
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"en.20060906.21.3-172"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, Mr President-in-Office of the Council, Europe was needed, and it was the nation states that went in at the stumble, albeit in the right direction. This is further evidence that the present structure is getting us nowhere, and it is further evidence that without the Constitution we cannot fulfil our duties to our citizens, because we lack the appropriate structures.
Moving on to the matter in hand, what we are dealing with here is a dispute that must surely be seen in the context of the wider conflict in the Middle East. I can see that there is conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, but Hizbollah is not the affected party; the Sheba farms are just a token. What we are dealing with here is a group not directly concerned in the conflict which, spurred on and supported by Iran and Syria, carries out attacks intended to destroy the State of Israel. If we want to arrive at a fair assessment of the situation, we must be clear in our own minds that this is how it started.
Of course it is possible to debate about whether Israel’s reaction to the current situation was exaggerated. I believe it was, but in my opinion we must not forget the basic situation. For this reason there must now be clear commitments from Syria and Iran not to supply any more weapons. It must be made clear that until now Hizbollah has resisted Resolution 1559, and that militias must not be allowed to have weapons. The sovereignty of Lebanon can only be achieved if the government alone has a monopoly on the use of force in its own country and if Hizbollah is not allowed to have weapons.
For this reason there must also be a clear mandate. I understand that nobody today has the power to disarm Hizbollah immediately, but all this beating about the bush – for instance, this current debate about whether inspections at sea should be carried out within the seven mile zone and suchlike - makes me suspect that they are trying continually to create new loopholes in order to make a new rearmament possible, which could then lead us once again into a war.
This UNIFIL force must have more opportunities to achieve better results, so that 15 000 men are not reduced to the position of bystanders in the same way that 2 000 soldiers have been until now, who have seen where things have been hidden but who have been unable to do anything against this concealing of weapons. It is obvious that this must happen in cooperation with the Lebanese Government, but we must face up to this situation clearly.
We must therefore genuinely demand – not just using phrases of superficial compromise - the implementation of resolutions 1701 and 1559. This is surely the relevant point if we are to restore peace in an essential region, a peace that gives us a better chance of tackling the real problems of the Middle Eastern conflict.
I think it is at last high time that the Quartet makes a joint appearance on site and that it occupies the area with the greatest possible number of Quartet troops in order to ensure that its written demands are carried out. Only together can they offer the necessary credibility to back up guarantees of security and to assist in constructing both a secure State of Israel and a viable Palestinian State. No one can achieve this alone; it can only happen if we work together, and this must happen.
We must return to a type of Madrid Conference in order to find a new beginning for the region. I also hope that the terror ceases in Palestine, in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank, that President Abbas finds a way to stop it, and that the Israeli actions are halted at the same time. Israel must recognise that its own existence depends upon there being peace now that new weapons with a longer range are available.
The situation has changed: this is what we have learned from the conflict in Lebanon. I hope that this is recognised in Jerusalem and that it is recognised in Ramallah. If both sides want to escape eventual destruction and give their children a chance, then they must now come to an agreement, and we too should make our contribution towards achieving this."@en1
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