Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-16-Speech-3-038"
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"en.20010516.2.3-038"2
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"Madam President, Madam President-in-Office of the Council, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would have liked or would like to see many Members, as also the Commission and the Council, show the same determination in relation to Chechnya, where 100 000 people have been killed in less than two years, or to occupied Tibet, where there have been 1.2 million deaths in forty years. Unfortunately, some people, both in the Council and the Commission and in our Parliament, seem to have short memories when it comes to these issues.
In reaction to this morning's debate let me begin by observing that Mrs Lindh is taking rather a selective approach when she speaks of Israel's retreat from Lebanon, while forgetting that Lebanon is still occupied by Syria. I am surprised at such forgetfulness. The policy proposed by Mrs Lindh, MEPs and the Commission is a formulaic policy. It forgets that Mr Barak made proposals that no Israeli before him had ever made and that the Palestinians rejected his proposals. I doubt whether putting the Israelis' backs against the wall will persuade them to subscribe to a peace plan that even Mr Arafat does not seem prepared to accept.
We should take a more objective view. We should also remember our own history of the past hundred years, perhaps show a little more generosity towards Israel and perhaps also begin to seriously consider the possibility of Israel joining the European Union. That would respond to the Israeli people's deep-seated anxieties, while certainly not denying the frustrations and extremely harsh living conditions of the Palestinians, and would also respond to the fundamental issue of the profound anxiety of the Palestinian people. I think Europe should give proof of its generosity by offering Israel membership of the European Union. That is a prospect that would allow the European Union to make greater concessions, even in territorial terms, and allow Palestine to develop and Israel to live in security in this part of the world.
This proposal has already been signed by thirty Members of the European Parliament and a number of members of the Knesset. I invite Members to sign it as soon as possible so that we can hold a major debate on this proposal."@en1
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