Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-20-Speech-3-035"
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"en.20020320.5.3-035"2
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"Mr President, the Barcelona Declaration on the Middle East is an initial attempt by the European Council to stop talking officialese and to get away from the mistaken principle of equidistance which up to now has been the hallmark of the Council's common positions. The European Parliament had already opened up the way with its resolution in February, as did the United Nations Security Council with its Resolution 13/97. At the same time, it is evident that the doves are making their presence felt in Israel itself and I am delighted that our own Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy decided yesterday to invite Yossi Beilin and Abed Rabbo, the key figures in the Coalition for Peace. In view of the spiral of unparalleled and ruthless violence in recent weeks, it was certainly time for more specific language, and to point the finger of blame not only at the acts of Palestinian suicide terrorists, which we condemn, but also the provocation, destructive acts, extra judicial executions, excessive use of force and the isolationist measures used by the Sharon government in relation to the Palestinians.
During a recent trip to Ramallah, two members of my group, Mr Menéndez del Valle and Mr Sakellariou, were able to see for themselves the Palestinians' extremely precarious living conditions. However, what I would call the European U-turn does not mean specifically pillorying Israel's violations of international law and in particular of the Fourth Geneva Convention. It means rejecting the policy of security at all costs that Mr Sharon has adopted since his election, with the results that we know.
I would like to quote the sentence which I believe is key to finding a solution to the present situation: "it is essential to address the security, political and economic aspects as inseparable and interdependent elements of a single process". The political aspect on which the European Union should really forcefully insist is the withdrawal of the Israeli army of occupation to within its internationally recognised borders, that is to say the 1967 borders. Unfortunately, it is not Mr Arafat who holds the key to ending this nightmare, but Mr Sharon. If, however, against all expectations, and flying in the face of the advice of the entire international community, Mr Sharon's government persists in seeking a military solution to the conflict, then, Mr President-in-Office, the European Union should suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, as one of the essential conditions of that agreement is no longer being complied with. I also believe that the European Union should present Mr Sharon with the bill for investments financed by European taxpayers that have been deliberately destroyed by his army."@en1
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