Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-04-24-Speech-3-063"
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"en.20020424.3.3-063"2
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"Mr President, I am a friend of Israel and I am proud to be so. I am also a candid friend of Israel. Those are two words: 'candid' and 'friend'; so let me be a candid friend to Israel first of all. Yes, Israel must accept that there has to be a Palestinian state in secure borders. Yes, Israel must withdraw from the territories which it has occupied these past few weeks. Yes, Israel must allow the investigation of what happened in Jenin to take place, provided that investigation is fair and balanced and takes a view which is objective to all sides. Yes, I say to the State of Israel that I am not entirely convinced that the action which it has taken these past few weeks will succeed in the object which it sets itself, because I fear it may have created more people who want to engage in suicide missions. So there I am, the candid friend to the State of Israel.
But as a friend of Israel, I am also entitled in this Parliament to speak up for it. I say to this House that it has to understand that what Israel has suffered these past months, the murder of 418 innocent men, women and children, is almost too much for any democratic state to have to bear. What is Israel expected to do about that almost daily assault on its innocent citizens? What is Israel expected to do when it is surrounded by countries who do not even, to this day, accept its right to exist?
I support the Saudi peace plan, but it is a shocking comment that it has taken nearly 53 years for some Arab states to come forward with a plan which actually recognises the State of Israel. Israel, too, must face a situation with Yasser Arafat, where he not only does nothing to prevent the terrorist actions taking place, but there is the strongest possible evidence that he is actually complicit in what has happened. That is unacceptable in a partner with whom any state, any government is expected to negotiate.
I say to this Parliament that after the events of September 11, we took a view in the civilised world that terrorism was indivisible. Yes, people had rights, but terrorism was unacceptable, there was no such thing as a good terrorist. We must keep that proposal solid, because if we fail, if we say terrorism is OK if it is in the Middle East, but not if it is in the United States or Europe, then we are making a mistake for which we will suffer.
The way towards peace and the way for Europe to contribute towards peace is to use its influence in the area, particularly on the Palestinians, and to say to them, yes, there should be a Palestinian state, yes, there should be a State of Israel, but both must have security throughout the years to come."@en1
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