Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-06-18-Speech-3-068"
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"en.20030618.6.3-068"2
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"Mr President, Mr Solana, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, how many peace plans has the Middle East already witnessed? How many were not worth the paper they were written on? It is futile to answer this question. It is only now that conditions are in place which, despite everything, do have a prospect of success. This is undoubtedly due to the European Union's efforts and the Roadmap which it produced together with its Quartet partners, the USA, Russia and the United Nations. Of course, there have been plans before, including the Mitchell plan. A Roadmap and a good timetable certainly do not guarantee that we will actually get to where we want to be. There have to be the right actors on both sides, and of course there also has to be pressure from the United States on Israel. While the European Union is important because it also has credibility among the Palestinians – too much, sometimes, for the Israelis – I do feel optimistic, after the meeting between Abu Mazen, Mr Sharon and President Bush, that the new peace initiative can be kept separate from the deadly cycle of violence and reprisals. This is partly to do with the overall political environment in the Middle East. With the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime – whatever you may think of the US intervention – one obstacle has fallen away; the system has been removed, cutting the ground from under the radical Palestinian movements and those who are in favour of extremism.
Iran too, which has always provided the backing for Hizbollah, should play a constructive role here and think about whether it wants to continue supporting this organisation as it has done until now. There is currently an opportunity to isolate the radical forces and give the moderates a chance. This approach can only work if the European Union and the United States complement each other and do not pursue different strategies.
While the situation in Iraq is tragic and unsatisfactory, there is also a possibility, for the first time, that Syria and therefore perhaps Lebanon as well will join a peace process with Israel. However, that means that Israel must make sacrifices too. Prime Minister Sharon must not bow to pressure from radical settlers and movements, as this would ensure that Israel could only develop within its biblical borders. The EU must encourage and back him in this as well. Most of the Israeli population is willing to make some sacrifices in order to live in peace and security. However, this also means, of course, that the Palestinian side must abandon its strident demand for refugee return on a one-to-one basis, which would spell the end for the State of Israel.
Should the European Union be involved with its own peacekeeping troops? This option requires serious thought. I myself find it difficult to foresee any real benefit, firstly because Israel has never entrusted any military force but its own with its security, and secondly because the force could become the target for suicide attacks without being able to prevent them.
Ultimately, everything stands or falls by President Bush's determination to help the Palestinians live in their own state. He must show this determination even in an election year. The only way to prevent the Roadmap from trickling into the desert sands is for the European Union and the USA to work together and adopt a unified approach. If they appear to be competitors in the Middle East, this will create a window of opportunity for fresh extremism."@en1
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