Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-06-Speech-3-148"
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"en.20060906.21.3-148"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to thank the President-in-Office and Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner for what they have said. There lies, I believe, in the crisis and in the attempt at a solution – which they have described and which must now be organised – an historic opportunity for Europeans and for the Member States of the European Union, and not for them alone – as Mr Tuomioja is right to point out – for others, notably Islamic states – must also make their own contribution, but the opportunity for the Europeans who are involved is a unique one.
One thing I do think is important is that the prisoners should be released, and that must happen now. It is now that the parties to the conflict must keep their word, for what is needed is the sort of action that builds trust, and that is not an empty concept. Right now, in the situation we are in, that sort of action is indispensable – small steps, understandable steps, steps towards trust, and they include the release of prisoners and the involvement of all the forces in the region. All the states – not least, and including, Syria – need to brought in.
I would not wish to deny that there has, here in this House – and, indeed within our group – been much disappointment about the things that have been said over recent weeks in Syria and elsewhere. The thing is that Syria is needed if the problem is to be resolved. If Syria is willing to engage in constructive dialogue with us, then I call upon them to indicate their goodwill by resuming the dialogue that has already tentatively begun, and to make it possible for us to address, albeit perhaps in small ways, with matters such as border issues, and to demonstrate to us their readiness to return to the negotiating table.
Let me point out, with reference to this, that, even when the Cold War was at its height, the two sides, with all their differences, were still able to talk to each other through the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, which we had set up. Why should we not resurrect the idea of a Conference on Security and Cooperation in this region, one that would bring all the parties to the table, not only the countries of the road map – by which I mean us Europeans, the United Nations, Russia, and the United States – but also the states in the region, the Arab League, and Syria as well? This is something it would certainly be worth thinking about.
I do agree with Mr Poettering when he says that nothing in the world can justify targeted terrorist acts. Such terrorism, such blind destructive rage, is no more and no less than the outward face of a contempt for humanity that is always destructive in its effects. Nothing can justify any kind of terrorism, and that is why it is our common task to fight against it.
I would put it in yet another way: there is not only a unique opportunity, but also a unique obligation, to do something practical, now, to bring about peaceful solutions, for it has to be said – and it has to be said here – that the USA’s solutions for the region have failed utterly, and that their failure is one of the causes of the present crisis. That is why we Europeans are under an obligation to make the attempt now to help bring about a solution.
Our contribution cannot be merely military but it must have a military dimension to it, among the various others that are necessary in the region. What is needed is an overall concept, including military action on the basis of international law, humanitarian action and diplomatic activity, which does not overlook the core issue of conflict in the region, that being the need to resolve the Palestinian conflict, which is the cause of instability across the region.
Let me now set out some of the things that we Socialists regard as fundamental and necessary in terms of this overall concept. This is indeed, above all else, about Israel's right to exist. We European Social Democrats are in no doubt about the fact that the existence of Israel is at the heart of our policy, and we oppose all those who jeopardise it.
In the present situation, though, we also have to support Lebanon, which, once its civil war was over, was on the right road towards becoming a stable, secular democracy. Since that has, to a great extent, been brought to nothing, let us help the Lebanese people to get back to where they were before the military conflict, when the whole region had so many reasons for hope.
We also have to build up Palestine, and the primary objective here must be the provision of humanitarian aid in what is a tragic situation. What I can say, on behalf of us Social Democrats, is that dialogue with all the forces in Palestine can no longer be evaded; it is necessary and indispensable.
We must promote and build up the structures of civil society, for it is with them, and with all the forces that favour dialogue – particularly dialogue between cultures and religions – that we must be partners.
What is needed in the region – as previous speakers, including Mr Poettering, have indicated – is not the questioning of one another’s right to exist, but respect: respect for other values, values that may be religious in origin, but are nonetheless constructive and respectful of human dignity, respect on the basis of what we stand for, of our Western values. We should not make Islam into some sort of hate figure; Islam is a religion professed by almost a billion people around the world, and we must not allow them to be seen in the same light as a bunch of crazed terrorists. That would be a fatal error. That is why dialogue between cultures is so important."@en1
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