Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-03-10-Speech-1-045"
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"en.20080310.15.1-045"2
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"It is the prime duty of any state to guarantee the safety of its people, and that is entirely consistent with international law. It explains and gives legitimacy to Israel's response to the increasing number of missiles raining down on it from the Gaza Strip. This Palestinian rocket fire has been going on, moreover, since 2001. And it increased enormously after the Israelis withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Since then the number of Palestinian rocket attacks on the Jewish state has risen by a good 500%.
Prior to 2006 it was rare for there to be more than 50 rocket attacks on Israeli territory each month. By early 2008 the number was 50 a day! It means that more than 250 000 Israeli citizens are now exposed daily to Palestinian rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The accusation that Israel is using disproportionate force in response to this deadly threat conveniently overlooks the brutal tactic used by Hamas and other Palestinian terror organisations of launching their rocket attacks from bases in residential areas.
At the end of February the Dutch media reported on this at length under the telling headline – the words of a Palestinian from the Gaza Strip – 'Please, no rockets on Israel from here'. And it should be said that Israel follows strict legal standards in its military procedures. An example, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, which the Arab world would do well to emulate. In the meantime Hamas, the leading power factor in Gaza, is able, as a member of the 'axis of destabilisation' in the region, to count on substantial support from Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. An unnamed Hamas commander made this abundantly clear only yesterday to the
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If Iran can smuggle its Fajr rockets into Gaza, Hamas may even be in a position to threaten Tel Aviv. Do the European institutions share this Israeli concern and if so, what is Europe's strategy vis-à-vis this axis of destabilisation? That is the issue, if there is to be stability in the Middle East and any prospect of peace."@en1
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