Brussels, 13/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 13 July in Brussels the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, reiterated the “political and financial support” from the European Union to the Palestinian Authority and the efforts it is making in view of building a basis for constructing a, “democratic, sovereign and viable Palestinian state”. At the end of a meeting in Brussels with the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, Barroso informed the press that ensuring that the Palestinians have the institutional, democratic, administrative and legal capacities for building a Palestinian state is a crucial element in the political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Barroso stated that the EU had already made an intervention to assist the Palestinian Authority in paying the wages of its civil servants and to support social and economic development programmes “but we are prepared to do more”. The president of the Commission also announced additional assistance of €20 million and affirmed that “we will examine the possibility of granting additional aid of €40 million”.
Gaza blockade. Barroso also criticised the fact that “despite the encouraging declarations made by the Israeli government” at the end of June and despite the adoption of the “negative list” of products banned from entering Gaza, “the situation in Gaza remains fundamentally unchanged” with regard to the population living there. The blockade had certainly been made less stringent to allow more humanitarian aid materials into Gaza but this aid would not help to revitalise the local economy, insisted Barroso. He pointed out that the EU remains prepared to help Israel open up more land crossings to enable the flow of goods and people, while taking into account “Israel's security interests”.
East Jerusalem. Barroso again condemned Israel's settlement activities in East Jerusalem. He explained that the EU is “deeply concerned” by these measures and the demolition of houses in East Jerusalem and insisted that “settlements and the demolition of houses are illegal, they are against international law, and they constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two state solution impossible”. Fayyad also requested that the Israeli army put a halt to its regular incursions into zones under Palestinian control. (H.B./transl.fl)