Brussels, 18/07/2011 (Agence Europe) - European Union foreign ministers expressed regret on Monday 18 July at the impasse in Middle East peace talks, and urged Israel and the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. The EU is concerned that likely Palestinian moves to seek recognition for an independent state at the United Nations in September could, if blocked, spark a new uprising in the occupied territories.
“The EU continues to believe that urgent progress is needed towards a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, the ministers said in a statement. “The EU reiterates its concern at the continuing stalemate in the peace process and calls on the parties to show the highest sense of responsibility and to resume direct and substantive talks”.
EU nations are divided over whether to recognise an independent Palestinian state, but acknowledge the necessity for peace talks, which have been blocked for almost a year, to resume. With tensions rising among the parties to the conflict, and the United States in election mode, ministers believe that the EU is now the only party really able to push the two sides back to talks. “We now have the duty, for the European Union to retain its unity, so that we can remain perhaps the only constructive actor left when it comes to moving the peace process forward”, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told reporters. He said that any unilateral Palestinian move to have a state recognised would be almost certain to fail, given that Israel and its staunch ally the United States are opposed. “We know unfortunately that is not going to happen, because it is in all probably going to be vetoed by the United States, so we have to look at the alternatives that are there”, he said. A meeting of the Middle East diplomatic Quartet in New York last week failed to find agreement on how to publicly encourage the parties back to the table. It remains unclear exactly what action the Palestinians will take at the United Nations when its General Assembly convenes in mid-September. Any demand for UN membership would first have to be accepted by the Security Council, where the United States has a veto. (LoC)