Brussels, 13/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - “Prospects of a two state (Israeli and Palestinian) solution are rapidly becoming more remote with the continued expansion of Israeli settlements and restrictions on the movement of Palestinians imposed in zone C”, according to a report by the heads of mission of EU countries in Jerusalem and Ramallah (West Bank), AFP revealed on Thursday 12 January. The report adds that if the current trend is not stopped and reversed, establishment of a viable Palestinian state within the 1967 borders would seem further off than ever.
According to the interim agreement of September 1995 (known as Oslo II) between the PLO and Israel, the West Bank is divided into Area A, which is under Palestinian civil and security control, Area B, under Palestinian civil control and Israeli security control, and Area C, which is under Israeli civil and security control. The report (which dates from July 2011) examines Area C, which is sparsely populated but covers 62% of the West bank. Israel wants to retain military control of this valley bordering on Jordan. An Israeli government figure, interviewed by AFP, criticised the EU for “preparing secret reports without asking us for information or a reaction, and using only information provided by the Palestinians”.
The spokesman for EU High Representative Catherine Ashton described the report as “an internal, factual report of the situation on the ground” which is intended to “serve as a source of information for the European Union and as an input to its policy-making process”. “As such, it should assist the EU in determining how best to achieve the objective of a two-state solution to the Middle East peace process”, he went on to say. He noted, too, that the EU already supports private sector, environment and agriculture projects promoting economic development and improving the quality of life of Palestinian communities in Area C. (LC/transl.rt)