Brussels, 19/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - Deeply worried about the situation in the Middle East, EU foreign ministers at their Council of Ministers' meeting on Monday 19 November 2012 urged Israel and the Gaza Strip to urgently de-escalate and cease hostilities. In a conclusions document, the ministers said all attacks must immediately cease because they are causing unjustifiable suffering among innocent civilians. The ministers explain that immediate ending of the hostilities is in everyone's interests, particularly at a time of instability across the region.
The Council of Ministers firmly condemned the firing of rockets on Israel from the Gaza Strip and called for them to end immediately as there cannot be any justification for deliberate targeting of innocent civilians. Pointing out that Israel has the right to defend itself, the EU added, however, that Israel must act proportionately and ensure the protection of civilians in all circumstances. The ministers say all sides must fully respect international humanitarian law.
The European ministers highlighted their backing of the attempts at mediation by Egypt for a rapid ceasefire and praised the mission of the United Nations' secretary general in the region. The ministers say that the current situation highlights the urgent need to move towards a two-state solution. Ahead of the meeting, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said a peace process worthy of the name had to be introduced, saying that, if people simply stop and count the dead bodies but then continue on as if nothing had happened, then that meant they were preparing to fight again in the future.
The Council of Ministers set out its position on Gaza (explained in its conclusions document of 14 May 2012, see EUROPE 10614), in which it called for the immediate opening of sustainable and unconditional passage so humanitarian aid can be got into the Gaza Strip and goods and people can come in and out.
The conclusions document makes no mention of the demand for recognition of Palestine by the United Nations, which Abbas will be presenting later this month, but the ministers call for a united EU position and for the request for recognition to be postponed. Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis called for a common position, pointing out that the EU has to have a united line on such an important issue. Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi also called for a common EU position which, he said, would allow the EU to play a key role, as it should, in moving the peace process forwards and getting dialogue up and running again, but he said that this was not the right time to make the demand for recognition because the problem is not about the basics but about what is happening in Gaza. On Sunday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague also said the time was not right and it would be a mistake for the Palestinians to try that right now because it would cause so much division among people helping to get a peace process off the ground. (CG/transl.fl)