Strasbourg, 06/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - "I can only speak to you of willful optimism but not of genuine progress in efforts at putting an end to violence between Israelis and Palestinians", the EU's High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana, told the European Parliament Thursday evening in its debate over the tragic events of the past few days in the Middle East., adding that he was all the more saddened by the degradation in the situation knowing that both parties had never been so close since the Camp David Summit. "Wednesday, throughout the day, we sought, with President Chirac at the forefront, and with Kofi Annan and Madeleine Albright, solutions that would enable peace to be restored in that part of th world, so cherished by all", said Solana. European Commissioner Gunter Verheugen hoped that the talks, which are continuing in Egypt, would bear fruit, and reaffirmed that the European Union would continue to provide both a political and economic contribution so that the people of the region may finally benefit from the "dividends of peace".
"I know from experience how hard it is for an army to win peace rather than vanquish in a war", said General Morillon (who led the peacekeeping force in Bosnia). "Indeed, instead of an army that triggers violence for the conquest of an objective, in this case what is need is an army capable of controlling violence", and that "is a special training we provide to the soldiers of our armies because we have the luck to be at peace", whereas, "this luck, the Israeli army just doesn't have", said Philippe Morillon, speaking on behalf of the EPP Group. He then asked Mr. Solana: "has not the time come for the European Union to take a courageous and intelligent initiative on the status of Jerusalem ?" Venice, Madrid, Oslo, Stockholm those are as many stages that, throughout the years, have demonstrated Europe's commitment to peace in the Middle East, said the President of the EP's Socialist Group, Enrique Baron, calling on Israel to exercise democratic control over its armed forces, and denouncing Mr. Sharon's "symbolic provocation". Other MEPs castigated the leader of the Israeli far-right, but also blamed Prime minister Barak for having approved the visit: that was the case of the Dutch Green MEP, Joost Lagendijk, who was a witness of the violence on the ground ("I saw people fire on ambulance drivers to prevent them helping the injured", he said) and Luisa Morgantini, Italian member of the United Left, for whom one could not equate the violence of the Israel army with the violence - not of Hamas -, she said, but of oppressed and weary people, people weary of their own leaders. Dominique Souchet (French member of the Union for a Europe of Nations) suggested taking up the idea launched in September before the European Parliament by the President of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and "make of an international unified Jerusalem, not only the capital of Israel and Palestine, but of the whole world". Mr. Souchet took advantage of the opportunity to say that, in a crisis like this, the EU could only "play a role in an intergovernmental framework", there where Javier Solana is placed. As for Charles de Gaulle, Front National member, he said: the latest events confirm that Israel has never really wanted peace with the Palestinians, and that it was in the government's "great advantage" to draw out the tension. According to him, the Palestinian State needs proclaiming without delay, and use "the oil weapon".
By adopting the resolution jointly tabled by five political groups (EPP/ED, PES, ELDR, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL), Parliament condemned Ariel Sharon's "provocative gesture" (159 in favour, 5 against and 7 abstentions), and "firmly deplores the disproportionate use of force on the pat of the Israeli army" (129 in favour, 17 against, 28 abstentions). The EP also calls for the setting up of a commission of enquiry and hopes that all the extremist components be isolated and irresponsible acts avoided, so as to prevent a definitive end to the peace process: according to the resolution, measures should be taken between Israelis and Palestinians to prevent further provocation and explosion of violence. As for the French Presidency of the EU Council, the Commission and the High Representative for Cfsp, they are urged to redouble their efforts at convincing the parties concerned to resume negotiations.