Brussels, 10/08/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council "unreservedly" condemned the bomb attack in a commercial centre in Jerusalem on 9 August, and expressed its "strongest indignation at the cowardice of an act the main victims of which are innocent civilians". In a declaration, the Belgian Presidency recalls that the EU "rejects, as unjustifiable, all forms of violence". It then adds: "These serve no other purpose than to accentuate the worsening of an already very worrying situation in the Middle East and render inoperative efforts deployed by the international community in view of rekindling a peace process. The rationale of confrontation and violence of the parties needs immediately replacing by that of dialogue and negotiations. It is high time that the parties pulled themselves together, resolutely turn their eyes to the future and strive together to restore a climate of mutual trust, indispensable for breaking this circle of violence/retaliation. The Presidency recalls that the civilian population on both sides of the divide cannot indefinitely remain hostage to a conflict that has already lasted too long. At the end of ten months of violence, it is now obvious that only negotiations, with the necessary compromises, are capable of leading to a final settlement of the Palestinian issue and ensure stability and peace in the region. The Presidency calls on the parties to show utmost restraint".
The High Representative for Cfsp, Javier Solana, also condemned the suicide attack (which left at least eighteen dead) and called on the Palestinian Authority "to do everything possible to prevent such attacks and to work for effective security cooperation on the ground". Israelis and Palestinians "must not yield to pressure from the enemies of peace", he said.
As for Commission President Romano Prodi, he wrote to Israeli President Moshe Katsav expressing his condemnation of the attack which, "in the heart of Jerusalem, claimed so many innocent victims".