Brussels, 26/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday and Tuesday, the European Parliament delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, headed by Luisa Morgantini (United Left, Italy), met Ibrahim Abul-Naja, Vice President of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Ziad Abu-Amr, Chair of its Political Committee, and Rawya Shawa, a member of the committee, in Brussels. Two other Legislative Council members were not able to go to Brussels because of the obstacles created by Israel on their freedom of movement "in this second intifada", Ms Morgantini deplored before the press on Tuesday.
During this meeting, said Luisa Morgantini, special emphasis was placed on mutual recognition between "two peoples/two States", and on the end of the military occupation that has existed in the territories since 1967. She said this was an essential precondition for attaining lasting peace. MEPs also hoped that President Cox and other presidents of EU parliament would be able to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories together, as requested in a recent EP resolution, stressed Ms Morgantini. Furthermore, she said, "we have affirmed that the European Union must apply what it signs and ratifies, beginning with its association agreement" with Israel. She recalled that Article 2 of the agreement does not provide for the possibility of suspension in the event of human rights violations, and Israel is doing just that at the present time, and it is also violating the provisions on rules of origin. Regarding the Palestinian infrastructures financed with EU aid and destroyed by the Israeli army, Ms Morgantini noted that, during a meeting with European and Palestinian parliamentarians, on Tuesday, Commissioner Chris Patten had once again remarked that it was a question of infrastructures that had nothing to do with Israel's security. Also, Mr Patten had admitted it was difficult for the Commission to call for compensation since these infrastructures were the property of the Palestinian Authority, which should call on Israel for compensation for the damage caused, but it is a "prisoner of Sharon's policy".
Lousewies van der Laan, Dutch Liberal (Democracy 66), said in answer to questions that Chris Patten had told her he did "not want to ask for compensation". The European Commission requested during the last General Affairs Council that this option should remain open, she noted, and added that the EU should verify whether it can remain the temporary owner of a symbolic percentage of such infrastructure (even 1%), in order to have "a legal claim". The EUR 19.6 million in damage being spoken of is only the aid provided by the Union, but the total damage is far more considerable, she said. Furthermore, regarding the possible suspension of the EU/Israel Agreement, she criticised the attitude of some Member States - the United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands, to name a few - that, she said, "make a lot of problems", while there is an ever-growing number of parliamentarians who, on the contrary, have problems in continuing to do "business as usual" with Israel. Ms van dar Laan announced a seminar would be held during May on issues relating to a possible suspension of the agreement.
On the Palestinian side, Abul-Naja reproached Israel for wanting, through its destruction policy, to prevent a peaceful solution in the Middle East. Also, together with Ziad Abu-Amr, he affirmed that, by posing unacceptable conditions for the presence of President Arafat at the Arab League Summit in Beirut, Israel plans to torpedo the summit and the Saudi peace initiative. Ziad Abu-Amr called on the European Union to recognise the Palestinian State within pre-June 1967 borders and again condemned the policy carried out by Prime Minister Sharon, which prevents the Israeli Legislative Council from being held and from doing its "democratic work", he said. Rawya Shawa considered as "very fruitful" and "encouraging" the meeting with Commissioner Patten, and, with regard to the need for rebuilding of destroyed infrastructures, she commented that it is not a question of repairing damaged material, but of "rebuilding humanity".