Strasbourg, 28/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - “Let me ask you now, from this great city which has brought together former foes (…). Is it not time for Israel to take stock of the limits of military power and work for an overall, fair and lasting peace in the Middle East?” asked Fouad Siniora, the Lebanese Prime Minister, on Wednesday evening when speaking to MEPs meeting in Strasbourg for an exceptional session of the Conference of Presidents of political groups open to all parliamentarians. Military solutions “are not real solutions”, as recent events in Iraq and Lebanon have demonstrated, the prime minister said, adding that a solution in the Middle East would only be possible if Israel recognised Palestinians' right to an independent State, if it accepted the right of return of refugees and if it withdrew from “Lebanon, Gaza, Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Syrian Golan Heights”. He stressed that what is necessary is for the Security Council Resolutions 242, 338 and 425 to be respected. (Answering this, Hans-Pöttering specified that all UN resolutions must be respected, including that on Hezbollah disarmament). The lesson that has been learnt over recent months, said Siniora, is: “Let's join forces. Let's join forces and seize the opportunity to finally move forward towards a lasting peace in the Middle East”. Europe can “play a unique role in this volatile and strategic part of the world”, Siniora said, stressing: “the time has come for concrete steps to be taken” and Lebanon is resolved to “build a State where tolerance, justice and the rule of law are triumphant”. “Historic decisions require historic leaders: who will rise to the occasion”, he said. President Borrell had welcomed Fouad Siniora pointing out that, from this summer on, the European Parliament had been the first to call for an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon and for an international force to be sent there. He said he hoped Europe would do something other than write out blank cheques and rebuild infrastructures that will then be destroyed. Siniora described in his speech the effects of Israel's “latest invasion of our country” on 12 July this year: 1,100 civilians killed, the destruction of infrastructures, blockades, and an ecological disaster in the Mediterranean. Israel has not yet completed its withdrawal in line with Security Council Resolution 1701, Siniora protested, going on to explain that, just a few months ago, Lebanon was “full of hope and promise” but that now it has become “a place of destruction, desolation and death”. Given that this war costs billions of dollars, a conference of international donors will meet in coming months with a view to discussing long term reconstruction in Lebanon, he announced.
MEPs call on EU to be active in seeking a solution involving all parties
All MEPs who took the floor assured Lebanon of their support in this new and difficult moment of its history. Hans-Gert Pöttering, leader of the EPP-ED Group, said they supported a sovereign Lebanon that is free of outside influence. He went on to say that they are concerned at seeking in Lebanon “something like a State within a State”. Hezbollah's existence alongside the legitimate Lebanese army, he said, is “unacceptable”. The CDU elected member said it was out of the question to ever consider that Israel does not have the right to exist. He urged, moreover, for the Fatah and Hamas to work together for the good of their people, that no-one should have to sacrifice what is best, “their children”, in terrorist attacks. Martin Schulz, President of the Socialist Group, said that Lebanon could be a “model of tolerance”, the model of an integrated society, but that this demands an effort on everyone's part, as was done at the time of the USSR with the CSCE (Ed.: Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe) which had resulted in the Helsinki Final Act in 1975 then the creation of the OSCE which now has 56 members). At the time, he recalled, they had sought to involve everyone and set up “confidence building measures”. Now, “a great power” has tried to be “active in your region … on the basis of unilateralism” but the result of such engagement has been a “spectacular failure”, the German Social Democrat said, stressing: the strengthened UNIFIL is headed by countries such as Italy, Spain, France and Germany that are seeking to integrate all those concerned. Graham Watson, President of the ALDE Group, also said that Israel has the right to existence. He said it is “regularly attacked” and has been “threatened with obliteration by a head of government”, and the Hezbollah states that it will not disarm until Israel withdraws completely. The British Liberal Democrat told the Lebanese Prime Minister “we want to see you work with us and with Israel”. He also spoke of the possibility of a Conference on Security and Cooperation in the Middle East, the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean Development Fund, and universities “perhaps overseen” by the EuroMed Parliamentary Assembly. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group, told Siniora he was right to say that people who are up to the task are needed, mentioning the role played by men such as Sadate or Rabin.
He went on to say: We need politicians who are up to the task…Therefore, say, as a great politician, that you recognise Israel”. The German Green said that “your speech was a little unilateral” because not all of the evils in the region come from Israel. He added, “I can remember the massacres of Sabra and Chatila, the civil war which was not due to Israel, Hariri's assassination was down to the Syrian secret forces, not Israel”. Fouad Siniora replied, explaining that the problem is that for decades, most of the attempts to tackle the problems in the region focused on “the symptoms rather than on the causes” and “this is why the problems stayed”. He said that it was Israel that, by not withdrawing completely from Lebanon and remaining in the Sheeba region farms, where the seed was sown, that Hezbollah was created, explained Mr Siniora, who also regretted that Israel had not responded to the Arab League's Peace Initiative of 2002. Francis Wurtz, the president of the GUE/NGL (who was the first to welcome him to Strasbourg), said to Mr Siniora that “We appreciate you as a statesman who is seeking to bring all the Lebanese people together”. He cited a seven point plan, presented on 27 July by Mr Siniora and welcomed the “wisdom and courage …that the question of Hezbollah's weapons, as much as that of controlling the border with Syria, was the sole responsibility of the Lebanese people”. According to the French Communist, Europe can help Lebanon by “abandoning as rapidly and clearly as possible the strategy of G.W. Bush which from the 'war against terrorism' to the 'birth pangs of the greater Middle East' is leading the world from one fiasco to another and maybe one day to a war of civilisations”. He also asked “Why doesn't the European Union take the lead in seeking to create the conditions” for an international conference for finding peace in the region “including in cooperation with the Arab League?” According to Wurtz, “the framework is already in place: all the pertinent UN resolutions”. Gianni De Michelis (Non-attached), former Italian foreign affairs minister, warned that if there was not very soon a political initiative, the truce and Finul will not be enough. The Partito Socialista Nuovo PSI MEP said that “we need to go beyond the UN resolutions and the logic of the Quartet. Helsinki? Of course, but we needsoemone who is able to take risks and discuss the details. Who could do it more so than the EU?” Cristiana Muscardini, co-president of the UEN group said that Mr Siniora had left out a lot of things. She warned that if they wanted peace they needed to avoid unilateralism “rights for you, responsibilities for others”. She said that they had believed in a Palestinian state but that it could not be created by launching rockets against Israel from civilian houses, explained the Alleanza nazionale MEP. Addressing the Lebanese prime minister who had affirmed that terrorism was born in part from misery and injustice. Muscardini replied that that in that case they needed to address Heads of government who had got rich instead of ensuring the wellbeing of their people.
Siniora: Europe should try and influence the USA
In a press conference, Fouad Siniora drew lessons from the war in the Lebanon: “Israel, with its attack, did not achieve its objective of eliminating Hezbollah”. He believed that an overall solution would only be possible with” the implementation of the Security Council's resolutions: 242 of 1967 and 338 from 1973”. Mr Siniora again highlighted the need to end the Israeli “occupation” and described the occupation as the “mother of all evils”. Josep Borrell recognised that the “occupation is part of the problem”. The president of the European Parliament also asked, “perhaps the liberation of this territory will lead to recognition” of Israel.
Without hiding the role played by the US, Mr Siniora said that there were “interests” in Europe and “reciprocal advantages” in finding a negotiated settlement. He asserted that “if we pool our efforts, we well be able to obtain something”. He displayed optimism about the multinational force in the Lebanon “whose bone structure is European” and the results from the Stockholm Conference (EUROPE 9255). Mr Siniora called on Europe to make some “genuine efforts to influence the USA”.
Mr Siniora said that “for the first time in 35 years” the Lebanese army is present in the south of the country. He also affirmed that “8700 men are deployed on the northern and eastern border with Syria”. He averred that “things are on the right track” because the Lebanese army controls the south of the country and its mandate is to confiscate any arms that are found. Asked about disarming Hezbollah following the recent demonstration of force of this militia, despite Resolution 1559 of the United Nations, Mr Siniora simply pointed out that “former Taef agreement” of 1989 is aimed at putting an end to civil war in Lebanon and that it already stipulated that “all militias (should) be disarmed”. He did not answer the question from a journalist who asked him how long the Lebanese government would tolerate Hezbollah flouting its authority.
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