Brussels, 18/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - Whatever parties make up the new Israeli coalition government, it will have to clearly pledge to pursue the peace process with the Palestinians in order to set up a Palestinian state in peaceful co-existence with Israel, said EU High Representative for ESDP Javier Solana on Wednesday 18 February 2009, addressing a mini-plenary of the European Parliament in Brussels. Irrespective of whether it is Benjamin Netanyahou (Likud) or Tzipi Livni (Kadima) who rules the coalition, it will have to totally change Israel's policy of colonising Palestinian territories, failing which it will be very difficult to make progress in the peace talks, added Solana in a debate with the MEPs about the EU's role in the Middle East.
The High Representative also called on the various Palestinian factions (including Fatah and Hamas) to make peace and join the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in signing an agreement among the Palestinian factions. Solana said that he personally believed the EU should support a Palestinian government of national unity including Hamas as long as the government agreed to the two state solution, backs the reconstruction of Gaza and holds elections this year. He also called for the EU to change its political strategy in the Middle East as a whole. “The time has come to focus decisively on conflict resolution rather than conflict prevention,” he argued, saying that this was the only way to end the violence and destruction in the region, which was itself a vital condition for the renewal of political negotiations. On the “heart-breaking humanitarian situation in Gaza,” Solana urged Israel to open up all the control posts to let humanitarian aid enter Gaza freely, along with all the other supplies needed to rebuild the area. He said the EU was prepared to send observers to Rafah and any other border crossing where their presence might be needed. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner also called for the fast and full opening of Gaza crossing points, adding that she expected the new Israeli government to make a “sustained commitment” to a “two state solution”.
After a short debate on Wednesday afternoon, the EP adopted a resolution on the EU's role in the Middle East, which we will be returning to. (H.B. trans fl)