Press Release, 25.01.05

Situation in the Middle East
PE 354.155
European Parliament resolution on the situation in the Middle East
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in the Middle East and in particular that of the 23 October 2003 [1],
– having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 242, 338, 425, 1373 and 1397,
– having regard to the results of the Palestinian presidential election,
– having regard to the statement of the European Union Election Observation Mission and the statement of the EP observers' delegation,
– having regard to the Quartet's 'Roadmap for Peace' of 30 April 2003,
– having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas the Palestinian presidential election proceeded in a satisfactory manner despite the difficult circumstances due to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Territories; and whereas it represents a crucial opportunity to renew the peace process and could serve as an example for other elections in the region,
B. concerned by the impact of the occupation on the elections in terms of restrictions on freedom of movement of both candidates and voters, by the harassment and short-term arrests of some candidates when trying to reach their potential voters in East Jerusalem and by the serious restrictions imposed on Jerusalem residents exercising their right to vote,
C. whereas the recent terrorist attacks, intended to sabotage the negotiation efforts, have occurred precisely at a time when there is real hope of relaunching the political process; concerned about the consequences of these attacks and retaliation in terms of victims on both sides as well as further restrictions imposed on Palestinians,
1. Welcomes the success of the first presidential election since 1996 and notably the turnout of voters; pays tribute to the Palestinian people and authorities for the commitment to democracy that they demonstrated despite the occupation, especially that of Palestinian women, who helped secure the electoral operations and participated strongly in the vote;
2. Considers that the new President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the other candidates conducted the campaign in a responsible manner under the circumstances, respecting international standards;
3. Urges Israel, in view of the coming Palestinian legislative elections, to fully respect the internationally recognised right of all East Jerusalem residents to vote and to facilitate the process in a such way that the obstacles observed in the presidential elections are lifted by the time of the legislative elections;
4. Welcomes the effectiveness of the EU observation mission and calls on the Council and the Commission to prepare another mission for the legislative elections of July 2005 with the aim of supporting pluralism and balanced access to the media for all the candidates and finding ways, in cooperation with the Israeli authorities, to overcome the difficulties faced by the Palestinians living in East Jerusalem;
5. Notes with concern the resignation of a significant number of members of the Palestinian Central Electoral Commission in protest at the political pressure exerted on election day for the extension of voting time;
6. Invites the new Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority to recognise the window of opportunity offered by the results of the elections and to relaunch negotiations; calls on the EU to take an urgent initiative, in the framework of the Quartet, and especially vis-?-vis the USA, in accordance with their complementary roles in the peace process, in order to open a new phase of strong mutual cooperation by jointly relaunching their efforts to bring peace to the region;
7. Calls on the Council, the High Representative for the CFSP and the Commission to fully play their role in the process, to continue assistance to the Palestinian Authority and people and to develop dialogue with Israel, in the framework of the Barcelona Process and the European Neighbourhood Policy, in accordance with the Action Plans already adopted by the Council;
8. Strongly encourages President Abbas to act upon his willingness to end violence and welcomes the measures taken by President Abbas, as well as his willingness to reform and to reinforce control over the Palestinian security corps and to fully engage in dialogue with all concerned parties; believes that full political support by the USA and the EU, and active cooperation from the Israelis, are essential in order to achieve these goals;
9. Calls on the Palestinian Authority to recognise the Palestinian people's commitment to democracy and to promote the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary, better separation of powers between the legislative and executive arms of government, good governance, including transparent accounting, and the fight against corruption;
10. Declares once again, at this particular time, that the solution to the Middle East conflict is only possible through the negotiation of a firm and final peace agreement as set out in the Roadmap, which is still valid, without prior conditions, based on the existence of two democratic, sovereign and viable states, living peacefully side by side within secure and recognised borders;
11. Believes that a lasting peace can only be sustained with a genuine bottom-up approach involving the civil societies of both sides striving for dialogue; calls, in this regard, on the Quartet to make full use of the Geneva Accord as a complement to the Road Map and to facilitate the continuation of the negotiations between these civil societies within this framework;
12. Condemns all terrorist attacks and any acts of violence from both sides; demands that the armed Palestinian groups refrain from any attacks and reminds them that any form of terror and violence not only causes loss of innocent lives but is also detrimental to the peace process and to the conditions of the civilian population; asks the Israeli Government to refrain from retaliation and put an end to extrajudicial killings;
13. Calls on the Israeli Government, as a credible first step in the implementation of the Roadmap and the resolutions of the UN Security Council on the path to a lasting peace, to implement the withdrawal from Gaza and other parts of the Occupied Territories, by involving and negotiating with Egypt, the first neighbour to approve this project, as well as the Palestinian authorities under the verification of an international observer mission; calls on the Council to find ways to provide the necessary assistance;
14. Reiterates its call to the Israeli Government to stop the expansion of settlements, notably in the Jerusalem area, to halt the construction of the wall, and to comply fully with the Fourth Geneva Convention, and thus end the violation of international law;
15. Confirms the EU's support for the peace process and puts forward a proposal for an an economic development plan which should be monitored by the Union, in order to give the region a solid basis for prosperity and stability;
16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian Legislative Council, the Israeli Government and Knesset, the US Government, the Government of Russian Federation and the UN Secretary-General.
 
[1] OJ C 82 E, 1.4.2004, p. 610.