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Wednesday, 3 December 2008 - Brussels OJ edition

Israel’s participation in Community programmes - Israel’s participation in Community programmes (debate)
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  Ioannis Kasoulides (PPE-DE). - Mr President, if the debate today had had as its subject the situation in the Gaza Strip, I might have joined Mrs De Keyser and all the other colleagues across the floor in claiming the same positions. But I am afraid that this political linkage with the upgrading of the participation of one of the ENP countries, and particularly the countries in the Mediterranean, has created a precedent and I do not know where it will lead. We have not listed political conditionality among bilateral relations issues within the ENP policies. In the case of Morocco, for instance, we have never mentioned the Western Sahara or human rights. The same applies in the case of Egypt or any country in the Mediterranean. I cannot understand why this time we have chosen this political link.

Secondly, it is my view that the more you engage in dialogue, cooperation and trust – as Mr Jouyet has said – with any of the countries' partners, the more influence you have on them. We have shut a door today and I do not know how we are going to open it.

Thirdly, I am sure that in our proceedings today, we have set a condition. We have said that it is just a deferral and we are going to come back to it. How are we going to come back to it? When will the situation in the Gaza Strip be so satisfactory that we will decide to come back to it? As Mrs Napoletano has said on the issue of the settlements, as with so many other issues on which we want to have a positive influence on Israel, when are we going to feel politically satisfied enough to bring back this fine resolution prepared in the Committee on Foreign Affairs?

 
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