MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
3 October 2000
pursuant to Rule 37(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Cristiana Muscardini, Luís Queiró, Gerard Collins and Georges Berthu
on behalf of the UEN Group
on the Middle East peace process
B5‑0800/2000
European Parliament resolution on the Middle East peace process
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East peace process,
– having regard to the Oslo Accords of 1993, the Wye Plantation agreements of 1998 and the Sharm-el-Sheikh agreements of 1999,
– having regard to the statements by the Berlin European Council of 25 March 1999 and the General Affairs Council of 13 September 1999 and the conclusions of the Helsinki European Council of 10 and 11 December 1999 and the Santa Maria de Feira European Council of 19 and 20 June 2000,
– having regard to the United Nations Security Council's resolutions 242, 338 and 425,
A. having regard to the recent episodes of violence in Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and other territories in Israel, which caused the deaths of several people - especially civilians - and were thus the worst for years,
B. whereas the violence of those who do not want peace to be established in the Middle East by means of solutions respecting the legitimate requirements of each nation and religion has so far been stronger than the desire for peace of the political leaders, and the involvement of international terrorism and political and economic interests opposed to peace is becoming increasingly obvious,
C. whereas the international community is in favour of an immediate ceasefire and is demanding the total cessation of any form of violence directed against the Palestinian and Israeli civilian population,
D. having regard to the numerous statements made by the Israeli Prime Minister, Mr Barak, and the PLO President, Mr Arafat, on the continuation of a dialogue aimed at reaching a solution which should under no circumstances be unilateral, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity ratified at Oslo in 1993,
1. Calls for an immediate and effective ceasefire, and for the condemnation of all those who have manoeuvred in order to stop the peace process and the resumption of negotiations;
2. Condemns any form of religious fundamentalism preventing a peaceful solution being found for Jerusalem and therefore involving the whole region in a spiral of violence which is causing the deaths of Israeli and Palestinian children and civilians;
3. Calls on the Israeli Prime Minister and the President of the PLO to prevail upon their administrative and judicial authorities to find the causes of and those responsible for the incidents and to find solutions, and proposes that the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, should be present during the mediation by the American Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright;
4. Reaffirms the European Parliament's support for the states in their desire to establish areas of peace and security and stresses that these areas are of fundamental importance for all the regions concerned;
5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments of the Member States, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.