MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on achieving the two-state solution in the Middle East
15.5.2017 - (2016/2998(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 123(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Victor Boştinaru, Elena Valenciano, Maria Arena, Brando Benifei, Knut Fleckenstein, Eugen Freund, Neena Gill, Ana Gomes, Javi López, Pier Antonio Panzeri, Gilles Pargneaux, Soraya Post, Edouard Martin on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0345/2017
B8‑0346/2017
European Parliament resolution on achieving the two-state solution in the Middle East
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East peace process,
– having regard to the Council’s conclusions on the Middle East peace process, in particular those of 10 December 2012, 16 December 2013, 12 May 2014, 18 January 2016, and 20 June 2016,
– having regard to the relevant UN General Assembly and UN Security Council resolutions, in particular UN General Assembly resolution 67/19 of 29 November 2012 and UN Security Council resolutions 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, and 2334 (2016) of 23 December 2016,
– having regard to the Middle East Quartet report of 1 July 2016,
– having regard to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949,
– having regard to Rule 123(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas achieving peace in the Middle East remains a key priority for the international community and an indispensable element for regional and global stability and security;
B. whereas the European Parliament has repeatedly expressed its strong support for the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;
C. whereas the Middle East Quartet report of July 2016 identified as trends severely undermining hopes for peace: the continuing violence, terrorist attacks against civilians, and incitement to violence; the continuing policy of settlement construction and expansion, designation of land for exclusive Israeli use, and denial of Palestinian development; the illicit arms build-up and militant activity; the continuing absence of Palestinian unity; and the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza;
D. whereas the UN Security Council, in its resolution 2334 (2016), reaffirmed that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity and constituted a flagrant violation of international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-state solution; reiterated its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities, and called upon all states to distinguish in their relevant dealings between the territory of the state of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967; whereas UN General Assembly resolution 67/19 accorded to Palestine non-member observer state status in the United Nations;
E. whereas the Foreign Affairs Council has repeatedly expressed its commitment to ensure that all agreements between the European Union and Israel must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, and also that the European Union will provide an unprecedented package of political, economic and security support to both parties in the context of a final status agreement;
F. whereas the Commission published in 2013 guidelines on the eligibility of Israeli entities and their activities in the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967 for grants, prizes and financial instruments funded by the EU from 2014 onwards[1], and in 2015 an Interpretative Notice on indication of origin of goods from the territories occupied by Israel since June 1967[2]; whereas among Israeli settlers living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, there are dual citizens of European Union Member States;
G. whereas the so-called Regulation Law adopted by the Knesset on 6 February 2017 retroactively legalised some 4 000 settler housing units built on private Palestinian land in the West Bank;
1. Reiterates its strong support for the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – with the state of Israel, within secure and recognised borders, and a sovereign, contiguous and viable state of Palestine living side by side in peace and security and mutual recognition along the 1967 borders, with mutually agreed land swaps, and with Jerusalem as capital of both states – as the only way of achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians; condemns any statement aimed at delegitimising the two-state solution;
2. Stresses that protecting and preserving the viability of the two-state solution must be the immediate priority in European Union policies and action with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East peace process; welcomes UN Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) as a key reference in this regard; welcomes the commitment expressed during the recent visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the United States to work together for peace;
3. Reiterates its call for an immediate and complete end to the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which are illegal under international law, undermine the two-state solution, and constitute a major obstacle to peace efforts; calls for an end to the demolition of Palestinian homes, the forced displacement of Palestinian families and the confiscation of Palestinian property in this area, which have the same effect; urges the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy to keep these issues high on the agenda of EU-Israel bilateral relations; takes note of the Israeli Government’s recent announcement about the revision of its settlement policy;
4. Calls for an immediate end to Israeli policies aimed at changing realities on the ground through the targeting of, and discriminating against, the Palestinian population in East Jerusalem, which makes the vision of Jerusalem as capital of two states unfeasible; recalls that the international community has never accepted the annexation of East Jerusalem by Israel; recalls also that the European Union has repeatedly declared that it will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties;
5. Stresses the huge potential of the Palestinian Arab community in Israel to play a crucial role in achieving a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, and the importance of its involvement in, and contribution to, the peace process; calls for equal rights for the Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel, which is a basic precondition for their being able to fulfil this role; expresses, in this regard, its deep concerns about the new nationality law proposal that is currently being discussed in the Knesset; calls for increased involvement of the Palestinian Arab community in EU-Israel bilateral cooperation programmes;
6. Stresses again that non-violent means are the only way to achieve peace between Israelis and Palestinians through a negotiated final status agreement ending all mutual claims; condemns all acts of violence and terrorism attacking or endangering civilians, as well as all acts of provocation and incitement; calls on both sides to avoid, prevent and condemn any such action and to bring the perpetrators to justice, as well as to take active steps to promote calm, encourage restraint and avoid any action that could fuel tensions on the ground;
7. Calls again for Palestinian reconciliation, as an essential component of the two-state solution, through the establishment of a national unity government, recognised by the international community, and the resumption of the Palestinian Authority’s governmental functions in the Gaza Strip; reiterates its call for an end to the closure of the Gaza Strip and for the urgent reconstruction and rehabilitation of this area;
8. Remains convinced that a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians can only be achieved in a comprehensive regional context with the support of the international community; continues to support the Arab Peace Initiative and the efforts made by the Vice-President / High Representative in the framework of the Middle East Quartet; welcomes the Middle East Quartet report of July 2016 and calls for the implementation of its recommendations; appreciates and supports the work of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee, chaired by Norway, as an important contribution to Palestinian state- and economy-building;
9. Calls for a European Union peace initiative to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that aims to achieve tangible results within a set timeframe, in the framework of the two-state solution, and with an international monitoring and implementation mechanism; stresses the importance of engaging with other international actors in this regard, in the framework of the Middle East Quartet in particular; calls for the effective use of existing European Union leverage and instruments in dealings with both parties in order to facilitate peace efforts, as coordinated EU action can deliver results;
10. Calls – in the spirit of the two-state solution and of UN Security Council resolution 2334 (2016) – for full implementation of the principle of differentiation between the territory of the state of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories (the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip) in the European Union’s bilateral relations with Israel and Palestine, including through the implementation of the relevant European Commission Guidelines and Interpretative Notice by all Member States;
11. Welcomes the repeated declarations made by the Foreign Affairs Council about an unprecedented package of European political, economic and security support to both parties in the context of a final status agreement;
12. Calls for European Union support and protection to civil society actors, including human rights organisations, that contribute to peace efforts and confidence-building between Israelis and Palestinians on both sides, and welcomes the civil society contribution to the peace process through innovative new ideas and initiatives;
13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Knesset, the President and Government of Israel, the Palestinian Legislative Council and the Palestinian Authority, and the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.