MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

30.1.2006

to wind up the debate on the statement by the Council
pursuant to Rule 103(2) of the Rules of Procedure
by Francis Wurtz, Adamos Adamou, Luisa Morgantini, Bairbre de Brún, Miguel Portas, Dimitrios Papadimoulis and Jonas Sjöstedt
on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group
on the Council's decision not to publish the report on Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and on the outcome of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 25 January 2006

B6‑0089/2006

European Parliament resolution on the Council's decision not to publish the report on Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and on the outcome of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 25 January 2006

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to its previous resolutions on the Middle East conflict,

–  having regard to UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338,

–  having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 194,

–   having regard to the results of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 25 January 2006, held under Israeli occupation,

–  having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A.  stressing the unacceptable limitations imposed on the democratic exercise of the right to vote of Palestinians resident in East Jerusalem, restrictions imposed by the Israeli Government in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions,

B.  whereas there is an urgent need for the international community to urge full implementation of the 'Roadmap to Peace' and to adopt new initiatives to help bring an end to the violence, to build up confidence and to bring about the resumption of negotiations between the two parties on respect for international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions,

C.  whereas the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign, safe, democratic and viable State should be fully recognised and respected as well as the right of the State of Israel to exist in safety with secure, recognised and respected borders,

D.   whereas the Council has decided not to make public the report on Israeli policy in East Jerusalem submitted by its European diplomats based in the Occupied Territories,

E.   whereas this report analyses in detail what the EU diplomats describe as 'the Israeli deliberate policy to complete the annexation of East Jerusalem'; whereas it stresses that the measures taken 'are being carried out in violation of the obligations contained in the 'Roadmap' and laid down by 'international law',

F.   whereas it draws the attention of the Council to the fact that the strategy 'of completely encircling the city with colonies' and of isolating the Palestinian part of Jerusalem from the other Palestinian territories compromises the 'viability of a Palestinian state' and 'risks radicalising the Palestinian people', given 'the central importance for the Palestinians of the East Jerusalem question',

G.   whereas the unpublished document contains a series of 'recommendations' ranging from 'clear statements by the European Union' on the organisation of 'meetings at ministerial level' in East Jerusalem even to the possibility 'of excluding East Jerusalem from the area of certain EU-Israel cooperation',

H.   whereas the Council continues to maintain the 'ex-post approach' vis-à-vis the European Parliament, by merely submitting a descriptive list of CFSP activities carried out in the previous year, instead of consulting Parliament beforehand as provided for in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union and the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999,

I.   whereas Parliament has repeatedly asked the Council to replace this practice with a genuine consultation of Parliament in order to ensure that Parliament's views have a real impact on the EU's political choices,

THE PALESTINIAN ELECTIONS AND THE STATUS OF EAST JERUSALEM

1.  Welcomes the satisfactory conduct of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 25 January 2006, which set an excellent standard for the entire region in terms of transparency and fairness; congratulates the Palestinian people, who throughout the electoral process demonstrated an extraordinary will in overcoming the difficulties posed by the Israeli occupation and showed that they were fully committed to democracy-building;

2.  Condemns the restrictions imposed by the Israeli Government on the democratic exercise of the right to vote by Palestinians in the city of East Jerusalem; calls on the 'Quartet' to exert the necessary pressure on the Israeli Government to recognise Palestinian sovereignty over East Jerusalem, in accordance with international law;

3.  Notes the results of the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of 25 January 2006, which above all expressed the despair into which Israel's leaders have plunged this people by means of the occupation, humiliation, misery and frustrations - in a word, by obstructing the peace process;

4.  Is convinced that there is no alternative to the application of the principle of 'two peoples, two States' to attain a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by means of a process of negotiation among the various parties; calls on all the parties, therefore, to mutually recognise their fundamental rights and to relaunch the negotiating process;

5.  Reiterates its strong condemnation of all acts of terrorism, which merely promote the escalation of violence;

6.  Reaffirms the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign, safe, democratic and viable State and the right of the State of Israel to exist in safety with secure, recognised and respected borders;

7.  Reiterates that they are no military solutions to the Middle East conflict, that it will ultimately be possible to guarantee peace and security only through negotiation between the parties based on:

-   respect for international law and United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, through the immediate implementation of the 'Roadmap to Peace';

-   the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces and the dismantling of settlements in the Occupied Territories;

-   recognition of the principle of the right of refugees to return in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194 and the release of political prisoners;

-   the right of the Palestinian people to a viable sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the right of the State of Israel to live in security within recognised and respected borders;

8.  Calls on the Israeli Government to immediately dismantle the 'wall of separation', notably around East Jerusalem, and to immediately halt the construction and expansion of Israeli settlements, in particular the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim, which threatens to complete the encirclement of Jerusalem by Israeli settlements, dividing the West Bank into two separate geographical areas;

9.  Reiterates its call for the reopening of Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem, in accordance with the 'Roadmap to Peace', in particular the 'Orient House' and the Palestinian 'Chamber of Commerce';

10.  Calls on the European Union to gear its efforts to the democratic aspirations of Palestinian society and its legitimate demand for a just and lasting peace, by actively reaffirming the right of the Palestinian people to a viable State and the duty of the Israeli leaders to implement the commitments in the 'Roadmap to Peace' of the 'Quartet';

11.  Calls on the Commission to reinforce its projects supporting people-to-people activities in order to increase opportunities for dialogue and sharing of experiences by the two communities in Jerusalem;

THE UNPUBLISHED DOCUMENT OF THE EU DIPLOMATS

12.  Calls on the Council, in its Middle East policy, to act in conformity with international law, UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338 and the 'Roadmap to Peace'; reminds the Council of its obligation 'not to recognise the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, including inside and around East Jerusalem' as the International Court of Justice established in its opinion of 9 July 2004 concerning the 'wall of separation';

13.  Deplores the fact that the Council has decided not to publish the document of the European diplomats concerning the assessment of Israeli policy in East Jerusalem, a decision which is liable to result in de facto support for Israel's policy of occupation and which was taken in flagrant violation of the principles of the autonomy and independence of European policy in the region;

14.  Insists on its right to be genuinely consulted on priorities in and approaches to foreign affairs beforehand as provided for in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union and the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999; calls on the Council to publish the document drawn up by European diplomats in East Jerusalem and to act on its recommendations;

15.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Consuls of the Member States which have diplomatic missions in East Jerusalem and in the Occupied Territories, the Governments and Parliaments of Israel and Palestine, the Palestinian National Authority, the Governments and Parliaments of the United States of America and Russia and the Secretary General of the United Nations.