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What is your view of the European reply
to the Libanese crisis?
The silence of the Council of the European Union during the first days
of the crisis was shameful.
The devastation - human and environmental - in Lebanon is inconceivable.
There is a great challenge before us. The cease fire and the dispatch of
the UN force hinders, and could lead to a reversal of, the unilateral
policies of Bush and of the Israeli government. But everything is still
in a state of flux.
For the first time, the European Union was able to formulate a common
policy which was not limited to humanitarian assistance. But Europe has
still not been able to face up to the real problem, that of Palestine
and Israel.
I am, I must admit, almost proud of the positive role of the Italian
government and of Minister D’Alema who has been firm in his capacity to
be critical of Israel.
It has been said that Bush let the Europeans act because he could not
commit the US on another front. But it appears to me that this is a new
path which could lead to the resolution of the problems of the Sheba
Farms and of the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, the West Bank
and Gaza.
What do you think of the mandate of the United Nations?
The key point in the mandate is that it is not up to the UN force to
disarm Hezbollah, but is rather the responsibility of Lebanon and must
remain an internal question. UNIFIL must guarantee the cease fire and
act in the same way towards Hezbollah and Israel.
What about the situation in Palestine?
I’ve just returned from Palestine and from Israel. What I saw was pain,
anger and injustice. Nablus, Tulkarem and Jenin are cities under siege,
and even though no rockets are being shot from the West Bank, people are
nevertheless being killed daily in these cities.
Nablus, the ancient Neapolis, has been systematically destroyed. While
the world cried out – and justly so – after the destruction of the
statues of Buddha in Afghanistan, little has been said of the
destruction of the ancient churches in Nablus and of the cultural
patrimony which is of enormous value to all mankind.
The Israeli human rights organization – B’tselem – has recently
protested the actions of Israeli soldiers who took revenge on
Palestinians following the crisis in Lebanon. The Palestinian employees
of the ANP have now been without salaries for six months. The wall, in
addition to being an environmental monstrosity, has annexed Palestinian
territory. And there are, of course, internal problems in Palestine and
errors of judgment on the part of those in power.
And Gaza?
Gaza is simply hell and the Palestinians are prisoners there. Every day
there are massacres and bombings, and the power supply is limited as a
result of the destruction of electrical generation facilities. In the
north of Gaza 545 families have been telephoned by the Israeli army and
told to leave their houses which are destined for destruction.
One of the objects of pride of the European Union is the EU BAM, the
mission which helps facilitate movement at the Rafah crossing. However
it doesn’t work and it rather is an example of dependence on Israel. The
personnel of EU BAM do not live in Rafah or in Egyptian territory. They
live in Israel and must travel daily to Rafah to open the crossing.
Claiming security problems, the Israeli authorities don’t allow them to
get to Rafah, so the crossing remains closed. Thousands of Palestinians
who work in the countries of the Persian Gulf returned to Gaza before
the war can no longer leave and are hence losing their jobs. Sick people
who went to Egypt for medical assistance have died, or have to fall back
on the hospitals in Gaza which are now without medicine. There is no
freedom of movement, either for people or for goods. The Karni Crossing,
which is used to move goods from Gaza to Israel, is closed. Nothing is
being exported from Gaza. The only movement is of Israeli goods coming
in.
Despite all of this every day the Palestinians find new ways to continue
to live. In Gaza a children’s parliament has protested because the
children want to have books and want to go to school. In Bethlehem
Israeli soldiers have refused to fight and Palestinians who have come
out of Israeli jails have launched an appeal for non-violence and for
the rights of both people to have their land and their freedom.
In Strasburg the plenary session of the European Parliament next
week, will discuss the situation in the Middle East. What points should
be included in the resolution which will emerge?
Israel must immediately raise the naval and air blockade of Lebanon,.
There should be an embargo on trade in arms and on military cooperation
with Israel. There should be an exchange of prisoners, not only the
Israeli soldiers but also Lebanese and Palestinians must be freed.
Freedom for the Parliamentarians, ministers, mayors and all Palestinians
who have been kidnapped.
Israel must return the Palestinian taxes which they are holding. Once
this is done, the PNA could pay the salaries of its civil employees and
the money of European taxpayers could be used for development in
Palestine and not to repair the damages done by the Israeli government.
The blockade of the West Bank and Gaza must be lifted. The expansion of
the settlements in the Palestinian occupied territories, which has grown
by 7000 people in the last six months, must be stopped.
The Palestinian authorities must prevent the launching of rockets on
Israeli civilian sites.
The EU must recognize and deal with the legitimate Palestinian
government.
Negotiations must be resumed and an international conference for peace
in the region must be convened.
Traduction made by Barbara Agostini
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