Roundup: EU Tries to Reactivate Middle East Peace Process

The 15-nation European Union (EU) as a whole has been trying to boost the Middle East peace process and keep it on the right track since violence between Israelis and Palestinians escalated after the September 11 attacks on the United States.

Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers urged both sides in the conflict to do their utmost on the political, security, economic and social fronts to return to the path of talks without prior conditions. At a meeting in Luxembourg, they said in a declaration that the situation in the Middle East "is steadily worsening" and violence "has reached a level not seen for many years."

The ministers believed that distrust, fear and resentment "are leading to radical polarization" and expressed the concerns that "the absence of any political prospects is fueling further confrontation and playing into the hands of the extremists."

The EU also asked the Israeli authorities to withdraw their troops "immediately from the zone that is exclusively under Palestinian administration" while urging Palestinian authorities to do its best "to arrest those responsible for acts of violence against Israel."

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has been involved in attempts to reinvigorate the region's peace process through diplomatic trips between Europe and the Middle East. Currently the European Commission, the EU's executive body, is the biggest donor in the region, especially for Palestinians.

While worried about a possible confrontation between muslims world and Western allies after the United States launched the anti-terrorist war in Afghanistan, the EU is making a further attempt to reactivate the "peace-process framework" at a foreign ministerial meeting of the EU-Mediterranean countries to be held in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.

At the meeting, peace in the Middle East and the situation after the September 11 will be high on agenda. EU leaders had stressed the need to prevent any "confusion between terrorism and the Arab and Muslim world, and the vital need to promote a dialogue "between the civilizations on both shores of the Mediterranean."

Despite being critical of the EU's deference to Washington's partial policy to Israel, some political figures in Palestine hold that it is vital for a EU-U.S. initiative to sponsor fresh peace talks before Ramadan, the Muslim fasting season which begins on November 17.

Some Palestinian sources think the EU should play a "more aggressive role" in the quest for peace in the region, such as presenting proposals that both sides can use in final status negotiations on territories under dispute.

At the issue now is how to establish a "viable" Palestinian state. In fact, the international community agreed in this regard ten years ago. A deal was made at a meeting in Madrid in 1991, allowing Palestinians to set up a state and get rid of Israeli occupation while giving Israelis the right to live in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.

Palestinians have been adamant that the Israeli "final status" proposal made last year at the Camp David talks was unacceptable. The Bush administration promised to speed up the process for a Palestinian state days after the September 11 attacks. Now the U.S. is expected to make a fresh policy statement to underline its commitment to the creation of a homeland for Palestinians.

Arab League chief Amr Moussa said on Saturday the United States and Britain should follow up on recent calls for a Palestinian state with a diplomatic offensive to end Middle East violence.

He welcomed statements by U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair backing a long-sought Arab demand that Palestinians should have their own state, but said "statements are not enough."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt and Foreign minister Louis Michel of the current EU presidency Belgium, together with Solana, will hold separate talks on Monday with President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat and Israelis Foreign Minister Shimon Peres. The EU leaders are not expected to put forward any proposal for the future of the region.

In political circle of Palestine, many believe that the 15-country bloc has traditionally cautious in the Middle East, partly because it has been afraid of sounding arrogant and does not want to tread on Washington's toes. However, the union are aware that the search for a comprehensive and lasting peace in the region concerns not only regional but also global security. It has, therefore, tried hard to secure the process.








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