Situation in Middle East - MEPs support UN resolution

The European Parliament welcomed the United Nations decision to send 15,000 troops to southern Lebanon in a resolution adopted today. MEPs stress that UNIFIL should have a clear mandate and clear rules of engagement. They also call for the immediate release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers, as well as the imprisoned members of the Palestinian government and Legislative Council. Israel should transfer withheld Palestinian tax revenues and open the Gaza Strip's borders.

MEPs express their serious concern over the extension and intensity of the military conflict in South Lebanon and deeply regret the casualties among civilians in Lebanon and in Israel, soldiers and UN observers, and the massive destruction of infrastructure. The House reaffirms that there is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East.

Parliament reiterates the call for the immediate release of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers and of the members of the Palestinian Government and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council imprisoned by Israel.

The House stresses the need to bring the Middle East peace process back to the top of the international political agenda. MEPs call on the Quartet to revive the implementation of the Roadmap with a view to the annual UN General Assembly session in September. Parliament reaffirms that the two-state solution, with an Israeli and a Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security, is a key condition for a peaceful and lasting settlement in the Middle East.

The House considers it vital that all weapon imports into Lebanon go only to the official Lebanese army and asks the Lebanese Government to ensure, in cooperation with UNIFIL, the full implementation of UNSC Resolution 1559. The House stresses also the importance for all the EU Member States to act in line with the requirements of Resolution 1701 related to arms supplies. MEPs stress that this settlement should lead to the disarming of all militias, including that of Hezbollah, and measures to prevent the entry of arms into Lebanon.

The House reaffirmed that "there is no military solution to the conflict in the Middle East" and called on the Council to convene an international peace conference to find a comprehensive solution to the problems in the Middle East. MEPs calls on the Council and the Commission to continue their efforts to establish a living partnership with democratic political forces and civil society, in order to support further democratisation in Lebanon after the events of March 2005

MEPs welcome the outcome of the extraordinary General Affairs Council meeting of 25 August, in particular the full support expressed by the Council for the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1701, and the Member States' commitment to provide about 7 000 soldiers out of a maximum of 15 000 UNIFIL forces. The House underlines the active role taken by France and Italy and fully supports the decision that France will continue to assume the command of UNIFIL until February 2007 and that Italy will then take over ground control. Parliament stresses nevertheless the importance of clearly and adequately defining the mandate, rules of engagement, structure and competences of UNIFIL, if necessary to be agreed under a new UN Security Council resolution, which should take into account the lessons learnt from previous UN peacekeeping engagements, notably in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Parliament calls urgently on Iran and Syria to play a constructive role, especially with regard to the implementation of UNSC Resolutions 1559 and 1701. They call specifically on Syria to step up controls on its side of the Lebanese-Syrian border in accordance with Resolution 1701, which requires neighbouring countries to prevent supplies of weapons to non-State entities.

MEPs deeply deplore the deteriorating situation of the population and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank. The House asks all sides to break the vicious circle of attacks and counter- attacks, which resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure.

Finally, the House resolves to send a fact-finding delegation to Lebanon, Palestine and Israel in order to monitor the situation, with special focus on the humanitarian and political conditions.


Debate preceding the vote (Wednesday 6 September)

Ahead of the vote on the resolution on the situation in the Middle East which took place today, MEPs debated the events of the summer including the reconstruction and humanitarian efforts as well as the new UNIFIL force for south Lebanon. The link to the joint draft resolution can be found at the end of the summary of the debate.

Speaking for the Council, Finnish Foreign Minister speaking for the Erkki TUOMIOJA opened the debate by saying that: "the latest Middle East crisis in the summer is the first Middle East crisis where the European Union became the international actor on which the greatest hopes and expectations were placed in particular by the Lebanese people and the Government, but also more widely in the region".

"There is a need to move troops into the area quickly to avoid a security vacuum while the IDF withdraws and the Lebanese Armed Forces gradually deploy into Southern Lebanon. In order to restore peace and security, UNIFIL's mission is to ensure the withdrawal from Southern Lebanon and to help the Lebanese Government and army to extend its authority to the area and to all of Lebanon. While the Lebanese Army carries out the disarming of Hezbollah, UNIFIL will also have an important task in ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid."

On the ceasefire, Minister Tuomioja said: "The ceasefire has, notwithstanding some deplorable incidents, been respected. The Lebanese Government remains united and all the political parties, including Hezbollah, have pledged their support for Resolution 1701 and the political agreement it incorporates.

The role of the European Union in the humanitarian aid, early recovery and reconstruction in Lebanon has been remarkable. The Donor Conference in Stockholm last week was a major success. The European Union's humanitarian aid response has already been swift and significant. The total humanitarian aid pledged or effectively granted by the European Community and Member States is approximately 330 million euros. Right now we can already focus more on the early recovery and strengthening local capacity."

On the Road Map, the Minister said: "We do not need to reinvent the wheel for the Peace Process. All the elements needed are well known and can be found in the Road Map and other documents. But pulling these in the right sequence and order remains challenging. In our discussions at the Gymnich meeting in Lappeenranta last week we were in full agreement that the EU now has to take an active role to initiate a return to the peace process. In the future we may need to be able to take new responsibilities as well as part of the quest for peace.

The Council will thus stay engaged in the MEPP. We have made clear that the High Representative Javier Solana has the full support and mandate of the Council, working together with the Presidency and the Commission, to do what needs to be done and meet with whoever is relevant to get the Middle East Peace process working and keep it working until we reach a comprehensive peace settlement. "


European Commissioner for External Relations

External Relations Commissioner Benita FERRERO-WALDNER said "these conflicts, and the misery suffered by ordinary Lebanese, Israelis and Palestinians, have once more brought to the forefront the need for a negotiated, regional solution". They were a "stark and cruel reminder that security and stability cannot be imposed unilaterally, without dialogue and diplomacy".

The European Union was now playing an "unprecedented role" to help the victims, by mobilising "the considerable resources of the EU - from the political and security to the technical, economic and financial". Over the past six weeks, the Commission had provided rapid humanitarian assistance, with total humanitarian support of over €50 million. It had helped evacuation efforts, including €11 million for the evacuation of third-country nationals.

It had also set up the first coordination exercise among donors and had responded to the environmental disaster through the Community Civil Protection Mechanism.

At the Stockholm Conference last week, Mrs Ferrero-Waldner had announced a package of €42 million to support early recovery to the end of the year. Thus total EU aid had come to €100 million. "The European Commission has shown that it is ready to act and act fast", she said.

On the diplomatic front, the EU's support for UN resolution 1701 and for a lasting settlement to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was crucial. Above all, "the Middle East needs a strong sovereign, unified and politically independent Lebanon… to contain the very real risk of spill over of tension that remains".

The Lebanese population must also feel the tangible benefits of the cessation of hostilities. For this, "the lifting of Israel's air and sea blockade is essential".

Over the longer term, "the international community must remain engaged". That means "pursuing the political, social and economic agenda already outlined in the EU Lebanon Action Plan". At the same time it was important to "remove the ambiguity surrounding the disarming of Hezbollah".

The Commissioner also stressed that we must not lose sight of the broader picture across the region. While attention was being drawn to Lebanon, "violence and suffering continued in the Palestinian territories and rockets continued to fall on Israeli towns and villages".

The EU must be ready to respond to the formation of a Palestinian national unity government. It must "engage with any Palestinian government that was ready to work by peaceful means". Indeed, it had already helped keep sanitation, hospitals and health care centres open in the summer". But Israel, for its part, must unblock the Palestinian fiscal revenues.

Ultimately, "decisive action is needed to get the parties back on track to a negotiated peace". Various ideas had been floated but at last week's informal meeting of EU foreign ministers "many voices called for greater EU leadership in the Middle East". "I believe they are right", concluded the Commissioner. "Our credibility, that of the Quartet and the UN, is at stake".


Political group speakers

For the EPP-ED group, Hans-Gert POETTERING (DE) said a military solution in the Middle East was not possible. It was a political solution which would bring peace. "Peace must start in the heads of those responsible," he said, "but a military presence can help create the right conditions." That Europe was involved militarily in a way that would have been unimaginable twenty years ago was encouraging. An objective was for Lebanon to be sovereign without direct or indirect control from Iran or Syria. While the outcome of elections meant Hezbollah had a place in the government of Lebanon, it was not acceptable for such a party to have its own militia, undermining the sovereignty of the government itself. "The disarmament of Hezbollah must be part of the process," he said. Mr Poettering said that, while he had criticised Israel's action as disproportionate, he respected the free democratic debate taking place there on what had gone wrong during the fighting. A similar debate in neighbouring countries would be a welcome step towards democracy in the region. "As a German, I was deeply touched by the Israeli Prime Minister's statement that a German contribution to the peacekeeping force would be welcome," he said. He added that people in Palestine had the same dignity and the right to live in peace within secure borders. He called for a government of national unity including both Hamas and Fatah. The EU should go beyond providing aid and make a political contribution to achieving that end via the Quartet. Finally, he condemned those "abusing young people by making them into 'martyrs' Instead they should be able to make a living, constructive contribution."

The leader of the Socialist group, Martin SCHULZ (DE) said there was a historic opportunity for Europeans and the EU, who had a duty to make practical contributions to finding solutions, when the United States' proposed solutions had completely failed, contributing to the current crisis. Europe's contribution should be military, but also based on international law, with a humanitarian and diplomatic aspect. "The core problem is to solve the Palestinian issue, which is the heart of destabilisation in the region. Israel has the right to exist, and anyone who questions that will have us to content with, and we need to strengthen Lebanon [...] to get back to the hopes that were there before the war, but we must begin with humanitarian assistance to Palestine, where the situation is dramatic." He wanted to the forces of dialogue on all sides to be able to make their contribution. Inter-cultural dialogue was essential, to help avoid Muslims being equated with terrorists. He also called for the release of prisoners as a vital confidence building measure, and asked for Syria to adopt a positive role. He called for a regional organisation to be created, along the lines of the CSCE which had provided a forum for dialogue between all sides in Europe even at the height of the Cold War. He concluded by condemning terrorism as something all should combat.

Graham WATSON (UK) for the ALDE group said "This summer's conflict had killed over a thousand people, most of them innocent civilians. Europe should waste no time" in sending the 7,000 troops it had promised. The EU needed to speak with one voice to clarify the UNIFIL mandate, and to demand the lifting of Israel's blockades on Lebanon and Gaza. Hezbollah and Hamas needed to be brought in from the cold to engage in a democratic framework, and Europe should support an independent inquiry into the civilian deaths caused by all sides. He spoke of the institutions needed to build peace, mentioning Romano Prodi's idea of a Euro-Arab development bank and Anders Fogh Rasmussen's proposal for a Middle Eastern version of the CSCE. Europe also needed a proper immigration policy including all the countries of the Mediterranean basin. "As Einstein said, peace cannot be kept by force, only built by understanding," he said. He said Europe should not exaggerate the scale of its response which would have been more effective under the constitution, had it been adopted. He strongly criticised Javier Solana's absence from the Chamber, and warned EU leaders that, by insisting on national sovereignty rather than working through the EU, they were risking global anarchy.

Speaking for the Greens/EFA, Daniel COHN-BENDIT (DE) pointed out that Parliament had not paid attention to resolution 1559 or the disarmament of Hezbollah a year ago: "The international community had a UN resolution, but it was shelved rather than being used as a tool for politics." The whole region had been cursed with misfortunes, he said, and could not afford more mistakes. It was fair enough for individuals to support the Israeli or Palestinian side, but the key thing was to have two states living peacefully alongside each other. He said we needed to persuade the Israelis that the creation of a Palestinian state would in fact weaken Hamas's Islamist project. He said he had dreamed that it was Europe as such which was sending troops to the region, not individual states, but this was just a dream. Finally, he called on Mr Watson and Mr Wurtz to intervene with their political allies in Germany, whose stance on German involvement in UNIFIL was, he said, scandalous.

Francis WURTZ (GUE/NGL, FR) said the events of the summer in the Middle East had been beyond belief. 2,000 people had been killed and Lebanon had been crushed. The Israeli army had deliberately targeted the Lebanese infrastructure destroying not only roads but people with the use of indiscriminate cluster bombs. It was important to learn the lessons of the conflict, essential to return to peace and for the Quartet to be fully engaged in the region in order to achieve a lasting peace.

Cristiana MUSCARDINI (UEN, IT) said that the EU had been short on details during the conflict, rockets had been landing in Israel and the Iranian President had called for the country "to be wiped off the map". The EU's primary role should be to protect the State of Israel and its people, she said. She also stressed the importance of retuning to the road-map with the support of the UNIFIL forces. A government needed to be installed in Lebanon which had full control of the country. "Israeli citizens are European citizens", she concluded.

Bastiaan BELDER (IND/DEM, NL), for his group, raised various points. He said the German press had highlighted the Budeswehr's role of stopping the flow of weapons into Lebanon, and certainly the EU Member States did not want to stand idly by watching Hezbollah going about its business. And yet there were two Hezbollah representatives in the Lebanese government. He also asked whether Israel planned to maintain its blockade of Lebanon.

Gianni De MICHELIS (NA, IT) agreed that the EU should be involved in the Middle East. An EU diplomatic initiative could help prompt a resumption of dialogue. However, a global, not a piecemeal approach was the only way forward in the Middle East, bringing all interested parties in the region round the table to discuss all the issues at once.


British and Irish speakers

Brian CROWLEY (UEN, IE) said it was important to reinvigorate the existing Road Map as it chartered the way for peace for the whole region. While there had been disagreement among certain Member States on the policy towards the Middle East, Mr Crowley, however, welcomed the fact that Europe was heading up the new UNIFIL force. It was also important for Europe to its economic and moral diplomatic powers to achieve peace.

For Caroline LUCAS (Greens/EFA, UK), while the Lebanese situation was a tragedy, Gaza must not be forgotten. Over 200 Palestinians, including children, had been killed since June. The Israeli prisoners should certainly be released but there were also 9,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. She believed stronger EU action was needed and that a suspension of the EU-Israel association agreement on human rights grounds should be contemplated.

Gerard BATTEN (IND/DEM, UK) stated firmly that the war was caused by the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. He described the Hezbollah leader as"a political gangster and a terrorist" and added that in Gaza the Palestinians had elected a terrorist government. The EU had responded by "sending the protagonists more money". Unless Hamas and Hezbollah renounced their intention of driving Israel into the sea, the EU was in effect "financing terrorism" by supporting the Palestinians financially.


James ALLISTER (NA, UK) said he did not endorse every act of Israel, "but in this case it was clear that it was not the aggressor and was fully entitled to defend itself against sustained and murderous rocket attacks from Hezbollah." The fact that Hezbollah was able to act in that way while being part of the government of Lebanon showed, he said, the folly of allowing terrorist organisations into government, "whether in Lebanon, the Palestinian territories or, for that matter, in my own country." He said the UN forces in Lebanon must not dodge the disarming of Hezbollah.

Liz LYNNE (ALDE, UK) said the Council's failure to call for an immediate ceasefire meant "We stood back and let civilian infrastructure be destroyed, and over a thousand people be killed in Lebanon and Israel." She said the blame lies directly with Tony Blair, for his "dog like devotion" to George Bush. "He has the nerve to say he doesn't believe his policy will lead to further terrorist attacks. But if I and people like me are angry about Lebanon [...] just think of the ammunition given to those indoctrinating young Muslims. Nothing - nothing - justifies terrorist acts, but Mr Blair must realise his actions make him culpable."

Charles TANNOCK (EPP-ED, UK) said the recent conflict was a tragedy for Israel and the people of Lebanon. Hezbollah, he said, had seriously miscalculated the scale of retribution which would come from its deliberate provocation. "Hezbollah now needs to explain why its actions led to so much destruction, in particular through its use of civilian shields," he said. The Israelis too had miscalculated, believing its air power would be enough to dislodge Hezbollah when "more boots on the ground were clearly needed." Russia, he said, needed to explain how so many of its weapons had ended up in the hands of a fundamentalist, Islamist militia. He was concerned as to who would finally be disarming Hezbollah, and how to avoid EU money ending up in Hezbollah's hands via its "so-called charities." He asked what was to prevent troops from Muslim countries which did not recognise Israel turning a blind eye to Hezbollah rearmament. It was time, he said, to try to prize the brutal but secular regime in Syria away from the fundamentalist regime in Iran.

Speaking next, Richard HOWITT (PES, UK) wondered what Muslims in Britain would think when "UK Conservatives say Muslim countries cannot be relied upon to play their part in a UN force." He said a just peace between Israel and the Palestinians was the key to resolving the crises of the region. The world had ignored what was going on in Gaza, he said. "Is cutting off electricity to half of its people justified? Closing nearly every school? Even stopping the fishermen from taking to their boats? The UN has described Gaza as a time bomb whose people are living in a cage." He said the Hezbollah statement that it had not anticipated the conflict, the prospect of a Palestinian national unity government and Israeli recognition of the failings of unilateralism "must presage a diplomatic drive to return to a negotiated solution. Today we have a map for the road, but no-one in the car." He called for Europe to recognise not just election results but also their consequences, and for Turkey to play an intermediary role.

Proinsias DE ROSSA (PES, IE) pointed out that, despite the very welcome efforts of the Commission and the UN, it is difficult to remain optimistic about the situation. Although he did not dismiss the maligned role of Hezbollah and indeed the maligned role of the US in encouraging Israel, he stated that Israel must face an international enquiry. He also stated that any international peace conference which does not carry a price for failure for the protagonists will not succeed in the Middle East.

Simon COVENEY (EPP-ED, IE) admitted that this is a time of crisis in the Middle East, but he also claimed that it is perhaps a time of opportunity. He called on the international community to ensure that the UN resolution is enforced and that the UNIFIL mission is successful. On the issue of the commitment of troops to the UNIFIL mission, he reiterated his call on the Irish Government, which has such an experience of peacekeeping in this area of the Middle East, to make further commitments to the UNIFIL mission. Mr Coveney also stated that, while providing assistance to rebuild Lebanon's infrastructure, this situation also provides an opportunity for the EU to rebuild its reputation in the area.

Sajjad KARIM (ALDE, UK) quoted from an article by Israeli journalist Gideon Levy on 3 September, which argued "Gaza has been reoccupied…" and "Under cover of the Lebanon war, Israel has returned to its old practices". Taking the EU to task for not demanding an early ceasefire, Mr Karim asked "Are our hands clean?" He also condemned Israel for its "policy of collective punishment".

Geoffrey Van ORDEN (EPP-ED, UK) said it was "difficult to see a shaft of light" in the situation but "at least the moderate Arab states have now witnessed the catastrophe that could be provoked by organisations such as Hezbollah" and "Lebanon has seen the effect of tolerating a state within a state". He believed it would be a "tragic wasted opportunity" if "UNIFIL merely becomes a bystander while Hezbollah prepares for its next attacks in the months and years ahead". If there was not the international resolve to disarm Hezbollah, at least "there should be a requirement to monitor and report on Hezbollah's activities".

Response to the debate

Speaking for the Council, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki TUOMIOJA said that the clear message from the European Parliament was that it was supportive and appreciative of the position which ended the conflict, and one which would enable Lebanon to exercise full responsibility. The EU could not solve the Middle East problems by itself, and this was logical since the EU supported multilateralism. Nevertheless, the EU had showed leadership in many areas.

In her concluding speech, Commissioner FERRERO-WALDNER was pleased to note that MEPs broadly agreed that there could be no military solution, that the root causes of the conflict must be tackled and that a comprehensive approach to the issues was needed.

Replying to specific points made by MEPs, she said the Commission was not in favour of suspending the association agreement with Israel, preferring instead to work with, and influence, the country. To Mr Tannock, she said the allegations he referred to had never been substantiated. Lastly, she insisted that EU money would go to the Lebanese government or organisations working with it (i.e. not to Hezbollah) as Europe wished to empower the government.

| Top |

• EU Parliament President Borrell pledges "steadfast commitment" to Lebanon (19/9/2006)
• EU Council Conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process (15/9/2006)
• Humanitarian Aid and Early Recovery in Lebanon: The EU's Actions (31/8/2006)
• Statement by Commission President José Manuel Barroso on the EU's Role in Lebanon  (24/8/2006)
• Israel/Lebanon: EU Welcomes UN Resolution (14/8/2006)
• Lebanon: Statement by EU Commission President Barroso (11/8/2006)
• EU Response to conflict in Lebanon (8/8/2006)