Paris, 2 December 2009 – The European Security and Defence Assembly (ESDA) on Wednesday asked the European Union to “continue giving priority” to efforts to “achieve the settlement of the central Israeli-Palestinian conflict without making this contingent upon a solution to the Iranian nuclear issue”.

Presenting a report on behalf of the Political Committee on “European security and the Middle East” (Document 2060), Mrs Josette Durrieu (France, Socialist Group) denounced the “deadlock” in the peace process between Israel and Palestine and in particular deplored the fact that President Obama had not succeeded in “driving the situation forward”. “The current status quo serves the interests of Israel and Hamas” she added, denouncing “Israel’s obstinacy and self-destructive approach”. “Israel has a sacred right to a state and security”, but “we must say no to settlements, no to the wall, no to closing off Jerusalem, no to the occupation of the West Bank and no to the Gaza blockade”.

During a mission to Gaza, Mrs Durrieu became convinced that the blockade “is to the advantage of Hamas” which controls the population “with an iron hand” and acquires funding by taxing the trade passing through the tunnels in the Rafah area. In her view there are “about a thousand tunnels between Egypt and Gaza”.

According to Mrs Durrieu, Vice-President of the Assembly, “reconciliation among the Palestinian people” is a priority and she therefore feels that the international community was wrong “not to recognise the electoral victory of Hamas in 2006 – no matter how unpopular the result”. “New elections are necessary”, she added, though she doubted that it would be possible to comply with the date set of 24 January 2010.

Mrs Durrieu welcomed the roles played by Turkey and Egypt as mediators in the conflict. Syria also had the potential to become a major actor for peace in the region. However, she deplored the fact that the EU had clearly made “very little political impact on the conflict”, while the financial commitment of the 27 was “huge”.

Finally, Mrs Durrieu expressed regret that the Political Committee had not retained one of the recitals in the draft recommendation stating “the need to draw a distinction between resistance, a legitimate right, and terrorism, entailing the use of violence against the civilian population which is unjustly held hostage”.

In the course of the ensuing debate, Mr Rudy Salles, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), invited the ESDA to participate in the conference to be held by the PAM next spring on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This will focus on five questions: the borders, Jerusalem, the settlements, refugees and water supply.