EU BALANCED APPROACH TO MIDEAST

EU seeks balanced approach to the Middle East
25.07.2007 - 09:20 CET | By Renata Goldirova

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Tony Blair, the former UK premier and the newly-appointed envoy of the Mideast Quartet, has urged Israelis and the Palestinians to capitalize on a current moment of opportunity, while the European Union seeks a balanced approach to the region.

I think there is a sense of possibility, but whether that sense of possibility can be translated into something that is something that needs to be worked at and thought about over time, Mr Blair said on Tuesday (24 July).

It was Mr Blair's first visit to Israel and the West Bank since his appointment by the international Quartet - the US, the EU, the United Nations and Russia - to bolster economic recovery and institution-building in the Palestinian territory.

The comment comes just a day after EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels, also spoke of a positive momentum and called on the parties to desist from any action that threatens the viability of a [two-state] solution.

I sense a moderate optimism about a possibility of launching a political initiative, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

However, some diplomats indicated that ministerial debate had shown differences on what kind of message should be sent to the region, with some EU capitals – such as Berlin or Bratislava – pushing for more balanced wording.

On the other hand, France, Sweden, Cyprus and Malta stressed that an EU message should reflect the Israeli occupation and settlements as being the core problem.

In their final statement, EU ministers welcome Israel's move to release 255 Palestinian prisoners and the partial transfer of withheld Palestinian tax and custom revenues. At the same time, however, they call for the immediate and complete release of remaining and future funds as well as for a removal of checkpoints and barriers in the West Bank.

In addition, while recognizing Israel's legitimate right to self defence, the EU urged Israel to exercise utmost restraint and underlined that action should not be disproportionate or in contradiction to international humanitarian law.

The Union should apply a balanced approach to maximum extend in order to seize a positive momentum and remain credible to both parties, Slovakia's foreign minister Jan Kubis stressed.

Currently, all diplomatic efforts are channelled towards an international Middle East peace conference due in September – something expected to give new impetus to bilateral Israeli-Palestine dialog and the moribund peace process as such.

According to Germany's foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the meeting would be an opportunity to draw conclusions on how we can move ahead on the way to a two-state solution.

An Arab peace initiative is seen as a major element in moving the Middle East peace process forward by the EU bloc. The proposal - to be also discussed by Israel, Egypt and Jordan later today (25 July) - foresees full Arab recognition of Israel in return for lands the Jewish state captured in the 1967 Middle East war.

Arab ministers in Israel for land-for-peace talks By Adam Entous
Wed Jul 25, 9:23 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Egyptian and Jordanian envoys from the Arab League, on their first visit to Israel to present an Arab land-for-peace plan, called on Wednesday for setting a rapid timetable for talks with the Palestinians over statehood. We need a precise timetable, a quick timetable and we urge Israel not to waste this historic opportunity. Time is not on our side, said Jordanian Foreign Minister Abdelelah al-Khatib, in Jerusalem with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he believed there was a chance in the near future for the process to ripen into talks that would, in effect, deal with the stages of establishing a Palestinian state.His comments were the clearest statement yet of Israel's intention to try to relaunch final-status talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose secular Fatah faction lost control of the Gaza Strip last month to Hamas Islamists.But Olmert said there were no precise timetables or stages established yet" for getting to discussions about permanent borders and the future of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees, all divisive issues in the Jewish state.

Neither Israel nor the visiting Arab envoys spelled out how significant progress could be made towards statehood with the Palestinian territories divided between Hamas-run Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where Fatah holds sway.The one-day visit to Israel by Gheit and Khatib, who both spoke at a news conference with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, was the first by Arab League representatives to promote the group's peace plan, stalled since 2002.The initiative offers Israel normal ties with all Arab states in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it seized in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a just solution for Palestinian refugees.We want to hear your ideas and want to express our ideas, so that we'll be able to carry on, Olmert, who has said the plan had positive elements, told the envoys at his office.But citing demographic and security concerns, Israel opposes the return of Palestinian refugees to their former homes in what is now the Jewish state and wants to hold on to major settlement blocs in the West Bank.

TURNING POINT

Israel sought to cast the envoys' arrival as a potential turning point in relations with the Arab League, which has long shunned it. Livni described the visit as historic.Arab diplomats played down the gesture. Egypt and Jordan already have full relations with Israel, and despite U.S. and Israeli appeals to expand the number of Arab participants in the talks, Saudi Arabia and other Arab League members with no formal ties to the Jewish state have refused to take part.I will be more than happy that next time you come, you'll bring with you ministers from more Arab countries, Olmert said in his welcoming remarks to Gheit and Khatib.

The United States has been pushing Olmert to move ahead to serious negotiations over border issues with Abbas, who dismissed a unity coalition with Hamas last month after the Islamists seized control of Gaza.Olmert described his current talks with Abbas as serious and said the goal was to advance a process in a natural way towards discussion of central issues.Former British prime minister Tony Blair ended his first visit as international envoy to the Middle East on Wednesday after saying he saw a moment of opportunity for peace. But he offered no specifics in public.(Additional reporting by Allyn Fisher-Ilan)