аЯрЁБс>ўџ >@ўџџџ=џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС5@ №П5 bjbjЯ2Я2 ..­X­X5џџџџџџˆjjjjjjj~ЦЦЦЦт~ы2jllllll$Ro|jsssjjЅsšjjjsj$Ѓ‚jjЮі €ы0эЫФЦ (šjЛ0ыЂ,ы5@ыЮ~~jjjjыjЮœn† МB dІ Э~~‚Du ~~‚updated 16/11/04 Herr Elmar Brok Chair, European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee European Parliament Bat. Altiero Spinelli 10E130 60 Rue Wiertz B-1047 Bruxelles Belgium Dear Elmar Brok Israel and the Palestinians: the EU/Israel Association Agreement I am very concerned about the desperate plight of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories as a result of continued Israeli oppression and reckless violence. There is no hope of a permanent solution unless the Israeli Government modifies its current aim of annexing the Occupied Territories, while making life intolerable for the Palestinians that remain. These actions constitute a continued and increasing threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and the wider world – it is widely believed that a just solution in Palestine would significantly reduce the root causes of anti-Western terrorism. There is now a risk that the EU and the governments of its Member States will continue to hold back from putting pressure on Israel because of the possible resumption of negotiations with the new Palestinian leadership following the death of Yasser Arafat. But there is no indication that Israeli or US policies will change to make such negotiations successful. Israeli leaders are still saying that they require the PA to stop all terrorist acts as a pre-condition to starting negotiations, ignoring what can only be described as state terrorism by Israel against the Palestinian population - which causes many times more Palestinian deaths and injuries than are suffered by Israelis, and which is a direct cause of the suicide bombings. Prime Minister Sharon’s proposal to ‘disengage’ from Gaza is another distraction. As I am sure you know, this is very unlikely ever to take place considering the bitter opposition to it within Israel, that several more parliamentary votes will be needed to approve it, and the highly unstable state of his government. Even if it did happen, the Israeli government has said that it views withdrawal from Gaza as a kind of exchange for the indefinite retention of vast settlements in the West Bank, which would prevent the creation of a viable Palestinian state and therefore invalidate the current ‘peace process’ that looks towards a two state solution. Therefore I am writing to urge you to use your position as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, and the influence that stems from it, to get the EU to exercise some leverage over Israel to pull back from their current belligerent position. One obvious route would be trade sanctions. It is widely recognised that Israel’s repeated indiscriminate, excessive and disproportionate use of force in the Occupied Territories, including blanket artillery bombardments, shoot-to-kill policies, deliberate targeting of civilians (including children), and unjustified destruction of houses, violates international humanitarian law, including the fourth Geneva Convention. Further evidence for Israel’s disdain of international law came immediately after the ICJ ruling in July that the security barrier being constructed by Israel is illegal and that it should be removed, when Prime Minister Sharon derided the ruling and said that its construction would continue – and it has. So, recently I was shocked to discover that the EU had a preferential trading agreement with Israel. I was also surprised to see that Article 2 of this Agreement states that the relationship between the EU and Israel is to be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles which guide their internal and international policy. It includes specific conditions regarding respect for international law, emphasising the importance of the principles of the United Nations Charter, in particular compliance with the  HYPERLINK "http://student.cs.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/db.php?aid=910" Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Those responsible for negotiating and subsequently approving this Agreement must have known these conditions were unrealistic and certain to be violated, given Israel’s record. In any case, there can be no doubt that Israel is in regular, material and deliberate breach of these conditions. Frankly, it is disgraceful that this Agreement is still in force. I understand that until now the official policy of the EU has been that, while it condemns Israel’s repressive and violent actions against the Palestinians, economic sanctions would damage the EU’s ability to influence Israel and engage in dialogue to revive negotiations towards some kind of resolution. But, when all 25 EU Member States voted in the UN General Assembly to support the resolution calling on Israel to comply with the ICJ ruling, Sharon’s response was to say that he saw no future role for the EU in reviving negotiations for a solution to the crisis. It seems to me, and to many other people, that the EU has tried diplomacy, issuing statements expressing deep concerns and making pleas for restraint, and clearly it has had no effect. This, together with Sharon’s statement that he no longer regards the EU as a negotiating partner, clearly indicates that the EU must seek to change the attitude of the Israeli government through other means. In the present circumstances the Israeli Government will only respond to measures that will have a negative effect on the Israeli electorate, and therefore its popularity or credibility. Imposing trade sanctions, starting with suspension of the Association Agreement, would be a clear signal to the Israeli Government that the EU is no longer prepared to stand by while the Palestinians are shot at, imprisoned, hounded, evicted and starved out of their land. I urge you to use your influence to ensure that this issue is considered by the Foreign Affairs Committee, and then promoted by you as a priority for action by the Commission. One objective of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy is ‘to develop and consolidate democracy and the rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms’. This is a clear opportunity to promote these principles and to take a step to making the world a safer place. 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