PARIS, February 24, 2010 (WAFA)- In a joint article by the French Minister of Foreign And European Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, and the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Miguel Angel Moratinos, published in the French daily 'Le Monde”, they said Europe should contribute to opening up a real political prospect.
The article, that was titled, When Will The Palestinian State Exist?, reads as follow: Europe should contribute to opening up a real political prospect At the International Donors’ Conference for the Palestinian State, held on 17 December 2007, $7.7 bn were pledged for the Palestinian Authority to 2010. The purpose of the financial support was to lay the economic, financial and institutional foundations of the future Palestinian state and to support President Abbas’s peace approach as the process initiated by the Annapolis Conference was getting under way.
Two years later, the Annapolis process has proved disappointing, but substantial progress has been made in laying the foundations for a Palestinian state, paving the way for a resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations aimed at a peace agreement.
This progress is due to two main factors: first, the undeniable - and unprecedented, at a donors’ conference - success of the Paris Conference, which resulted in the effective disbursement of €5.5 bn (€4.068 bn). The pledges have been honoured, making it possible to provide budget support for the Palestinian Authority, support development projects and respond to the country’s humanitarian needs.
But the international community’s support would be ineffective had the Palestinian Authority not undertaken a series of sound and credible reforms aimed at achieving financial transparency and fighting corruption. These reforms, implemented by the government of Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayaad, provided a compelling demonstration of the economic potential of the Palestinian Territories.
The institutions are working better, security of persons and property has improved and private investors are returning. The substantial reduction in obstacles to movement imposed by the Israeli armed forces as well as cooperation between the Israeli and Palestinian security forces also played a role in bringing about a return to economic growth (8% in 2009).
Is this enough? Of course not. The fiscal, security and institutional foundation of the Palestinian state is being laid, but it still needs to take shape politically and internationally.
The construction of the Palestinian state is an objective now shared by all. France and Spain welcomed, in particular, the speech by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at Bar-Ilan University and the announcement of a moratorium – albeit temporary and limited – on construction in the settlements.
Yet the political process has not yet been completed, despite the efforts made by George Mitchell. It lags behind the financial contributions by donors, notably the European Union, which provides more than 50% of the assistance made available to Palestine. To continue their efforts, moderates in both camps and donor nations need to be rewarded with a real political prospect.
Europe has unremittingly worked toward this goal, coordinating with Palestinians and Israelis and in working closely with the United States. Our meeting with George Mitchell in Brussels on 12 January, at which Catherine Ashton joined us, is a case in point, as is the adoption of ambitious conclusions on the Middle East by the Foreign Affairs Council on 8 December 2009.
Europe must now shoulder its responsibilities. It must do more than call attention – a necessary but often rhetorical exercise – to the irreducible contours of the final settlement: absolute security for Israel, recognition, at the proper time, of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, with an exchange of territory and with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.
The time has come for Europe to move forward by making proposals for political, security, and financial guarantees to help Israelis and Palestinians overcome the “risks of peace”. This interminable conflict must be settled. The European Union must play a role because it is a friend of Israel and of the Palestinian Authority and above all because its own long-term security is at stake: other far more alarming threats exist in this region and the Palestinian standoff is being exploited for purposes of propaganda and political diversion.
The time has therefore come to give assurances to both parties that the process Europe wishes to set in motion is irreversible. The Israeli people need assurance that their security and their Jewish identity will be guaranteed; the Palestinian people must have the certainty of regaining their dignity by winning the right to live in a viable, democratic and independent state.
To meet this challenge, Europe must work with its partners in the Peace Quartet - the United States, Russia and the United Nations - and with the Arab League Monitoring Committee, which includes several major Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan. Above and beyond the currently necessary but insufficient “proximity talks”, we must propose a tight negotiating timetable covering all final status issues (security, borders, water, refugees, Jerusalem) and a sound framework mechanism that takes on board the lessons learned from past mistakes.
Starting now, Europe could promote, on the ground, bold confidence-building measures for the benefit of both parties so as to encourage the resumption of negotiations, which should take place immediately.
Europe could also host a Peace Summit to support and guide this process and encourage the resumption of contacts aimed at a final peace settlement between Syria, Lebanon and Israel.
Following this, Europe would, as it has already undertaken to do, collectively recognise the Palestinian state so that Palestine would at long last become a fully-fledged member of the community of nations, living in peace and security side by side with the state of Israel. Next year will mark the twentieth anniversary of the Madrid Peace Conference where the peace negotiations began.
There is no time to lose. Europe must set things in motion. This is the fundamental message given to President Abbas during his visit to Paris on 21 and 22 February.
