The 10 EU Foreign Affairs Ministers of Southern Europe, including Malta’s Michael Frendo, have called for an international force that will have the power to ensure order and respect of “a necessary cease-fire” between Israel and the Palestinians.
This was stated in an open letter addressed to the new Quartet Envoy for the Middle East, Tony Blair.
The letter was signed on 6 July in Portoroz, Slovenia by the Foreign Affairs Ministers of Malta, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Slovenia, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania.
It asked Mr Blair to take into consideration “Israel’s need for security” and closely examine the possibility of setting up a “robust, international force of the type of NATO or UN Chapter VII.”
This force would have “legitimate powers to ensure order in the territories and impose the respect of a necessary cease-fire. Obviously, the risks are high, but this force can be viable and reliable if two conditions are respected: that it is accompanied by a peace plan of which it should not be a substitute, and that it relies on an inter-Palestinian agreement.”
The letter pointed out that a series of negative factors added to the “seemingly endless story of attaining peace between Israel and the Palestinians”.
These factors included “the takeover of Gaza by Hamas, of course, the internal political difficulties in Israel, the US’s waiting game, Europe’s lack of conviction, in spite of the meritorious initiatives taken by Javier Solana and, especially, the terrible feeling of helplessness which seems to have gripped the international community.”
However, it added, even though the situation is discouraging “we cannot help feeling an unlikely sense of optimism.”
While praising Mr Blair’s courage, sense of common good and determination, the ministers pointed out that the crisis has “provoked a healthy awakening of consciousness which, paradoxically, makes progress finally possible.”
Hope was listed as one of the objectives – that will provide “a true political solution to the peoples of the region”.
The ministers said that this could be achieved through negotiation on the final status for an objective that was shared and realistic.
Another objective they called for was to obtain concrete and immediate measures from Israel, in favour of Mahmoud Abbas. These measures should include the transfer of all the taxes due, the liberation of thousands of prisoners who have no blood on their hands, the liberation of principal Palestinian leaders to ensure renewal within Fatah, the freezing of colonies and the evacuation of uncontrolled settlements.
Furthermore, they added, no time must be lost and “none of these measures can be objected to for security reasons. Europe and the Quartet have to say this firmly and in a friendly way to Israel.”
They also urged Mr Blair not to push Hamas to “escalation”.
“This means reopening the frontier between Gaza and Egypt and the facilitation of passage between Gaza and Israel, and to encourage Saudi Arabia and Egypt, just as President Mubarak had proposed, to re-establish dialogue between Hamas and Fatah.”
Finally, they added, these four objectives were within reach and this was a historic opportunity, if not the last.