Posted on 4/2/2002, 5:50:21 PM by RCW2001
| EU, Russia call for Israeli withdrawal | |
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(adds calling of extraordinary meeting)
By Daniel Flynn
MADRID, April 2 (Reuters) - The European Union called an
extraordinary meeting of foreign ministers to step up pressure
on Israel and won an endorsement of its Middle East policy from
Russia on Tuesday as Israeli-Palestinian violence raged.
EU president Spain summoned Israel's ambassador in Madrid to
demand that Israel withdraw its troops from Palestinian cities,
free Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and agree to an immediate
ceasefire in the West Bank.
The 15-nation bloc also called for free access for foreign
diplomats to Arafat, who is blockaded in his Ramallah
headquarters by Israeli forces.
Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique said after talks with
his Russian counterpart, Igor Ivanov, and EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana that he had spoken to the Israeli ambassador
to urge compliance with a weekend U.N. security council
resolution calling for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied
territories.
Spain then called an extraordinary meeting of EU foreign
ministers for Wednesday to discuss the Middle East, which
coincided with a Palestinian call for an emergency meeting of
Arab foreign ministers.
The EU last held such a rare emergency session after the
September 11 attacks on the United States, underlining the
gravity with which the Europeans regard the latest escalation of
the crisis in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
The meeting would be held at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in either
Brussels or Luxembourg but most likely Brussels, a Spanish
foreign ministry spokesman said.
"The crisis in the Middle East is sufficiently grave to
merit such a meeting," he said.
RUSSIAN BACKING FOR EU POSITION
The EU's position won strong backing from Ivanov.
"Russia's position corresponds almost precisely with that of
Spain," Ivanov said. "We all share the objective of fighting
international terrorism...but that cannot lead to the
destruction of an independent Palestinian authority."
"We are friends of Israel...but the immediate implementation
of the security council resolution is necessary," Ivanov said.
"There can be no other alternative".
Solana told Reuters after the news conference: "We cannot
confuse the fight against terrorism with the destruction of the
Palestinian Authority. The solution to the conflict is not a
military solution."
Six suicide bombings have rocked Israel since the Jewish
Passover festival began almost a week ago, sowing fear among
ordinary Israelis.
At least 1,132 Palestinians and 399 Israelis have been
killed since a Palestinian revolt against Israeli occupation
began in September 2000 after peace negotiations stalled.
In an interview with Spain's Cadena Ser radio on Tuesday,
Solana said it might be time for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon and Arafat to give way to a new generation of leaders.
"Sharon and Arafat...have lived through this conflict for
too long. I do not wish them any harm, but it would not appear
bad to me if they allowed other people to lead this conflict,"
he said.
"Neither of the two is a saint, and sometimes I think that
new generations of people in Israel and Palestine could strive
in the 21st century for the solution of this conflict."
((Madrid newsroom, +34 91 585-2160, fax +34 91 435-9666,
madrid.newsroom@reuters.com))
02 APR 2002 18:39:15 UPDATE 2-EU, Russia call for Israeli withdrawal
And exactly what part are the Palestinians going to play in this ceasefire? Sounds like a unilateral ceasefire is being called for?
No, it sounds like Israel's surrender is being called for. Remember, Israel exists because of European anti-Semitism.
If the Arabs can't bomb Israel into submission, what makes anyone think Israel can be whined into submission.
"The solution to the conflict is not a military one."
Have they given this lecture to the Palestinian's? He!! no. The EU is so full of s$#t it explodes out of their Anti-semetic mouth.
You don't understand the diplo-speak definition of "ceasefire." That means the Israelis abandon the West Bank and take no action against the Palestinians, while the Palestinians send into Israel all the suicide bombers they want, preferably on religious holidays.
I'm really surprised, though, that the Europeans haven't proposed a more humane way than nail bombs for the Palestinians to kill Jews. Perhaps the Palestinians could designate a bomb site and a European team could round up the Jews at the site and take them to a facility where they could be, say, gassed, which would be much more humane than being blown apart by a nail bomb. I bet the French and Germans would be happy to "help." (bitter sarcasm off/)
Bears repeating. Too bad half of America is Nazi now. Heck Germany was only 30% Nazi when it started the death camps.
No telling the EU's motivation, I suspect your theory to be true. In the case of Russia, I believe they simply echo the US sentiment, which is stop the fighting pretty soon before all hell breaks out.
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