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Home arrow newsitems arrow Abbas' warning not to cut Gaza from a Palestinian State stirs EU's 2Gs concerns deeper than thought

Abbas' warning not to cut Gaza from a Palestinian State stirs EU's 2Gs concerns deeper than thought

Written by ACM
Wednesday, 04 February 2009

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EU chair, Czech Prime Minister Topolanek, may have guessed better than he thought when he recently said here that his "presidency (1 to 6/2009) will be marked by the 2 Gs : Gaza and Gas", revealed Abbas' and other Gaza debates and contacts in EU Parliament in Strasbourg...

The risk for Gaza to be cut off from a future Palestinian State was highlighted during Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas' visit, as well as at other debates on the sidelines, which focused on the dramatic Human victims on the spot, on how to create a new Palestinian Unity coalition and how to address Israel's Security concerns.

- All this "aims at separating Gaza from the other Palestinian lands", Abbas warned from the outset, asking "not to allow the Division of our People", and of "its Geographic Unity", but to act "against any attempt for Separation". Gaza must not be divided from the rest of our Palestinian Homeland, he stressed.

This was echoed also at another Gaza debate which linked together 2 key MEPs in Strasbourg and 2 Palestinian representatives in Gaza, from Fatah and Hamas, thanks to EU Parliament's TV-TeleConference links :

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- "The problem, in Gaza is that Abbas has no control there", observed pro-Israeli MEP Goffrey Van Orden, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. And "we aren't speaking of 3 States, but of 2 States' solution", he reminded.

- "If there is no peace progress, but settlers and other occupation incidents continue, even West Bank could become like Gaza", warned a Fatah representative, receiving van Orden's agreement as far as settlements are concerned.

Nobody contested that Thousands of innocent Civilians killed, including many Children and Women, many Homes and half of the economic infrastructure destroyed in Gaza was "appalling". As well as that rockets fired earlier by Hamas against Israel were an error.

But views diverged mainly on responsibilities (was it Hamas' rockets or Israeli Army's   "disproportionate" reaction ?), and in certain key parts of the solution to bring.

Noone mentioned the fact that both the break-up of Oslo Peace proces back in 2000 and the recent 2007-2009 Gaza upheavals, occured shortly after findings that huge Gas deposits at Gulf of Mexico's deap Sea, similar to Eastern Mediteranean's geology, might be retrieved by modern methods...

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This obviously made of Gaza's Sea Coast a huge Energy stake. Geologists in a European/International Conference in Strasbourg since 2002, revealed to "EuroFora" that recent research (from 1998-2000), pointed towards probable big Gas findings allover from Egypt's coasts to Gaza, Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus' southern coast, from 1 to 2 km deep. And in 2006, former US President George Bush anounced that Gulf of Mexico's deep sea Gas findings (of similar geologic nature) would cover America's 50% energy needs

But it was yet unclear who might have manipulated whom, in the Middle East complex mig-mar, (added to the even larger complexity of GeoPolitical games played over Energy sources all over the World), and for what precise aims, in order to eventually provoke dramatic clashes hindering peaceful cooperation and sharing of new natural resources, (which might have facilitated a political solution).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            .
Thus, chair of EU - Palestinian Legislative Council delegation, MEP Kyriakos Triantafyllides, focused on possibilities for a settlement through Palestinian Reconciliation, and a Government of National Unity able to agree with Israel on a renewed Peace proces, to bring the occupation towards an end, with many Arab countries ready to recognize Israel.

Echoeing EU Commissioner Michel, he also observed that EU raxpayers' money should not be spend for buildings risking to be destroyed again at a next clash. From now on, well beyond the urgent need for Humanitarian aid to arrive on the spot, the necessary Reconstruction should be  linked to steps towards Peace.

"Hamas is open to speak" and "should not be pushed to a corner", said a former Hamas' spokesman, who claimed, however, that Fatah "got nothing" after recognizing Israel, apparently preferring to keep that move as a last card to play. He also expected "from the Obama Administration to be more productive"."

Of course Hamas can play a role in the future when it stands up to a peaceful proces. But there is no justification for the rockets fired at Israel", said EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering.

Van Orden, speaking to "EuroFora" stressed that a key was to find a guarantee for Israel's "Security concerns", mainly weapons smuglling and rockets.

Abbas (as well as Hamas) supported EU playing also a Political role, and asked to "send International forces to protect our People", even if an EU-led International Peace force was not yet explicitly mentioned.

Since the 2006 Lebanon crisis, an International Peace-keeping force led by France, including a Maritime fleet headed by Germany and headquarted in Cyprus, keep an efficient presence at the surrounding area.

EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering, reminded interesting political talks he had with Syrian President Assad Jr. and others  "on July" 2008, "in Paris"' EU - Mediterranean Summit.

Meanwhile, the Diplomatic organizer of Paris' Mediterranean Summit, French President Sarkozy's former councellor, Alain Le Roy, became the new UN under-Secretary General in charge of International Peace keeping operations all over the World..

A Turkish Media attempt to push Ankara in the already complicated and dramatic scene at the former Ottoman Empire area, by exploiting a verbal exchange between Turkish prime minister Erdogan and Israeli president Peres at Davos luxurius Holiday ressort, was rather downplayed by Abbas, apparently focused more towards the Future than to the Past :

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He only mentioned "Syria - Israel" negotiations with Turkey's mediation in this regard, and agreed that Turkey could play a role "as in the Past". As for Davos, he carefully referred "to Media sources", to find out what really happened.

Strasbourg contacts, including a Middle-East Committee meeting with Abbas and others, exceptionally behind closed doors "in camera", and a Cultural spectacle on a Palestinian Poet (curiously overburdened by local "Security" obstacles), paved the way to a series of EU steps in the forthcoming weeks, including a visit by EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering in Gaza, in close coordination with EU Council and Commissioner Ferrero Waldner's moves.

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(Note on the Middle East : "EuroFora"'s current editors acknowledge that they are not fluent in Middle East politics, which are extremely complex from the Political point of view, and tragic from a Humanitarian point of view. Thus, and at least for the moment, any mention or (involuntary) ommission of facts should not be perceived by any readers as an expression of taking one or another stance. "EuroFora"s aim is not at all to take any stance, but only to find and publish Topical News on Facts able to stimulate Public Debate.)
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    Scientific innovation joined to Faith for Human Rights, Eastern Partnership and fight against the Crisis, but above all, the need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" from EU Citizens, are the main priorities for new EU Parliament's President, Polish Jerzy Buzek, that a 555-votes-strong majority of MEPs on July 14,  Strasbourg made a living symbol of the fact that, 20 years after the fall of Berlin Wall (1989 - 2009) there is no more an Eastern or Western Europe, but only one Europe, as the head of the largest group of MEPs, ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul, stressed after the event.

    Speaking later to a group of Strasbourg's Journalists, including "EuroFora", the new EU Parliament's President clarified his stance on concrete topical issues, as f.ex. that of Turkey's controversial EU bid, which was one of the main issues of the June 2009 Electoral campain, clearly won by his party of ChristianDemocrats/EPP :  - "At present, Turkey does not fullfil none of EU conditions", he stressed, (See infra).

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    Buzek is well known in Strasbourg and to "EuroFora" as EU Rapporteur for the Framework Program of Scientific Research and Development of Technologies. A Natural Science Professor from the Historic and Religious landmark Polish City of Częstochowa, active in the famous Solidarnosk grass-roots social movement, he served 4 years as Prime Minister (1997-2001), before being elected as MEP in 2004 and 2009, after he brillantly won the latest EU Election at the head of his party (EPP) almost doubling the number of its MEPs from 15 to 28 !

    - "Innovation" and "Energy safety", as well as fight against the "Cimat change", but also "Eastern Partnership", the "Mediterranean", "Strategic partnerships" with Russia, the USA, etc, and the search for "solutions to the Economic Crisis" that EU Citizens "expect" from us, will be his "priorities", announced from the outset the new EU Parliament's President, reminding also that the quest for "Human and Civic Rights" played an important role in his experience with the Solidarnosc grass-roots social movement in Poland's History

    But, the most important of all, is the urgent need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" between EU Institutions and the People he stressed : - EU "Citizens often don't understand us", denounced Buzek, launcing a call to "do anything for EU Citizens to understand our work" in EU Parliament : "We (MEPs) need to make EU Citizens involved" in "what we are doing every week, in Strasbourg and Brussels", he proposed. Pointing f.ex. to the hot "Debates" with "strong arguments" exchanged between MEPs during the preparation of their Legislative Decisions, in Committees, delivering often hard struggles between initially opposed points of view, long before forging a majority at the final vote, sometimes more than a year..

    Therefore, EU Parliament will be "open to your criticism, for discussion and exchange of views", he promissed to Journalists in Strasbourg.

    In this way, Buzek, in fact, highlighted "EuroFora"s main idea, that we strongly advocate since 1997-2007, to systematicaly and actively involve EU Citizens in public debates during the decision-making process of important EU measures, which affect their lives and the society in which they live, (and not only just a few weeks each 4 or 5 Years at the eve of EU Elections)...
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    This is related also to the symbolic gift that Buzek chose to give to the out-going former EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering, (2007-2009), his collegue in the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, who brillantly won 2009 EU Elections in Germany : A genuine statute of sainte Barbara crafted in Silesia's black Coal by Polish Miners : Those simple but strong people who fought for social change against some technocrats and bureaucrats disguissed into so-called "real-socialists" of old times. (PHOTO).

    It's enough to have seen a popular open air mass, at Warsaw's center, with many thousands of people, old and young, simple workers and intellectuals mixed together, with references to Poland's history and struggles for survival and liberty, through various ages, (as fex. that organized at the eve of CoE's 2005 panEuropean Heads of State and Government for the beatification of late Pope John-Paul II), in order to understand what such symbols mean..

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    But, overcoming the "Crisis of Trust" with EU Citizens obviously implies also to rectify any errors done in the past, fex. on Turkey's controversial EU bid, with controversial decisions taken in 1999 and 2004 to give a "candidate" status and to start EU negotiations, provoking an unprecedented series of 3 "No" to EuroReferenda and 3 Majoriy Abstentions in EU Parliament Elections : 1999, 2005 and 2009, (even if the latest one succeeded to decelerate and almost stop the drop of participation rates, opening hopes for vote's revival after an electoral campaign clearly critical to Turkey's claims in several mainstream EU countries)
    
    Therefore, Buzek was faced with manifold critical Questions on EU Enlargement, most of them citting concrete examples of certain political problems  :  But his replies were almost always given as a matter of general principle :

    F.ex. Questioned on the suspension of EU - Croatia talks because of a Border conflict with EU Member Slovenia, Buzek prefered to speak about principles :

- "We know that during Enlargement, the process can be blocked by failure to resolve this kind of issues",  This concerns also other enlargments' cases", and "these rules are always in force" he warned.


But Buzek avoided to directly reply to a queston on "French and German EPP' calls to define the Borders of Europe", as a German journalist asked him by making a reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor Angie Merkel's, critical statements on Turkey at the June 2009 Electoral campain.    

- "Concerning Enlargement, there's always the same rules : There have to be Criteria, which have to be respected if a Country wants to join the EU", he started to simply reply.

- "For my country (Poland) it took us 15 Years to fullfil these Criteria", Buzek reminded, indicating, if proportions are kept, that Turkey, fex. would have to spend some 25 years before eventually joining the EU..

- "Countries wishing to join the EU need to Change their Systems", as we (Poland and other former Eastern European Countries) did, he stressed.

- "'For me, meeting the condition of Human Rights is one of the Key conditions for membership in the EU", preferring again to speak from the point of view of General Principles, on the occasion of an untimely question on Serbia (which is not even a candidate yet)...

- "Turkey" has, "first of all", to fullfil (EU) Copenhagen criteria". Bevause, currently, none of them is fullfiled by Turkey", New EU Parliament's President, denounced, speaking later to a group of Journalists, including "EuroFora".

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In particular, on Human Rights :  - "We (EU) can never forget Human Rights", because "this is at the very Foundations of the EU", Buzek added.

On the contrary, when he referred to EU Enlargment for the  "Western Balkans Countries ", Buzek appeared upbeat, finding "promising situations", despite "difficulties" in the Past, since "Countries are queuing to become EU members", and this "generated changes", as he said.

As for Russia, Buzek observed that it was a "very important" country, located "in the same Continent", Europe,  "close to our borders", and "we need eachother". "But Russia' has 'differend poblems : "They claim that their system is Democratic, but rules are differend", and we must be "aware of such differencies", fex. "on Human Rights", that we can't ignore, as he said;

Concerning China, where a journalist observed that the recipient of EU Parliament's latest "Sakharov prize" for freedom of thought is "still in prison", Buzek found that since the 1999 events in Tien Amin square, "we see differencies on Human Rights still today", and expressed his "support" for those who try to ameliorate the situation.

On the contrary, speaking recently to "EuroFora" he strongly supported the idea for an EU - Ukraine cooperation, fex. between Airbus and Antonov, in order to build a  less costly but more performant than the old and problematic A400M, new Military Transport Airplane : - "They (Ukranian Antonov Company) can certainly do it. I'm sure they can. It's a good Idea, and I'd be glad if it was done", he told us. (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/airbusantonov.html )


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