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

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 :

- "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...

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 :

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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