Javier Solana: EU Prepared to Step up Engagement
The EU is ready to make the Gaza disengagement work, says Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign & Security Policy – with the hope and commitment that soon after, the road to a two-state settlement can be resumed
Israel's disengagement from Gaza and parts of the northern West Bank has now started. This is a momentous occasion, for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. For a long time, the quest for a Palestinian state seemed hopeless. Now the parties have a chance to do something about it.
It is manifestly in the interest of Palestinians, Israelis and indeed the rest of the world that this operation is a success, with both sides facing important elections next year. We therefore need responsible action and leadership by all concerned, including the wider international community.
Disengagement is a huge challenge but also a great opportunity. If successful, it could revive the long-stalled peace process and enable a return to the negotiating track and the implementation of the Roadmap.
The dramatic nature of the operation
The stakes in handling the political, security and socio-economic dimensions of disengagement are high. Prime Minister Sharon's determination to proceed in the face of significant opposition from within his own Likud party is striking enough. But seeing Israeli forces having to forcibly remove settler communities highlights the dramatic nature of the operation and underscores the support that the Israeli government deserves.
For the Palestinians disengagement is a chance to win over the sceptics, in Israel and elsewhere, that they can actually run their own affairs in a responsible manner. If they rise to the occasion, it could provide them with the much-needed hope and reassurance that they are on their way to full statehood across the occupied territories.
The security aspects of disengagement are essential for its success. For Israel, the logical priority is to ensure that Gaza will not become hostile territory from which terrorists launch attacks on neighbouring communities and the rest of Israel. The PA faces tough decisions on improving its ability to maintain law and order.
Respect for the rule of law
Statehood means, as President Abbas has emphasised, respect for the rule of law and a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. Both for the sake of disengagement but also to promote a return to political negotiations afterwards, the PA must move against those individuals and groups who continue to use violence.
Then there is the challenge of handling the economics of disengagement. All parties have an interest in ensuring the economic viability of one of the most deprived, over-populated and ill-serviced areas of the Middle East.
Amid all this, one thing is clear: we simply cannot afford to fail. That will be my clear message when I visit the region at the end of the month. I will also stress the European Union's willingness to do whatever it can to help, at the request of the parties. The EU is already strongly engaged, with the parties and on the ground, in support of disengagement and the peace process. And it will continue to be so in the weeks and months ahead, in a spirit of friendship and partnership with both peoples.
The European Union and the Palestinians
The EU and its member-states have long been by far the largest donor to the Palestinians, giving both € 500 million annually in emergency support and medium-term assistance to institution building projects. The European Commission has set aside € 60 million especially for the disengagement process.
Moreover, the EU backs and supports the efforts of Quartet Envoy Jim Wolfensohn, making sure that our efforts are co-ordinated carefully with other donors and spent to the greatest effect.
In addition, the EU is ready, if asked by the parties, to play the role of third party in the area of customs management and border control. This would help to facilitate a free flow of goods and people between Gaza and the rest of the world, in a manner that addresses Israel's security concerns.
We are also helping the Palestinians to consolidate the various security organisations under a clear political chain of control. Through training, equipment and financial support, the EU and the member-states are helping Palestinian police forces to increase their operational capacity and transform their organisational set up.
EU prepared to step up our engagement
A core unit of EU advisers is already deployed in Ramallah and Gaza city. Provided that benchmarks for performance and accountability are met, we are ready to expand our commitments in the area of security.
All these steps, co-ordinated closely with the US and others in the Quartet, present tangible evidence that the EU does not just say it wants disengagement to succeed: we are prepared to step up our engagement to make that happen.
We know from experience that the search for peace in the Middle East is hard, and that the absence of peace hurts all of us, inside the region and beyond. That is why today and tomorrow our efforts should be focused on making disengagement work.
But we should do so with the hope and commitment that soon after, we can build on a successful disengagement to re-start the negotiating track and resume the road to a two-state settlement. In that context we will have to deal with post-Gaza issues including further withdrawals from the West Bank, the routing of the barrier and Jerusalem.
Windows of opportunity are rare enough in international politics and especially in the troubled Middle East. We cannot afford to simply let it close.
Javier Solana
This article was previously published by the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung.
© Süddeutsche Zeitung 2005
Javier Solana is EU High Representative for the Common Foreign & Security Policy.
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