Middle East Peace Process & The World Bank ~Must Read

[Mrs. Sharon B. Hodge]

From: Israel- Zechariah 12:9
Date: Oct 10, 2008 8:14 PM


KJV~Daniel 9:27: And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.


"The EU should be prepared to strengthen its relationship with Israel in the context of progress in the peace process.
The EU should use all the instruments at its disposal, including the European Neighbourhood Policy"





http://ec.
europa. eu/world/enp/index_en.
htm


http://ec.
europa. eu/world/index_en.
htm


http://www.
abhaber. com/ozelhaber.
php?id=1708




Malta Independent - Opinions Article

Key player in the Middle East

"The official position of the EU since 2003 has been to bear the staged implementation of the Road Map, working within the Quartet, on the potential for a political completion and, as a major funder, mounting assistance and state-building operations in the Palestinian territories.
"

"The World Bank in Brussels aims to offer a wide range of products and events that are of interest to the Brussels-based media. Our office regularly organizes pre-embargo report launches like the World Development Report, the Global Economic Prospectsand the Global Development Finance.
"
http://web. worldbank. org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/PARTNERS/WBEU...


To view details of article http://www.
independent. com. mt/news.
asp?newsitemid=73659



As Members of the European Parliament are currently in their countries for the summer time and parliamentary work in Brussels slows down, the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering was full of activity with an official visit to Lebanon and Syria, which started last Wednesday and will come to an end today.



This is considered to be a significant visit to the Middle East in order for the European Parliament to endorse the political obligation to promote and work for more peace in this zone. Additionally such visit is intended to apply more efforts for the realisation of a comprehensive peace agreement, involving all the countries of the region. This visit to the Middle East is the second one of President Pöttering to the region. In May 2007 the EP President visited Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan.



It is a fundamental aim for the European Union to see the achievement of lasting peace in the Middle East. The EU should be seen as a reliable and trusted partner and can play a role as a catalyst. The current re-launch of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, most notably with the creation of the Union for the Mediterranean in Paris mid-July, is to be seen as a skylight of openings in that respect. This will create a more equal dialogue between the wealthy EU and the poorer states that border the Mediterranean.



One might question what the EU’s role has been so far, and whether this is the moment for EU, whose involvement in the Middle East Peace Process (MEPP) may have been unsung, to put all its weight behind re-launching efforts to bring the parties as one and make progress at the negotiating table and on the ground.



Pöttering’s visit to Lebanon and Syria, among other things, was highlighted by his affirmation that European officials are “ready to be involved as honest brokers whenever this is felt appropriate” and hence ready to function as an intermediary between Israel and Syria as regards to peace talks. The EU has always supported a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Arab conflict and such pronouncement confirms that EU is keen to work in this direction. Pöttering’s stressed that the EU could play a decisive role in the territory by acting as a third party between Israel and different Palestinian and Lebanese political factions, thus the EU is seeking a role in securing the situation between Israel and its neighbours. This should be the way forward.



The EU should be prepared to strengthen its relationship with Israel in the context of progress in the peace process. The EU should use all the instruments at its disposal, including the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). Such policy is intended to avoid the emergence of new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and our neighbours and instead strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of all concerned. The EU offers our neighbours a privileged relationship, building upon a mutual commitment to common values.



Obviously the level of such relationship will depend on the degree to which these values are united and shared. Although it doesn’t prejudge, the ENP remains distinct from the process of enlargement for European neighbours, how their relationship with the EU may get bigger in the future, in accord with Treaty provisions.



Taking advantage from Pöttering’s visit, the EU should never tolerate the peace process in the Middle East to be held hostage by any faction, individual, or state and should always refuse to go along with attempts by extremists on both sides to ruin the course of development. Undeniably the EU needs to increase and sustain its efforts to work more closely with all the main players towards an inclusive peace process and settlement.



The official position of the EU since 2003 has been to bear the staged implementation of the Road Map, working within the Quartet, on the potential for a political completion and, as a major funder, mounting assistance and state-building operations in the Palestinian territories. The EU task has been on the go but inconspicuous, and is largely unnoticed by the Western public, though it is observable on the ground and acknowledged as helpful by the Arabs. However, the Israelis are more undecided about the European role.



The EU has contributed substantial funding to the Palestinian Authority (PA) with the intention of sustaining the PA and building a viable Palestinian state with functioning institutions, necessary if the two state solutions are to become a reality. The EU has also taken realistic steps to assist state-building through the budgetary support, with the establishment of the Coordinating Office for Palestinian Police Support and the Rafah border crossing mission.



The EU has always worked hard to build and retain good associations and interaction with all the states of the region, in particular those which have a role in the ruling of the quarrel. Through the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and under the European Neighbourhood Policy, the EU has strengthened relations with Israel, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, as well as the Palestinian Authority, based on Action Plans. The implementation of the Action Plan with the Palestinian Authority was poised following the election of Hamas in January 2006.



As a matter of fact the trustworthiness of the Middle East Peace Process needs to be restored by a transformed, renewed, concerted and sustained effort by the whole international community. As a Member in the European Parliament I clearly believe that the EU, which has many interests at stake in this region, should participate actively and powerfully in such an effort.





David Casa is a Nationalist Member of the European Parliament and forms part of the Foreign Affairs Committee within the European Parliament



[e-mail]

www. davidcasa.
eu