Madam President, it is true that the situation seems to have settled into a horrendous vicious circle in which there are threats and acts of violence from both sides, such as the attack just a few hours ago in West Jerusalem. We should all be wondering how we have been able to get into this situation, when, in January of this year, the then Labour Government of Israel put forward a peace proposal which today seems almost unimaginable. However, the Prime Minister, Mr Sharon, could also be asking himself whether the sense of insecurity which his compatriots are feeling today is greater or less than before he won the election comfortably. Yasser Arafat could also be asking himself whether his people are living better or worse than eleven months ago when the Intifada began. I do not believe that we should be attributing blame here and I do not think we should be indulging in a simplistic reading of the events, but there is no doubt that the break-up of the negotiations has had a profound effect on Israeli and Palestinian public opinion. In Israel this has meant that broad sections of the left in that country, above all those who were most involved in the negotiations at Sharm El Sheik, Camp David and Taba, are deeply disappointed in the Palestinian leader. This emotional reaction is combined with a more reflective reaction from some representatives of the right in Israel who agree on denying Mr Arafat the opportunity to negotiate. My group, Madam President, believes that this attitude is profoundly mistaken and that it in no way contributes to a recovery of the peace process. In the current circumstances it may be that Mr Arafat still has additional room for manoeuvre in terms of halting the violence, but he surely has less than the Israeli authorities are demanding of him. And, in any event, there is not the slightest sign on the horizon of any alternative possibility of negotiation on the Palestinian side. There is clearly nothing edifying about the situation of the Palestinian territories, whose citizens are living with a sense of humiliation and indignity, which is fertile ground for radical fundamentalism. But now more than ever the Palestinian Authority should demonstrate that it is prepared to comply with, and ensure compliance with, a peace agreement which in no way is going to fulfil all their aspirations. Despite the pessimism reigning on both sides, or perhaps because of it, the role of the international community is now essential. The European Union now has a broader margin for action, which it must exploit through specific contributions, using its economic influence in the area for political ends, ensuring that its development aid is applied to projects which bring specific benefits to the population and that, of course, it is coherent with the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and creating better and closer coordination with the negotiating forces of the US Government. Madam President, on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the Madrid Conference, the European Union must recover the principle of ‘peace for land’, which inspired the peace talks. Like ten years ago, we Europeans now have to double our efforts, and my parliamentary group would therefore like to ask the Belgian Presidency to propose to the Council that we need to reinforce the team of our Special Representative, Mr Moratinos. (Applause from the right)

Political group: PPE-DE