Mr President, Mr Solana, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we face a very tragic situation in the Middle East. We all thought that after the Iraq War, more intensive efforts would be made to find a solution to this apparently unending Middle East conflict. Unfortunately, this hope has not become reality. We appear to be in a situation of hopelessness, and the spiral of violence is continuing to escalate. On behalf of our group, I would like to state very clearly that every suicide bombing is a crime against the young people who carry it out and a crime against the Israelis whom they take with them into death. This must be made very clear. We also say, however, that the ‘selective murder’ response, as Mr Solana has said – the policy of ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ – does not help to make peace possible. I would like to thank Commissioner Monti for what he said about the wall, for his great ability – we know he has other abilities as well – but I would particularly like to thank him for saying what he did, and for the way he said it. I would like to thank him very warmly for that. If you would permit me to make a personal remark, I can trace my political commitment back to when, at the start of 1962, I saw a wall in my own country. That is something that profoundly affects people’s hearts and spirits. I am profoundly convinced, ladies and gentlemen, that the construction of this wall is a very great tragedy. It is a tragedy for Israel too, because it will simply lead to more hatred and revulsion. It is not a measure that will genuinely promote peace, and in my view, the wall will not increase Israel’s security either. It must also be said that the illegal settlements are an ongoing factor preventing a peaceful solution. Let me say, not only on my own behalf, but also on behalf of my parliamentary group, that if a wall is constructed which leads to more hatred and more humiliation, this is a further argument, to my mind, for having an international peacekeeping force to keep the two hostile parties apart. I hope that a debate will begin, for once, about whether an international peacekeeping force ... (Applause) ... involving Europeans would be a way forward. From our point of view, it is clear that the aim must be for Israel to exist in secure borders. The aim must also be a Palestinian state in secure borders. We call on the key actors – Prime Minister Sharon, President Arafat, and the new Prime Minister Abu Ala – to give peace a chance and to overcome what are perhaps personal dislikes. Dialogue is essential, and Mr Solana, I would like to thank you particularly for what you are doing. I believe you really are doing what you have described, and that you are working day and night and talking to the key actors. Now, of course, the development must continue. As desperate as the situation may appear, human and political life is never entirely hopeless, for if it were, we would have to give up our efforts altogether. For this reason, a further effort is required from the European Union, the United States, the United Nations and Russia to ensure that the actors on both sides start talking to each other again. Perhaps we have an even greater responsibility than our American friends. After all, we always demand a great deal from the Americans. We criticise them when they do something and we criticise them when they do not. As Europeans, we should now, for once, take the initiative, especially since our American friends have other concerns with the start of the presidential election campaign – and we know how important are the groups in America whose support a candidate needs in order to be elected. We Europeans should therefore launch a genuine initiative here. Let me conclude by saying something that especially concerns the issue of human dignity. There are no second-class people. Everyone is equal, and everyone is equal in human dignity. This applies to the Europeans, it applies to the Americans, it applies to the Palestinians, it applies to the Israelis, and it applies to the Chechens and to everyone in the world. In the European Union, we are currently in the process of adopting a constitution, and this constitution is a process underpinned by values. I think we would do well to make people the focal point, and that is why we must adopt initiatives at this time to ensure that the dignity of the Palestinians is respected and the dignity of the Israelis is respected and that both nations have the chance to move into the future together in peace, in a democratic system. We should play a strong and pro-active role in this context. I would like to thank Mr Solana very warmly for all that he has contributed to date, and I hope that we will be more successful in future than we have been so far. (Applause)

Political group: PPE-DE