B4-0336, 0352, 0353, 0354, 0355, 0360, 0362 and 0365/96

Resolution on the terrorist attacks and the peace process in the Middle East

The European Parliament,

- recalling its earlier resolutions on the Middle East peace process,

- having regard to the Barcelona Declaration which provides for the need for all its participants to strengthen cooperation measures to prevent terrorism and to fight against it together,

- having regard to the declaration by the President-in-Office of the Council at the close of the informal meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Fifteen in Palermo (Italy, 9 to 10 March 1996),

A. appalled at the scale and cruelty of the terrorist attacks which have struck at the very heart of Israel and its people,

B. whereas the aim of these attacks and of the extremist movements is to destroy the Middle East peace process,

C. welcoming the measures to be taken by the Government of Israel and the Palestine National Authority in response to the bomb attacks,

D. whereas a comprehensive peace settlement needs to be achieved in the Middle East, since this is the only means of bringing about the security and economic development for which all the populations concerned are hoping,

1. Strongly condemns the recent terrorist attacks in Israel and offers its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, to the entire Israeli population and its leaders;

2. Strongly condemns the leaders of the Hamas movement and those of other extremist movements who are inciting their followers to commit acts of violence and to destroy the peace process;

3. Condemns with the utmost vigour those who are behind these terrorist attacks and all the individuals or authorities who lend the terrorists direct or indirect support of any kind, including words of support and a refusal to condemn the acts of terrorism;

4. Regrets that, according to Syria's official press, its government has so far refused to condemn these acts of terrorism and to ascribe what it terms 'acts of resistance' to terrorism, and awaits a vigorous condemnation by Syria, a signatory to the Barcelona Declaration, of the recent terrorist attacks in Israel;

5. Condemns the Iranian Government for its political and practical support for the terrorists and notes that the critical dialogue with Iran has not produced any concrete results to date; calls, therefore, on the Council and the Member States to exert pressure on Iran to cease its collaboration with and aid to the terrorists;

6. Notes the Council's decision to send a mission from the Troïka to Iran, Libya and Syria to persuade them to issue a strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism and of any form of aid whatsoever to the terrorist groups;

7. Welcomes Jordan's tough stance towards the terrorists and its determination to collaborate fully in the fight against terrorism;

8. Appreciates the efforts made by the Palestinian Authority to uphold the law and arrest those responsible for these crimes and calls on it to continue its cooperation with the Israeli authorities and crack down with the utmost severity on those who incite the suicide squads and other persons who commit terrorist acts until the terrorist groups are completely disbanded;

9. Regrets that the closure of the borders has brought about a deterioration in the social and economic situation in the territories; calls for the Union's humanitarian assistance and its aid for reconstruction in the territories to be continued and stepped up, whilst ensuring that Hamas or other extremist movements cannot benefit directly or indirectly in any way from these funds;

10. Stresses its belief that there is no viable alternative to the peace process initiated at the Madrid Conference for ensuring long-term peace and stability in the region and emphasizes that it would be a disaster for the entire region to slide into the inevitability of war, as intended by the perpetrators of these criminal acts, and that everything possible must therefore be done to restore and strengthen the peace process;

11. Believes that if the Palestinian Authority carried out its commitment to erase all references in the 'Palestinian Charter' to the elimination of the State of Israel, this would make a significant contribution to the restoration of confidence necessary for the essential continuation of the peace process; calls therefore for this to be done immediately;

12. Welcomes the decision to hold an international conference against terrorism in Sharm-el-Sheik (Egypt), and regrets that certain Middle East countries have not attended this summit; hopes that practical anti-terrorist measures will result from the conference;

13. Calls on the Member States to cooperate with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities in the fight against terrorism in all its forms;

14. Considers that promoting the economic and social development of the peoples of the region is also necessary to ensure stability in the Middle East, and that the European Union must play a leading role in helping to improve the living conditions of these peoples;

15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of the State of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the governments of Jordan, Syria, Iran and Libya, and to the governments of the states of the Middle East, the Gulf States and the southern Mediterranean States.