WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/02 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council. Christ's new flight from Bethlehem.
Date: 2002-01-23
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Christian, EU aid, Israel, Palestine question, migration, the EU's international role, violence

C 229 E/48

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

26.9.2002

The Union is considering how it might play a more effective role in bringing the country out of its self-
imposed isolation and encouraging it to meet the standards of behaviour set out notably in the documents
of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It will again make clear to the
Belarussian authorities that a closer relationship with the Union will require a radical change of policy on
their part.

In particular this means that elections are conducted in a way which offers the voters a genuine choice,
with opposition parties participating on equal
terms; an end to harassment of non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), opposition figures and the media, and the release of political detainees. The
Commission also continues to support civil society in Belarus through its Tacis programme, and it expects
the Union to reiterate to the Belarussian government that restrictions on the operation and funding of
NGOs must be removed.

(2002/C 229 E/050)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0001/02

by Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 January 2002)

Subject: MEDA funding and culture

The MEDA I and MEDA II regulations make express provision for the promotion of cultural cooperation
as part of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. To date this policy has been implemented through the
Heritage programme, which primarily focuses on the partners’ cultural heritage and architectural traditions.

In view of the current political situation, which makes mutual comprehension and the strengthening of
relations between the peoples of the European Union and the partner countries a necessity, does the
Commission believe that a new programme for cultural cooperation should be designed and implemented,
dealing with the dissemination of art, history, philosophy and religion? If so, does the Commission think
that new structures and opportunities should be created to enable Euro-Mediterranean cross-cultural
dialogue and cooperation to gain renewed impetus and drive and to become a factor contributing to
rapprochement, trust and stability in the region?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(12 February 2002)

The Commission shares the need to reinforce mutual comprehension and to strengthen relations between
the peoples of the Union and the Mediterranean Partner Countries.

The Commission will shortly submit a Communication aimed at strengthening the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership in view of the Ministerial meeting that will be held in Valencia, Spain this April.

Within this context, the Commission intends to present new initiatives which would encompass topics
related to cross cultural dialogue such as those mentioned by the Honourable Member.

(2002/C 229 E/051)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0003/02

by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the Council

(23 January 2002)

Subject: Christ’s new flight from Bethlehem

The refusal of the Sharon government 8 opposed by a majority of Israeli citizens 8 to allow the
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to visit Bethlehem at Christmas should be seen within the context not only
of a general plan to humiliate and discredit Arafat, but also of attempts to ‘ethnically cleanse’ the
Bethlehem area of its Arab Christian population.

26.9.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 229 E/49

When the state of Israel was founded in 1948, 95 % of the population were Palestinian Christians (the
majority of them Greek Orthodox, together with a large number of Catholics and Armenian Christians),
but this percentage has now been reduced to 45 %. The exodus of Palestinian Christians 8 mainly to
Australia and North and South America 8 has in recent months reached dangerous proportions, with
Israeli armoured units entering Bethlehem, the death of 20 Palestinians last October and the destruction of
200 homes belonging to Greek Orthodox Palestinians.

As seen in the barring of Arafat’s visit on Christmas night, the Sharon government is endeavouring
through both military and political means to wipe out the Palestinian Christian element in Bethlehem,
its religious
because this element remains true to its Arabic identity,
convictions, has not wandered onto the path of Islamic extremism, which would have made it politically
vulnerable; it also has the support of Christian churches in the West and, in theory, would be able to
survive economically through religious tourism.

is moderate and, because of

In addition to the general initiatives for the Middle East, what particular action does the Council intend to
take with regard to the Israeli Government to ensure that the Palestinians in the Bethlehem area 8 who are
mainly Christians 8 remain there?

Reply

(27 June 2002)

The Council underlines that the important contribution which the EU as a leading donor has made in the
past
the Palestinian Authority and to lay the seeds for genuine economic
development has, in the eyes of the Council, benefited Palestinians of all faiths in the Occupied Territories.

to avert a collapse of

(2002/C 229 E/052)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0009/02

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(17 January 2002)

Subject: Postponement and prevention of the construction, using European money, of a harbour and an

airport on the Palestinian territory around the city of Gaza

1.
Is the Commission aware that the small, densely populated Palestinian area around the city of Gaza,
which from 1948 to 1967 was administered as part of Egypt and was then under Israeli military control
for a long period, is still, even after the coming of Palestinian self-government, only accessible to the
outside world via land links with Israel, and that the area is, as a result, totally dependent for the transport
of passengers and goods on the ports of Ashdod and Haifa and on Lod airport, all of which are situated in
Israel?

2.
Does the Commission agree that without a port and airport of their own the autonomous Palestinian
territories cannot develop into a neighbour on an equal economic footing with Israel and that, despite
Israeli objections, European support should be given to enable these facilities to be funded, constructed
without disturbance and used on a permanent basis?

3. What is the Commission’s view of the announcement of 4 December 2001 by the Netherlands
Minister for Development Cooperation to the effect that because of permanent opposition the country
would be definitively withdrawing a sum of 23 million euro granted at the beginning of the nineties 8 of
which a good 20 % has already been spent 8 and breaking off a contract with a Dutch-French building
consortium, after which it would probably do nothing other than submitting a claim for damages to the
Israeli government?

4.
Can the Commission say what the chances are of implementing the plans to provide Gaza with an
independently functioning port and airport, now that as a result of Israeli opposition the preparations have
been delayed for years, damage has been done to both sites by the Israeli army in the course of 2001 and,
as a result, part of the necessary funding could now be lost?