The European Union is increasing its pressure on Israel to accept a two-state solution as the only way to permanently resolve the conflict with the Palestinians. To this end, there is already a formal proposal for a “comprehensive” peace plan, which envisages the creation of a Palestinian state alongside the Israeli one as a non-negotiable element. The pressure is led by countries such as Spain and Belgium, which this Monday even called for an “immediate” ceasefire both on their behalf and on behalf of the EU Council, which they preside over this semester, although the official position of the twenty – Seventh: Given the refusal of countries like Germany or Austria to go further, it limits itself to calling for “humanitarian breaks”.
However, it became clear at the meeting that a growing number of member states, such as Italy and France, openly view the overwhelming number of dead Palestinian civilians, now at over 25,000, as intolerable. In a ministerial debate convened at the UN Security Council on Tuesday, the French presidency also proposed “seeking a political, security and humanitarian solution to the crisis and opening a permanent ceasefire.”
“More deaths, more destruction will not help defeat Hamas and its ideology, it will not bring more security for Israel.” “That is why we must redouble our international efforts to move from this deadly confrontation to a resolution,” warned senior foreign policy official Josep Borrell at the end of the meeting in Brussels, where he asked to stop talking about the peace process in general and calls for a “two-state solution” in particular. “That’s what we really want to achieve,” he added.
At their first meeting this year, the heads of European diplomacy discussed with their Israeli counterpart Israel Katz and – separately – with the Palestinian Riyad al Maliki, as well as with key representatives of the region – Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the Arab League way of articulating a peace process, for which Borrell proposes the holding of a “preparatory” peace conference that would lay the foundation for a final negotiation of a two-state solution.
The Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares welcomed this idea, which, he recalled, the Spanish Government had already managed to make it an initiative of the Twenty-seven at the European Council at the end of October. Both Spain and Belgium have expressed their willingness to host this future conference, although no one has yet dared to set a date for it.
“The EU and the international community as a whole support the idea of two states and it is time to talk about the implementation of a realistic and viable Palestinian state – under a Palestinian Authority, with a corridor, access to the sea and capital in East Jerusalem – that it coexists with Israel and that both guarantee peace and security,” Albares said. “Palestinians and Israelis have exactly the same right to peace and security,” he added, while emphasizing that it is a solution that also promotes the peace and stability of “Israel and the entire Middle East.”
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The head of Spanish diplomacy also called for an “immediate” ceasefire, “unconditional” humanitarian access to Gaza, the “unconditional and immediate” release of the Hamas hostages and the handover of the held funds to the Palestinian Authority to create a separate Palestinian state as “the only guarantee of what we all agree on: that peace will return.” Spain will “maintain its economic, diplomatic and humanitarian support to make all this possible,” he added at a press conference.
Proof of the difficulty of this peace process, with the two-state solution on the horizon, is the position of Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, who, as Borrell has revealed, has ignored the ministers who have called for the recognition of a Palestinian state, which has been followed by the terrible humanitarian response Situation in Gaza under pressure. Katz limited himself to “presenting a few videos [sobre una isla artificial frente a Gaza y un proyecto de ferrocarril] that had little or nothing to do with the issue we were discussing (…) he could have used his time better,” lamented the head of European diplomacy.
Sanctions
Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister Al Maliki has called on the Twenty-Seven to go further and “sank” those who, like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, refuse to accept a Palestinian state as the key to peace. “I hope that you start thinking about sanctions against Netanyahu and others that really destroy the possibilities of a two-state solution and peace in the Middle East,” Al Maliki said.
The Israeli government's rejection of the creation of a Palestinian state is “unacceptable”, several European ministers agreed at their first formal meeting of the year in Brussels. As Borrell repeatedly regrets, the EU has so far failed to speak with one voice in the face of the renewed outbreak of war in the Middle East. He recalled again this Monday that the sample was the last vote in the United Nations in mid-December on a resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” adopted by 17 EU Member States, including Spain and Ireland. was adopted , Belgium or Luxembourg, with eight abstentions and two votes against: Austria and the Czech Republic, which, together with Germany and Hungary, remain the most reluctant to openly criticize Israel.
Everyone agrees that any possibility of peace in the future requires a two-state solution, no matter what the current Israeli government says. To work toward this, while increasing pressure on Israel, the Twenty-Seven already has in its hands a 12-point peace plan presented by Borrell, who insists on the need to “start preparations now given the current situation.” Despite the obvious difficulties and uncertainties, a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace plan is needed with a two-state solution that “lives side by side, in peace and security.” And he urges working on it as quickly as possible, even if the parties are not yet ready to sit at the common negotiating table, since the “lack” of such a vision will only “prolong the current violence and prepare the ground for it.” greater radicalization and new conflicts”, which, in addition to its effects in the region, also represents a “major security, political and migration risk for the region and for Europe”, warns the document.
“The international community and especially the Europeans have a moral obligation to look for a solution,” said Borrell, defending his initiative. “If Israel does not want this solution, it will be difficult for it to participate in the talks, but that should not stop the rest of us from doing so,” he added.
After approving on Friday a sanctions framework for those who finance Hamas, the Twenty-Seven discussed in Monday's meeting the as yet unapproved sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank, although Borrell assured that work on it would continue and showed confidence have an upcoming agreement.
Ministers also discussed the proposal for a mission in the Red Sea to protect shipping. But although more and more countries are ready to take part – Italy has confirmed in Brussels that it is considering sending a ship like Belgium or Germany – the final decision will be made at the next meeting of the top European diplomacy in mid-February. Although no one has officially spoken out against the mission, Albares has reiterated that “Spain's participation in it is not foreseen.”
Borrell's 12 steps
Start a peace process
1. Launch an initiative to address the future security of Israelis and Palestinians, the stabilization of the occupied territories, and the restoration and administration of the Gaza Strip.
2. Type of peace model: commitment to the two-state solution over other formulas; Any other mechanism would be perceived as prolonging the occupation in Gaza and the lack of peace would prolong violence.
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3. An independent Palestinian state living in peace with Israel will also have a positive impact on Israeli-Lebanese and Israeli-Syrian conflicts.
4. Partners and neighbors of Israelis and Palestinians such as the EU must help them achieve peace because neither side is now willing to negotiate directly.
Celebrate the preparatory peace conference
5. Organize the preparatory peace conference between the EU, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the League of Arab States to address the Gaza war, but especially the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
6. At the conference, foreign ministers and heads of the international organizations involved must meet separately with each of the parties to the conflict so that work can begin, even if they do not wish to sit together.
7. Then present and develop an initial draft framework for a peace plan and prepare an agenda to complete it through working groups within one year.
Develop a peace plan
8. The plan must set out the key elements of an Israeli-Palestinian peace, respect relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and build on previous peace negotiations.
9. The plan must guarantee the security of Israel and the future independent State of Palestine and specify what political and security mechanisms and other agreements and projects will be implemented when peace is achieved.
Involve the conflicting parties
10. Consult with the parties to the conflict at every step of the development of the peace plan, although the work will continue even if one of them is unwilling to engage.
11. Present the plan to the parties so that they can negotiate the final text. States and organizations must explain the consequences they expect, regardless of whether the parties commit to the plan or not.
Parallel efforts
12. As the peace plan is developed, work to ensure, among other things, the arrival of humanitarian assistance, the release of the hostages, the avoidance of regional escalation, and the facilitation of the restoration of the Gaza Strip and affected communities in Israel.
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