Text adopted on 9.4.92

on the peace process in the Middle East

The European Parliament,

A. concerned at the renewed spiral of violence connected with the Middle East conflict,

B. appalled by the terrorist attack on the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires on 18 March 1992, which cost 28 Argentinians and Israelis their lives, some of them children, and injured many more,

C. having regard to the injuries and deaths caused by the resurgence of hostilities in the Gaza Strip,

D. having regard to the UN Council resolutions condemning these events,

E. having regard to the obvious correlation between these hostilities and the peace talk negotiations due to resume at the end of the month in Washington,

F. whereas the Israeli Government is continuing and stepping up its policy of colonization,

G. having regard to its previous resolutions, in particular its resolutions of 22 November 1991 on the situation in the Middle East and of 15 January 1992 on financial protocols with Syria, Morroco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel and these countries' respect for human rights and international agreements,

1. Condemns all forms of terrorism and violence;

2. Condemns in particular the destruction of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires by the Islamic Jihad movement, which has claimed responsibility for these murders;

3. Again stresses the importance of the closest possible cooperation between all democratic governments in combating terrorism;

4. Condemns the resurgence of violence in the Gaza Strip;

5. Deplores the large number of victims claimed by these conflicts and expresses its sympathy with their families;

6. Calls on the Israeli Government to end its policy of colonization and respect the Fourth Geneva Convention;

7. Believes that determination to seek, by negotiation, a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, based on resolutions 242 and 338 of the UN Security Council, is the best political response to all acts of violence;

8. Requests the Commission to take action on its resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, in particular its above-mentioned resolution of 15 January 1992;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the UN Security Council, the Governments of Argentina and Israel and the peace conference.