RESOLUTION B3-0792, 0829, 0831, 0842 AND 0846/92

Resolution on the escalation of violence in Israel

The European Parliament,

A.having regard to the killing of an Israeli teenage girl by a Palestinian on Sunday, 23 May 1992,

B.having regard to the anti-Arab demonstration in response to this killing,

C.whereas the Israeli authorities decided on Friday, 29 May 1992 to extend until further notice the sealing off of the Gaza Strip and are now considering the possibility of permanently prohibiting the entrance of unmarried residents of Gaza under 30 into Israel, on the grounds that they could be 'potentially dangerous',

D.whereas on Saturday, 30 May, an Israeli civilian was killed on a beach in Eilat by members of a commando unit from Jordan,

E.having regard to the murder of Rabbi Biran on 2 June 1992,

F.having regard to the assassination of a senior PLO official, Atef Bseiso, on Monday, 8 June, in Paris and calling for those responsible for this attack to be identified,

G.conscious of the need for more rapid progress in the negotiations of a peace settlement in the Middle East; having regard to the escalation of violence in Israel in the run-up to the elections and in the context of the considerable difficulties being faced by the Middle East peace negotiations,

H.whereas Israeli armed forces have attacked villages in Lebanon on several occasions over the last few weeks, causing over 20 civilian deaths and wounding dozens more, the result of which has been to increase tension in the region,

I.recalling its previous resolutions on the Middle East and, in particular, its resolution of 15 January 1992 on the financial protocols with Syria, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel and these countries' respect for human rights and international agreementsOJ No. C 39, 17.2.1992, p. 50,

1.Condemns in the strongest possible terms the Palestinian, Israeli and Arab extremists who are encouraging violence through their slogans, intransigence, intolerance and fanaticism, thereby jeopardizing the sensitive peace negotiations;

2.Condemns the continued policy of settlement in the Occupied Territories, which constitutes one of the main obstacles to the Middle East peace process;

3.Therefore supports all those in Israel who have spoken in favour of territorial concessions and the policy of halting the creation of new settlements in the Occupied Territories;

4.Regrets the ban on demonstrations by Israeli pacifists which were to have taken place on Sunday, 7 June 1992, in support of those goals;

5.Calls on all parties concerned to observe scrupulously the international conventions concerning human rights and asks the Commission to report to it on the latest situation;

6.Calls on all democratic forces in Israel and the Occupied Territories to show calm and restraint at this difficult time, rather than playing into the hands of extremists whose sole intention is to destroy all possibility of dialogue and peace;

7.Calls for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanese territory as soon as possible and reaffirms its support for UNIFIL's peace activities;

8.Calls on the Community authorities and the governments of the Member States to become more involved in the Middle East peace negotiations;

9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, European Political Cooperation and the governments taking part in the Middle East Peace Conference.