A3-0322/93

Israel: Resolution on the political aspects of the economic boycott imposed by the Arab States

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Prag and others on the Arab economic boycott of Israel (B3-1076/91),

-having regard to its resolution of 16 November 1993 on the Arab economic boycott of Israel, which deals with the economic and trade aspects of the boycott,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Security (A3-0322/93),

A.whereas since 1948, the Arab states have been implementing direct or indirect boycott measures against the State of Israel, which also affect Community firms that want to trade with Israel,

B.whereas the boycott, which was initially directed against the establishment of the State of Israel, has with time become the symbol of the continued belligerence between Israel and its Arab neighbours, apart from Egypt,

C.whereas the boycott was strengthened immediately after the Six-Day War following the occupation by Israel of the Golan Heights, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and the Sinai; whereas its maintenance was largely the result of the continued occupation of Arab territories by Israel,

D.whereas, after the Camp David Agreements, which resulted in the conclusion of a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt and the normalization of relations between the two countries, Israel withdrew from the Egyptian territories it had occupied and Egypt ended its economic boycott of Israel,

E.whereas the question of the boycott must be considered in conjunction with the peace process which started in Madrid in 1991, and whereas the Declaration of Principles signed by Israel and the PLO on 13 September 1993 should make it easier for the Arab League to lift the boycott in all its forms,

F.welcoming the election result in Jordan, which underpins the peace process,

1.Recalls the Declaration by the European Council of Lisbon (26-27 June 1992) on the Middle East peace process, in which it calls 'upon the members of the Arab League to lift the boycott of trade to Israel, which is incompatible with the spirit of the peace process';

2.Welcomes the Declaration of Principles signed by Israel and the PLO on 13 September 1993, creating a new momentum in the Middle East, which should eventually lead to a final settlement of the Palestinian question and moreover remove one of the main obstacles to regional cooperation between the countries of the Middle East on the basis of reciprocal solidarity;

3.Welcomes the negotiations between Israel and the PLO on improving access from the West Bank to East Jerusalem as a confidence-building measure within the context of the peace process;

4.Considers that a decision by the League of Arab States to lift the boycott would represent an important confidence-building measure which could advance the peace process, just as the decision by the Knesset to lift the ban on contacts between Israeli citizens and the PLO was taken in the context of the secret negotiations in Norway between Israel and the PLO, which led to the Declaration of Principles;

5.Affirms that the lifting of the primary boycott is mainly a problem between Israel and the Arab states concerned, and that such a decision is a logical step in the peace process since the economic cooperation provided for in the Declaration of Principles is incompatible with the maintenance of the boycott;

6.Believes, as regards the other types of boycott (second-, third- and even fourth-degree) directly affecting Community firms, that this matter should be negotiated with the Arab partners within the Cooperation Councils with a view to ending them, so that Community firms are no longer penalized by the second-degree boycott, which is an obstacle to international trade, and also requests that any third- or fourth-degree forms which exist should be lifted immediately as they constitute an attack on human rights;

7.Points out that continuation of the second-, third- and fourth-degree boycott may adversely affect the potential for economic development in the Gaza and Jericho areas;

8.Urges the Commission to propose preventive legal arrangements which would enable the European Union, on the basis of political criteria drawn up by the Council, to protect Union companies from any boycott measures imposed on them by third countries;

9.Welcomes the fact that the European Union intends to play an active role in supporting and monitoring the current Middle East peace process within the framework of the multilateral peace negotiations, in particular by encouraging close cooperation between States in the region, the possible outcome of which could be the establishment of a common market;

10.Calls for the European Union:

-to collaborate as of now on the establishment of a development plan for the region, with a view to a peaceful settlement;

-to hold out the prospect of finance to promote cooperation between all the countries of the region, which will be essential for development in such areas as water management, infrastructure, tourism and so on;

11.Points out that this active role will only be useful and credible if the European Union maintains a form of economic and development policy cooperation based on common principles with all the relevant countries of the region taking part in the multilateral peace negotiations;

12.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the Israeli Government and Parliament, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and the Secretary-General of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union.