Monica Barnes
Ceist:14 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the current state of the Middle East peace process. [8754/99]
Written Answers. - Middle East Peace Process.
Brian O'Shea
Ceist:38 Mr. O'Shea asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Government's views on reports that the Palestinian authority will shortly declare an independent state; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8942/99]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 14 and 38 together.
As regards the current state of the Middle East peace process, it is regrettable that almost five months after the signing of the Wye River Memorandum by the Israelis and Palestinians, there is no evidence of any progress in the process. The current deadlock results from the decision last December by the Israeli Government to suspend implementation of the Wye River Memorandum, an agreement which they had signed barely two months earlier. Thus, while by now we could have expected to see many aspects of the Wye River Memorandum in place – and to have the region reap the benefit of the agreement – little has been achieved in real terms.
As the European Union stated in Berlin last week, we remain concerned at the current deadlock. We call upon the parties to implement fully and immediately the Wye River Memorandum. All sides should desist from any activity contrary to international law, including all settlement activity, and should fight incitement and violence.
Realistically, however, there is now little prospect of any further progress until after the Israeli elections, scheduled for 17 May, and the consequent separate election to the Office of Israeli Prime Minister and the formation of a new government, perhaps in early June. The situation in the region has been further complicated by the recent upsurge in fighting in south Lebanon. As a result, the Israeli involvement in Lebanon has become a domestic election issue in Israel.
Against this background, attention is focused on President Arafat's stated intention to declare an independent Palestinian state on 4 May. This date marks the end of a five-year transition period set down in the Oslo Accord for negotiating a permanent settlement. In that period what are known as final status issues should be addressed. These were identified in the Oslo Accord as, inter alia, the status of Jerusalem, the return of Palestinian refugees and the nature of the entity in which the Palestinians will find themselves when negotiations conclude. There is concern that the proposed declaration on 4 May by President Arafat could exacerbate tensions in the run-up to the Israeli elections and prove counter-productive for the Palestinians themselves. There have, however, been indications that the Palestinians would postpone the 4 May deadline if adequate reassurances were provided in relation to the future recognition of a Palestinian state.
At the European Council last week in Berlin, the European Union reaffirmed the continuing and unqualified Palestinian right to self-determination including the option of a state and looks forward to the early fulfilment of this right – a right which is not subject to veto. The European Council, which declared its readiness to consider the recognition of a Palestinian state in due course, also urged the parties to agree on an extension of the transitional period established by the Oslo Accord and stated that it should be possible to conclude negotiations within a target period of one year. The Union is convinced that the creation of a democratic, viable and peaceful sovereign Palestinian state on the basis of existing agreements and through negotiations would be the best guarantee of Israel's security and Israel's acceptance as an equal partner in the region.
In the course of his visit to the region in January, the Taoiseach made clear to President Arafat that Ireland has always taken a sympathetic position on the issue of Palestinian statehood. We are supportive of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in the context of a negotiated settlement. We have looked for that right to be exercised fully and we have acknowledged that one of the outcomes of the peace process could be an independent Palestinian state. For the sake of stability and security in the region, this would have to be achieved in the best possible conditions and at the best possible time.