Put words into action to end the conflict in the Middle East and prevent it from destabilizing the entire region, achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon, and make the two-state solution a reality . These intentions were repeated like a mantra this Monday in Barcelona, in the interventions of the ninth regional forum of the Union for the Mediterranean, in which Palestine participated for the first time as a state recognized by Spain and in which, however, Israel did not send any representatives.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza and Lebanon and the risk of an escalation after the latest Israeli attacks on Iran took over the agenda of the meeting, during which politicians and diplomats from rest of the 43 member countries (with only six countries, plus Spain, represented by their foreign ministers: Palestine, Libya, Montenegro, Slovenia, Lebanon and Jordan, which holds the joint presidency of the forum). A meeting which, Minister Albares declared, comes “in very difficult times” with “the authentic tragedy that the Middle East is experiencing and for which we no longer have words”.
As the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, had already done the day before, Albares asked to “work to forge a consensus that makes peace in the region not just a wish , but a reality.” . As the Israeli Parliament considers a law banning the activities of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), the minister also reiterated his commitment to this “indispensable organization for millions of Palestinian refugees in the region”.
On the sidelines of the forum, Albares held a bilateral meeting with his Lebanese counterpart Abdallah Bou Habib, after which, in a joint statement, they called for an immediate ceasefire. “Spain and Lebanon urge a permanent and immediate ceasefire allowing for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. » “This means restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty over its territory and guaranteeing the return to their homes of people displaced on both sides of the Blue Line,” say the two governments, which condemned Israeli attacks against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). against the Lebanese armed forces.
Measures against “Israeli impunity”
Joining this call was Borrell, who co-chaired the event with Albares and Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi. “We need to do more than just express our concern,” he said. “This global alliance should serve as a framework under which all global partners can contribute to the implementation of the two-state solution. The key word is implementation. Let’s stop saying we support it and start putting it into practice. Start taking action so that this solution is applied,” said the EU High Representative, who announced that in the coming days “the first meeting of technical groups to continue this process will be held in Riyadh, followed by a second in Brussels”, which should take place at the end of November, before the end of his mandate at the head of European diplomacy.
Regarding measures to put pressure on Israel, Borrell said: “We have with Israel the most comprehensive association agreement than with any other part of the world, with mutual obligations also in respect of human rights. ‘man. Spain and Ireland have asked the European Commission to analyze whether what we are talking about can be considered compatible. But so far the Commission has not responded. It is the Council which should analyze it and I propose that this be done at the next European Council in December.” Asked about approving the sanctions, he replied: “For my part, I have requested that they adopt a set of sanctions, which include the West Bank settler organizations and in particular – it is no secret for person – two Israeli ministers. [Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir. But I only have the capacity to propose, the decision belongs to the Member States and, since I proposed it, they are studying it.
“Today, two million people, or 90 percent of Gaza’s population, are extremely food insecure, with 150,000 people suffering from hunger. With hospitals destroyed and without international observers. Israel justifies its attacks by the presence of terrorists. But there is something called proportionality in the response, taking into account the collateral victims,” denounced Borrell.
“The offensive in Lebanon has crossed all the red lines. The Israeli army must be condemned for the attacks against UNIFIL. “We must prevent those who have the strength from attempting to rebuild the Middle East through force and destruction,” he added. “The hostages are still being held in Gaza and we must demand their release, but we must put an end to impunity, take measures to prevent this from continuing to happen,” reiterated the high representative for foreign policy, recognizing however that, so far, “no one has succeeded in stopping the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
International law, in question
In a forceful intervention, Jordan’s foreign minister warned of the erosion of international credibility and international law due to the impunity with which Israel acts. “We in the Arab world are committed to the two-state solution. What is Israel doing, what is it proposing beyond leading the region into the abyss? We must act decisively to end the aggression, to end the use of starvation as a weapon, because otherwise what will happen when other countries violate humanitarian law and international law? The scenario must change now, in accordance with international law, (…) so that Israel does not continue to kill with impunity,” Safadi said.
Recalling the more than 43,000 deaths since the start of the Israeli offensive in Gaza, the Jordanian minister also raised the possibility that the Israeli government would ban UNRWA activities. “All this impunity has allowed Israel to commit war crimes. Today we find ourselves in a situation where two laws have been drafted in Israel, knowing that these laws cannot be applied to the territories, which will prevent UNRWA from functioning. How will the international community react if Israel bans its activities? And to conclude: “We are calling on our European partners. The EU was founded on the basis of international law. How is it possible that this situation exists? Do something about what can still be saved from international law and the credibility of international institutions.”
The reform of the Union for the Mediterranean, which adopted its current name in 2008, during the Paris Summit for the Mediterranean, but which emerged from the so-called Barcelona process, proposed by Spain and launched by Spain, was also on the agenda of the Barcelona meeting. the European Union in 1995 – to create a multilateral cooperation body between countries on both shores of the Mediterranean. Albares celebrated the “resilience” demonstrated by the organization, but recognized that “the instruments must be adapted to the reality of the present” since “Mediterranean policy enters a new cycle”.
