Print
See related documents
Resolution 1940 (2013) Final version
The situation in the Middle East
1. The Parliamentary Assembly recalls
its earlier resolutions on the question of the Middle East and reaffirms
its position and appeals to all parties concerned as most recently
expressed in Resolution 1700 (2010) on
the situation in the Middle East and Resolution 1748 (2010) on the flare-up
of tension in the Middle East. It reiterates, in particular, its
support for two equally legitimate aspirations: Israel’s right to
be recognised and live in safety, and the Palestinians’ right to
have an independent, viable and contiguous State.
2. However, since 2010, the peace process between Israelis and
Palestinians has not progressed. The Palestinian reconciliation,
announced several times, has not taken place; the building of Israeli
settlements in the occupied territories, including in East Jerusalem,
has continued, and so has the construction of an extensive network
of roads and tunnels to serve them and link them with Israel, as
well as the building of “separation barriers”; rockets have continued
to be launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel.
3. At the same time, the Assembly notes that a number of developments
have since had an influence on the situation: the Arab revolutions;
the continuing development of Iran’s nuclear programme; the civil
war in Syria; the recognition of a State of Palestine by the United
Nations General Assembly in November 2012; the granting of partner
for democracy status with the Assembly to the Palestinian National
Council; the elections held in Israel in January 2013; the re-building
of relations between Israel and Turkey, under the auspices of President
Obama; and the recently renewed efforts of the United States Administration
towards a resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.
4. At the beginning of 2011, mass movements in many Arab countries
led to a transformation of the political landscape. In Syria, the
civil war has killed almost 100 000 people, caused more than 1.2 million
refugees to flee the country and displaced several million people
internally.
5. The Assembly recalls its Resolutions 1791 (2011), 1819 (2011) and 1893 (2012) on the
situation and political transition in Tunisia, 1831 (2011) on co-operation between
the Council of Europe and the emerging democracies in the Arab world
and 1892 (2012) on
the crisis of transition to democracy in Egypt, as well as its Recommendation 1957 (2011) on
violence against Christians in the Middle East. Whether there should
be optimism or pessimism about the evolution of the “Arab Spring”,
the Assembly reiterates its support for those who fight for human
rights, democracy and the rule of law. The road to democracy has
always been long and difficult, and not only in the Arab world.
Furthermore, the idea that stability can be guaranteed, as in the
past, by dictators, is not only immoral but is also devoid of all
political realism.
6. The Assembly refers to its Resolutions 1878 (2012) on the situation
in Syria and 1902 (2012) on
the European response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, as well
as to the current affairs debate on “Syrian refugees in Jordan,
Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq: how to organise and support international
assistance”, held in April 2013, following a visit to the Za’atri
Syrian refugee camp in Jordan by the Sub-Committee on the Middle East
of its Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy. Concerned about
recent acts of hostility of the Assad regime against Israel and
other neighbouring countries, and about the immense influx of weapons
into the area, the Assembly warns against an escalation of the conflict.
7. The Assembly expresses its gratitude to the receiving countries,
in particular the Jordanian, Turkish and Lebanese authorities, for
hosting and assisting over 1.5 million Syrian refugees, according
to estimates of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR). It calls on the Council of Europe member States,
observer States and those with partner for democracy status, as
well as the international community as a whole, to increase their
financial assistance to Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon in view of the immense
daily needs of the Syrian refugees. It also pays tribute to the
overall role played by Jordan as a stabilising factor in the region
and as a key actor in the search for a fair and just solution to
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
8. The Assembly reiterates its support for a two-State solution
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the 1967 borders,
which, in view of the new realities on the ground, could be accompanied
by limited land swap, as has recently been accepted by the Arab
countries. It supports, in particular, the newly intensified efforts
of the United States Administration towards a rapid resumption of
the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians with a view to
a long-lasting and just solution.
9. At the same time, the Assembly considers that, pending such
a permanent settlement and with a view to facilitating its conclusion,
parallel arrangements could be made, such as an agreement on conflict management
methods, confidence-building measures and continued pragmatic co-operation
on the ground.
10. Pacifying measures should include: the release of imprisoned
members of the Palestinian Legislative Council provided they are
not convicted of direct involvement in acts of terror; concrete
steps to freeze settlement-building activities; ceasing home demolitions
and forced evictions; reducing the obstacles to the movement of
people and goods on the West Bank and between the West Bank and
Israel, and issuing more work permits in Israel; reconsideration
of the possibility of family reunification and revision of the law
on marriage; co-operation on security matters; and the transfer
to the Palestinian Authority of parts of Area C in the West Bank
currently under full Israeli control.
11. The Assembly notes that, alongside status issues, matters
regarding standards should also be addressed so that, whether in
territories under Israeli or Palestinian control, all people, Arabs
and Jews, Israeli and Palestinian citizens, will equally enjoy respect
for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Therefore, it believes
that the requirement for “a two-State solution” should be further
qualified as a requirement for “two democratic and pluralist States”.
12. The Assembly welcomes the liberation of the Israeli soldier
Shalit and more than 1 000 Palestinian prisoners and recalls its Resolution 1830 (2011) whereby
it granted partner for democracy status to the Palestinian National
Council.
13. In order to ensure and further enhance respect for human rights,
democracy and the rule of law, and facilitate the resumption of
peace negotiations, the Assembly calls on:
13.1. the Israeli authorities, to:
13.1.1. guarantee
the same individual rights to all Israeli citizens, including members
of the Arab minority, and recognise minority rights for the latter;
13.1.2. put an end to arbitrary arrests and administrative detentions
of Palestinians (including of scores of children), unfair trials
and acts of violence against detainees, as well as to stop transferring
Palestinian detainees to Israeli prisons in violation of international
humanitarian law;
13.1.3. release imprisoned members of the Palestinian Legislative
Council and a large number of other prisoners (provided that they
are not convicted of direct involvement in acts of terror) according
to the Annapolis agreement; allow members of the Palestinian partner
for democracy delegation to the Assembly to travel to and participate
in Assembly meetings;
13.1.4. stop the building of new settlements and the extension
of old ones, cease all home demolitions, forced evictions and confiscation
of land in the occupied territories, including in East Jerusalem;
allow Palestinians to take control over their natural resources
(with special emphasis on water); lift restrictions on the freedom
of movement of Palestinians in the West Bank and stop hindering
their access to their land, workplaces, education, health and other
services and facilities; stop the construction of the so-called
“separation wall”, in exchange for appropriate security guarantees;
13.1.5. lift the blockade of Gaza;
13.2. all Palestinian forces, to:
13.2.1. conclude, without
further delay and in a transparent manner, the reconciliation, already announced
several times, between Fatah and Hamas, based on the Quartet principles,
thus also enhancing the credibility of the Palestinian side in the
negotiations with Israel; in this respect, the Assembly encourages
Egyptian President Morsi to intensify his mediation efforts;
13.2.2. organise the long overdue presidential and parliamentary
elections;
13.2.3. refrain from using violence against Israeli citizens and
anti-Israeli rhetoric and anti-Semitic propaganda, as well as from
including suicide bombers and other terrorists among Palestinian
martyrs, as such phenomena undermine a culture for peace;
13.2.4. put an end to arbitrary detentions and acts of violence
against detainees.
14. The Assembly is in particular concerned about human rights
violations committed in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, including
executions after unfair trials, summary executions of Palestinians
accused of spying for Israel and indiscriminate rocket launching
against Israel, killing civilians. It therefore urges Hamas to stop
human rights violations and bring perpetrators to justice, introduce
an immediate moratorium on executions pending de
jure abolition of the death penalty, recognise the right
of the State of Israel to exist and endorse the Arab peace plan,
stop launching rockets and all types of attack against Israel, and
reject the use of terrorism and combat it effectively.
15. The Assembly emphasises that respect for human rights, democracy
and the rule of law by both Israelis and Palestinians can contribute
to the success of the negotiations for a peace agreement by rebuilding
trust among the parties, but also subsequently, as any peace agreement
will only be the beginning of a long process of reconciliation after
decades of conflict. In this context, the Council of Europe and
its Parliamentary Assembly can make their own specific contribution.
16. Therefore, the Assembly resolves to:
16.1. continue to promote dialogue and confidence building between
representatives of the Knesset and the Palestinian National Council,
in particular in the framework of the Sub-Committee on the Middle East;
16.2. make available to both representative bodies its own experience
in the field of human rights, democracy and the rule of law;
16.3. pursue efforts to establish relations with other parliaments
in the region, notably in Egypt and Jordan, in particular in the
light of the prospects for co-operation offered by the partner for
democracy status. In this respect, the Assembly welcomes the interest
expressed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the
Kingdom of Jordan in obtaining partner for democracy status, already
granted to the Parliament of Morocco and the Palestinian National
Council in 2011.
17. The Assembly welcomes the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental
action with respect to Jordan and asks the Secretary General to
enhance relations with Israel and Palestine as well, with a view
to designing a contribution by the Organisation to promote respect
for human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the region.
18. It decides to continue to follow closely the situation in
the Middle East, and, in particular, the progress of the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process and the situation of human rights, democracy and the
rule of law in the region, with special attention to the crucial
developments in Egypt and Syria.