October 28, 2022
– Check against delivery –
Merci beaucoup Madame.
I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.
The Candidate Countries Montenegro*, Albania*, the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, align themselves with this statement.
The EU stresses the important role of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and strongly supports him and his mandate. The EU is grateful to Mr. Wennesland for his tireless efforts over the last years.
The EU welcomes the commitments to the two-state solution expressed recently by both Israel and Palestine. It calls on the parties to take concrete steps towards restoring a political horizon and relaunching the peace process as soon as possible. The EU remains ready to give its support to this end.
The EU reaffirms its commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict, based on the two‑state solution, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign, and viable State of Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security and mutual recognition, and with Jerusalem serving as the future capital of both states.
Furthermore, the EU will seek to encourage and build upon the recent establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and a number of Arab countries, with a view to enhancing the prospects to reach a comprehensive settlement in the Middle East Peace Process.
The EU is worried by the deteriorating situation on the ground and increased violence in the occupied West Bank, which fuel tensions and animosity, and calls for efforts to de-escalate. The EU is concerned about the increasingly high number of civilian casualties, including children, as a result of actions inter alia by Israeli security forces. We recall that the use of force must be proportionate and in line with international law and only be applied as a last resort when it is strictly unavoidable in order to protect life. We reiterate our call for a thorough investigation into the death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed while covering an Israeli security operation in the occupied West bank. The EU firmly condemns recent terror attacks in Israel as well as all forms of terrorism and remains committed to the prevention and fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
Let me add here, having listened to the Special Coordinator earlier today, a call to the parties to end this vicious circle of violence in which everyone will lose. This is not just an issue of security but needs to be addressed through political engagement and leadership.
The EU reiterates its strong opposition to Israel’s settlement policy and activities, including in and around East Jerusalem, and especially in sensitive areas such as E1. Evictions, forced transfers, including in Masafer Yatta, demolitions, including of EU‑funded projects, and confiscations of homes only escalate an already tense environment and threaten the viability of a two-state solution. Settlements are illegal under international law. The EU will not recognise changes to the 1967 lines, unless agreed by the parties. The EU calls on Israel to halt continued settlement expansion, which have reached record highs in the past years, evictions, demolition and forced transfers. It calls on Israel to allow for a tangible improvement of freedom of movement and access for the Palestinians, to enable accelerated Palestinian construction, as well as social and economic development in Area C, and reverse the worsening of living conditions for Palestinians in Area C. The EU firmly condemns settler violence and calls for accountability.
The EU recalls the special significance of the holy sites, and calls for upholding the status quo put in place in 1967 for the Temple Mount / al-Haram al-Sharif in line with previous understandings and with respect to Jordan’s special role. Underlining the necessity to respect the status quo also for the Christian holy sites, which are under increasing pressure, the EU reiterates the importance of maintaining peaceful coexistence of all three monotheistic religions. The EU will closely monitor developments and their implications on the ground, and remains ready to contribute further to the protection and the viability of the two‑state solution.
The EU strongly condemns the indiscriminate launching of rockets by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups into Israel. The EU deplores the loss of civilian lives during the escalation of violence in and around Gaza in August 2022. The EU calls on all parties to take necessary steps to produce a fundamental change to the political, security and economic situation in the Gaza Strip, including the end of the closure and a full opening of the crossing points, while addressing Israel’s legitimate security concerns.
The EU will continue to call upon the Palestinian Authority to hold free, transparent, and inclusive national elections without further delay. It urges all Palestinian factions to engage in good faith in the reconciliation process, to adhere to previous agreements, renounce violence and terrorism, and recognise Israel’s right to exist and to commit to democratic principles, including the rule of law. Democratic Palestinian institutions based on respect for the rule of law and human rights are vital for the Palestinian people, and, ultimately, for the two-state solution. In this regard, the EU encourages the intra-Palestinian reconciliation process and the recent steps towards this end taken at Algiers on 13 October.
Palestinian civil society must be allowed by all parties to carry out its important task freely, while freedom of expression must be upheld. The EU recalls the need to hold those responsible for the death of Nizar Banat accountable. The EU is proud of its continued support to civil society that contributes to peace efforts and confidence building between Israelis and Palestinians. The EU calls on Israel to refrain from any action that would prevent these organisations from continuing their critical human rights, humanitarian and development work in the occupied Palestinian territory. Anti-terrorism legislation should not be used to undermine civil society and their valuable work and contributions to the pursuit of accountability.
The EU welcomes measures to improve Palestinian livelihoods, and calls for implementation of the commitments made at the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee meeting in New York in September.
Until there is a just, fair, agreed and realistic solution to the refugee issue in accordance with international law, UNRWA remains crucial for providing the necessary protection and essential services for Palestine refugees, supporting peace and stability in the region. The EU will continue to support UNRWA in all its fields of operations, including in East Jerusalem.
Mr President,
Allow me to turn to the situation in Syria. It is essential that the international community continue to pursue a sustainable and comprehensive political solution in Syria. A durable solution to the conflict continues to require a genuine and inclusive political transition with full, equal and meaningful participation of women in line with UNSCR 2254 and with the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.
The European Union remains firm in its commitment to this goal and fully supports the continuous efforts of UN Special Envoy Pedersen to advance on all aspects of UNSCR 2254, including his “steps-for-steps” approach in furthering the political process and resuming the work of the Constitutional Committee.
The EU emphasises that no normalisation, lifting of sanctions or reconstruction will be possible until the Syrian regime engages in a credible sustainable and inclusive a political transition, in the framework of UNSCR 2254.
The Syrian regime must also fully cooperate with the OPCW and its investigations on the use of chemical weapons in the conflict, including the attack in Douma. The EU, as a member of the International Partnership against impunity for the use of chemical weapons, will continue to work towards ensuring full accountability in this regard.
All parties responsible for breaches of international humanitarian law and violations and abuses of human rights law must be held accountable. Accountability and justice for victims is essential for a stable, peaceful Syria. The EU reiterates its call to have the situation in Syria referred to the International Criminal Court.
In the absence of international justice, the prosecution of war crimes and other serious crimes under national jurisdiction where possible, now under way in several EU Member States, represents a crucial contribution towards securing justice, as does the Dutch-Canadian initiative to hold Syria to account for breaching the UN Convention Against Torture.
The EU will continue to support efforts to gather evidence with a view to future legal action, including by the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria and the work of the Commission of Inquiry.
The UN Secretary-General recently issued a report “Missing people in the Syrian Arab Republic” on how to bolster efforts to clarify the fate of missing people in Syria, identify human remains and provide a mechanism to support to the families of missing people. The EU welcomes the report and its findings, and is fully committed to the fate of the missing and will look positively into proposals for support of a new mechanism.
Civilians must be protected at all times. The EU echoes the calls made by the UN Security Council for the implementation of a nationwide ceasefire.
The EU recalls that the underlying causes of the refugee and displacement crisis must be addressed under UNSCR 2254. The EU continues to warn against any further displacements in any part of Syria, as well as against the potential exploitation of such displacements for the purpose of social and demographic engineering. Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries are still unable to go back home as the conditions for safe, dignified and voluntary return, in line with the parameters defined by UNHCR and in accordance with international law, are not fulfilled yet. It is the responsibility of the Syrian regime to remove these obstacles. The EU will only be in a position to support returns once these conditions are satisfied.
The EU commends Syria’s neighbouring countries for hosting large number of Syrian refugees for more than a decade and calls on all leaders to avoid divisive rhetoric.
The EU and its Member States are the largest donor and have provided EUR 25 billion to meet the needs arising from the Syrian crisis over the last decade, including over €4.8 billion at the sixth Brussels Conference, with over €3.1 billion coming from the European Commission (€1.56 billion for 2022 and €1.56 billion for 2023) and €1.7 billion from the EU Member States.
Yet, humanitarian needs in Syria continue to increase: 90 percent of Syrians live under the poverty line and 55 percent of the population, are food insecure. There is an estimated 14.6 million people in need inside Syria, 1.2 million more than in 2021. The EU will continue to demonstrate solidarity with the Syrian people and calls on the international community, in particular regional donors, to increase their commitments.
Early recovery projects are important for the dignity of the Syrian people and for their future. EU-funded projects are intended and designed for those in genuine need. The EU will not fund early recovery efforts that could support social and demographic engineering.
Türkiye’s security concerns stemming from northern Syria need to be addressed through political and diplomatic means, not by military action, and in full respect of international humanitarian law.
Mr President,
The confirmation of the extension of the authorisation for the UN to use the crossing point of Bab al-Hawa for humanitarian deliveries is a humanitarian imperative. Its continuation in January 2023 is essential to preserve the functioning of a critical humanitarian lifeline for people in northwest Syria who depend on this assistance. The EU fully supports the continuation of this essential mechanism and urges Council members to uphold their commitment to renew the resolution for a longer period to ensure cross border assistance is sustained in the midst of winter and beyond.
The EU remains committed to the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Syrian state, and calls once again on all parties to the conflict, particularly the Syrian regime, to advance a credible sustainable and inclusive political solution based on the full and comprehensive implementation of UNSCR 2254 as the only route to sustainable peace in Syria.
Thank you