Alfred Sant: Il-Politika Ewropea dwar il-“problema” tal-Lvant Nofsani għandha timxi fil-passi tas-Segretarju Ġenerali tan-NU Guterres

Waqt dibattitu plenarju tal-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu dwar is-sitwazzjoni umanitarja f’Gaza, l-eks Prim Ministru Alfred Sant saħaq li l-pożizzjoni li tieħu l-Unjoni Ewropea għandha timxi fuq il-pożizzjoni li ħa s-Segretarju Ġenerali tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti Guterres. Dan wissa li soluzzjoni dejjiema għall-kunflitt bejn l-Iżrael u l-Palestina trid tqis il-kuntest sħiħ tal-esperjenza tal-poplu Palestinjan u l-ħtieġa li Iżrael jiġi rikonoxxut mill-Palestinjani fit-triq lejn soluzzjoni li tkun tikkonsisti fil-ħolqien ta’ żewġ stati fil-Palestina. 

“Minn naħa, qalulna li hemm konfront ġdid li qed jitħejja mill-alleanza bejn ir-Russja u ċ-Ċina u l-Iran, kontra l-koalizzjoni ‘tal-Punent’ li l-Istati Uniti u l-Ewropa jirrappreżentaw, flimkien ma’ Iżrael u jintqal xi stati Għarab, ewlenin fosthom l-Arabja Sawdija. Min-naħa l-oħra, il-kwistjoni Palestinjana hija ppreżentata bħala ġlieda antikolonjali kontra tribù ta’ invażuri determinati li jipprattikaw t-tindif etniku”, sostna Sant.

Il-MPE Laburista saħaq li l-Ewropa m’għandhiex taċċetta ż-żewġ naħat ta’ din id-dikotomija fundamentalment qarrieqa. Il-pożizzjoni meħuda mill-Unjoni Ewropea għandha ssegwi dik li ħa s-Segretarju Ġenerali tan-Nazzjonijiet Uniti Guterres għax hi l-aħjar għażla disponibbli, irrispettivament minn min jirribattiha.

Il-gwerra bejn l-Iżrael u l-Ħamas fil-Gaza wassal għall-imwiet ta’  aktar minn 11,000 Palestinjan, żewġ terzi minnhom nisa u tfal. Filwaqt li eluf ġew irrappurtati nieqsa u huma maħsuba li jinsabu maqbuda jew mejta taħt it-terrapien, aktar minn 1.7 miljun ruħ mill-popolazzjoni ta’ Gaża huma stmati li jinsabu spostati internament. Wara l-attakk li sar mill-Ħamas kontra l-Iżrael fis-7 ta’ Ottubru 2023, il-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew emfasizzaw il-ħtieġa urġenti għall-ħelsien tal-ostaġġi Iżraeljani u arranġament umanitarju immedjat li jwassal għal waqfien mill-ġlied.

Alfred Sant sostna li d-diskors diplomatiku dwar kwistjonijiet umanitarji u t-tfittxija għal waqfien mill-ġlied u mhux biss arranġament umanitarju jrid ikompli. Minħabba l-livelli ta’ ħruxija li laħqet il-gwerra bejn l-Iżrael u l-Hamas, dak id-diskors u dik it-tfittxija għandhom ikunu akkumpanjati minn rivalutazzjoni tal-pożizzjoni li n-nazzjonijiet Ewropej jadottaw lejn Iżrael u l-Palestinjani.

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Alfred Sant: A European policy on the Middle East “problem” must start from the context set by UN secretary general Guterres

During a European Parliament plenary debate in Strasbourg on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, former Prime Minister Alfred Sant emphasized that the position taken by the European Union should follow the line taken by United Nations Secretary General Guterres. He warned that a lasting solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict should take into account the full context of the experience of the Palestinian people and the need for Israel to be recognised by the Palestinians in the framework of a two-state arrangement.

“On the one hand, we are told, there is a new confrontation being set up by a Russia-China-Iran axis, against the ‘Western’ coalition that the US and Europe represent, plus Israel and hopefully some Arab states, chief of which Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, the Palestinian issue is presented as an anticolonial struggle against an invading tribe simply intent on practising ethnic cleansing”, Sant argued.

The Labour MEP insisted that Europe should not accept both sides of this fundamentally misleading dichotomy. The position taken by the European Union should follow the line taken by United Nations Secretary General Guterres because it is the best available option, no matter who rebuts it.

The Israel-Hamas war has claimed the lives of over 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children. While thousands have been reported missing and are thought to be trapped or dead under the rubble, over 1.7 million people of Gaza’s population are estimated to be internally displaced. Following the attack carried out by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023 Members of the European Parliament emphasized the urgent need for the release of Israeli hostages and immediate humanitarian truce leading to a ceasefire.

Alfred Sant claimed that the diplomatic discourse about humanitarian issues and the search for a ceasefire and not just a truce must continue. Given the levels of barbarity which the Israel-Hamas war has reached, that discourse and that search should be accompanied by a re-evaluation of the position that European nations adopt towards Israel and Palestinians.