UPDATES WITH MORE QUOTES FROM BORRELL; REMKARS FROM SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, SECRETARY GENERAL OF UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN; REVISES HEADLINE, LEDE
By Alyssa McMurtry and Aysu Bicer
OVIEDO, Spain / LONDON (AA) - EU foreign policy chief Josep Borell said on Monday that without a Palestinian state, there will be “no peace or security for Israel.”
Borrell is in Barcelona for the eighth ministerial forum of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), which began on Monday, and is being attended by representatives from around 40 nations to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and lay the groundwork for future peace.
Speaking at the forum, Borrell said: “In the history of the most serious conflicts, there is always a moment when the darkness of the situation can only lead to a horizon of peace. I am convinced that beyond the shocks and emotions, that both peoples are committed to peace.”
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares laid out a framework that he hoped all of the member states attending could agree upon. It includes ending the bloodshed and ensuring that the Gaza Strip is handed back to the Palestinian Authority when the hostilities end.
“Hamas is more than just an organization… it is an idea, an ideology. And you cannot kill an idea unless you can prove that you have a better one. To defeat the ideology of Hamas, Palestinians need a credible political prospect for statehood,” said Borrell.
In the opening remarks, the EU, Saudi and Jordanian foreign ministers all argued the need for a two-state solution.
"We must endeavor to overcome the current crisis and move towards a credible and serious plan for peace. There is no sustainable alternative to reviving the two-state solution," said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, speaking on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League.
Albares said he hopes definitive peace talks can be held "as soon as possible so the international community can back the agenda."
“Because both have equal and legitimate rights to the land, they will have to share (the land). We need to help them agree on that. Alone, they will not be able to,” said Borrell.
The EU foreign policy chief also said that he was “appalled” to learn that the Israeli government plans to commit new funds to build new illegal settlements. He termed illegal settlements as “Israel’s greatest security liability” and a grave breach of international law.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, for his part, said: “By opting for peace we are not taking sides. The peace we seek must fulfill Palestinians' right to freedom and statehood, and must address Israel’s legitimate concerns.”
The Union for the Mediterranean was founded 15 years ago in the wake of the Oslo Accords in the spirit of shared peace and prosperity for the Mediterranean region.
"Today the reality is clear — achieving real and effective regional integration and cooperation can only come through a just and lasting peace for Palestine, Israel and the whole region, based on the two-state solution," said Nasser Kamel, secretary general of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Israel, one of the founding members, did not send representation to Monday's meeting.