Gaza crisis

Commenting today on the Gaza situation in the European parliament, Greens/EFA Group Co-president Daniel Cohn-Bendit said:

"Hopes of peace and security are going up in smoke in Gaza. We are further away from the prospect of peace than ever before. Those who claim that Hamas' rockets justify the war are mistaken. If you start a war, you must know your aim and how to end it. Israel's aim is to improve its security but it is only achieving the opposite. We need to protect Israel from itself and Palestinians from Hamas.

Council's reiterated position in favour of upgrading EU-Israel's relations is a false move. The EU must speak to Hamas, which won free and democratic elections in the Palestinian territories. Hamas needs death to survive and Israel has fallen into its trap. The more Palestinians die in Gaza, the tighter Hamas' grip becomes. 

Only Palestinians can solve the problem of Hamas. Palestinians will turn to Hamas while Israel continues to occupy the West Bank and the lives of Palestinians there fail to improve. If we deliver a perspective for peace, Palestinians themselves will seal Hamas' fate."      

Press Service of the Greens/EFA Group
in the European Parliament

Chris Coakley,
Press Officer,
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: Brussels +32 2 2841667 / Strasburg +33 3 88174375
Mobile: +32-477-44-38-42
Fax: 0032 2 2844944
email: ccoakley@europarl.europa.eu