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Middle East

Meeting of the Socialist International Middle East Committee, Cairo

14 March 1998

The Socialist International Middle East Committee, SIMEC, met on 14 March in Cairo. The meeting was hosted by the National Democratic Party, NDP, and was held at the party's headquarters. Bjørn Tore Godal, Chair of SIMEC, opened the meeting and delegates were welcomed by Kamal El-Shazly, Egyptian Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. Youssef Wali, NDP General Secretary and Minister of Agriculture, and Safwat El-Sherif, Minister of Information, also attended the opening of the meeting.

The Committee's discussions, which were opened by Osama El-Baz, political advisor to President Mubarak, reviewed the serious conditions prevailing in the Middle East, particularly in the light of the current deadlock in the peace process. The Committee expressed its deep concern at the standstill and called on the parties to implement their commitments. The Committee condemned the settlement policies of the current Israeli government and called on it to desist from unilateral practices. The Committee observed that the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government had to spare no effort to put an end to extremist activities. In its statement, the Committee called on 'the peace process sponsors to continue their efforts in re-installing negotiations on all tracks with a view to achieving a just and comprehensive peace, bringing security and stability in the region'.

The Committee also heard a report from the Chair of the Working Group on the Kurdish Question on the meeting of the group held on 23 February in Stockholm.

Participants from a number of regions attended, including representatives from SI-member parties from Israel, the Israel Labour Party and Mapam/Meretz, and from the Territories under Palestinian Authority, Fatah. Delegates were also addressed by Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestinian Authority and leader of Fatah, at a special gathering of members of the Committee in the evening.  


      STATEMENT ON THE MIDDLE EAST


The Socialist International Middle East Committee, SIMEC, meeting in Cairo on Saturday 14 March 1998 to review the serious conditions prevailing in the Middle East as a result of the deadlock in the peace process which could lead to an escalation of violence, and after considering the latest developments:

Expresses its deep concern over the deadlock on all tracks of the peace process negotiations. Israel has a special responsibility to bring the peace process back on course.

Confirms its determination that the peace process on all tracks be established on the principles and basis of international legitimacy as embodied in resolutions 242, 338 and 425 of the UN Security Council, and on the principles stated on the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference, foremost among which is the principle of Land for Peace, the Oslo Accords, and all other resolutions and agreements concluded by the parties concerned.

Reaffirms that permanent and stable peace must be just and comprehensive in conformity with the principles approved by the international community. Foremost among these principles is the Israeli withdrawal from occupied Arab territories, allowing the Palestinians to practise their inalienable right to self-determination and the setting-up of an independent Palestinian state, as well as the principle of respect of the right of all peoples in the region to live in peace and security and channel their efforts to national reconstruction and development.

Calls upon the parties to implement their commitments, particularly on re-deployment, in accordance with the Oslo Agreements, so that final negotiations can be entered upon to resolve problems concerning Jerusalem, the settlements, refugees and borders.

Calls upon the Israeli government to desist from unilateral practices, particularly those of collective punishment, which impede the peace process and undermine mutual confidence. In this regard, the Committee condemns the settlement policies that aim at establishing a de facto situation in the occupied territories.

Condemns terrorism wherever it comes from, in the strongest terms. We cannot accept the killing of civilians, men, women and children, under whatever guise. The Palestinian Authority must spare no effort to destroy terrorism and isolate the terrorists. It is also the obligation of the Israeli government to put an end to extremist activities. It is not only human lives that are at stake but the peace process itself.

Calls for Israel and Syria to resume negotiations on the Syrian track on the basis of UN Resolutions and the Madrid conference Terms of Reference. Resolution 425 on the Lebanese track should also be implemented. Moreover, the Committee calls upon the international community to increase its efforts to achieve the consolidation of the peace process, saving it from total collapse.

Calls upon the peace process sponsors to continue their efforts in re-installing negotiations on all tracks with a view to achieve a just and comprehensive peace bringing security and stability in the region. The Committee also expresses its solidarity with its Israeli and Palestinian member parties, Labour Party, Mapam/Meretz and Fatah.

Welcomes the stance adopted by the European community and all other peace-loving nations confirming the pivotal role played by the Egyptian leadership in furthering the peace process and the importance of continuing that role.

In response to President Mubarak's initiative of 1991, the Committee underlines the importance of rendering the Middle East region free of all weapons of mass destruction.

Furthermore, the Committee reiterates the importance of granting economic support to the Palestinian Authority and of extending every kind of assistance to the Palestinian people in order to improve their living conditions in such a way as to permit them to achieve stability and a favourable climate for resuming the peace talks.


 

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS


Chair of the Committee

Bjørn Tore Godal
(Norway, DNA)


Secretary General of the Socialist International
Luis Ayala


BELGIUM
Socialist Party, PS

Simone Susskind


CHILE
Party for Democracy, PPD

Marcia Covarrubias


EGYPT
National Democratic Party, NDP
Youssef Wali
Kamal El-Shazly
Osama El-Baz
Safwat El-Sherif

Mohamed Abdellah
(Vice-Chair of SIMEC)


FRANCE
Socialist Party, PS

Pierre Guidoni
(Vice-Chair of SIMEC)


GERMANY
Social Democratic Party of Germany, SPD

Wolfgang Weege


GREAT BRITAIN
Labour Party

Ernie Ross


GREECE
Panhellenic Socialist Movement, PASOK

Vassilis Konstantineas
George Florentis


ISRAEL
Israel Labour Party

Shlomó Ben-Ami
Israel Gat


ISRAEL
United Workers' Party of Israel, MAPAM
Latif Dori


ITALY
Democratic Party of the Left, PDS

Umberto Ranieri
Gianfranco Brusasco


MOROCCO
Socialist Union of Popular Forces, USFP

Mohamed Lakhssassi


NORWAY
Norwegian Labour Party, DNA

Tonje Westby


PORTUGAL
Socialist Party, PS

José Lamego


SWEDEN
Swedish Social Democratic Party, SAP

Pierre Schori
Carl Lidbom
Brigitta Silén

TERRITORIES UNDER PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY, Fatah

Yasser Arafat
Hani El-Hassan
Ilan Halevi


TUNISIA
Constitutional Democratic Assembly, RCD

Saïd Naceur Ramadhane


Office of SI President
Jean-Michel Rosenfeld


Party of European Socialists, PES
Jean-François Vallin


Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists
Jannis Sakellariou
Vagelis Lepouras


International League of Religious Socialists, ILRS
Evert Svensson


SI Secretariat
Gabriela Shepherd

 



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