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| EU President: Israeli offensive unlikely to bring military success against Hezbollah
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Erkki Tuomioja, Finnish Foreign Minister and President of the European Council
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BRUSSELS (EJP)--- The president of the European Union declared Tuesday that Israel’s offensive in southern Lebanon is unlikely to bring success against Hezbollah and is instead bound to increase support for the group.
Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country holds currently the EU presidency, called the Israeli battle against Hezbollah is “unacceptable and impossible”.
“It is unlikely to bring a military success against Hezbollah. It will only increase support for Hezbollah and other extremists in the region,” Tuomioja said during an extraordinary meeting of the European Parliament’s political groups leaders.
“It will only bring more civilian casualties and further escalation of the conflict,” he continued, adding that the fighting is putting additional pressure on Arab moderate states such as Egypt and Jordan.
Emergency meeting
Tuomioja was speaking before chairing an emergency meeting of the 25 EU ministers in Brussels on the Mideast crisis
He called for a united EU policy on the crisis. “It is time for the EU to come out with a clear statement,” he said adding that what is needed today is an immediate cease-fire or cessation of hostilities, a strong international peacekeeping force under UN mandate and a broad political agreement.
Tuomioja, who visited the Middle East last week, said there would be no lasting security or stability there “if we don’t move back to the peace process” between Israelis and Palestinians.
“The credibility of the EU is at stake and if we fail we can say goodbye to any EU role in the world. There is much expectation for such a role,” the Finnish minister stressed, echoing many voices within the European Parliament.
EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-waldner said the Israeli 48-hour truce “has not been totally effective on both sides.”
“The killing of innocent must stop, in Israel and in Lebanon,” she said.
During the European Parliament meeting, Hans-Gert Poettering, leader of the European People’s Party-European Democracy (EPP-ED), the largest political group within the European assembly, said: “Israel has the right to self-defence and secure borders but also obligations under international law.”
And European Socialist group head, German MEP Martin Schultz, said: “Disarmament of Hezbollah is needed if we want a cessation of hostilities, nothing can justify what happened in Qana,” a reference to the bombing of a southern-Lebanon village in which more than 50 people, including children, were killed. “Such violence only generates violence,” he said.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit, leader of the European Greens, expressed the view that no disarmament of Hezbollah will be possible if Iran and Syria are not involved in a solution. “Those countries are supporting the criminal actions of Hamas and Hezbollah,” he added. But he also criticised Israel’s strategy, which, he said, “is threatening its own existence.”
Bill Newton-Dunn, a British Liberal member of the European Parliament, regretted that there is no mention of Hezbollah’s attacks on northern Israel . “Israel is fighting for its life,” he stressed, evoking the possibility of trade sanctions against Syria and Iran, “the two countries behind this conflict.”
United attempts
EU Member states were trying to present a unified front on the conflict which has thrown up deep divisions around the call for an end to the hostilities.
The UK, particularly, has been backing Washington’s stance in refusing to call for an immediate ceasefire instead backing wording that says sustainable ceasefire - a wording battle that is also being played out at the UN.
Critics of Washington and London’s position say it is effectively allowing Israel to continue bombing Hezbollah.
Germany has also not called for an immediate ceasefire, despite rising domestic pressure.
The majority of member states, however, wants today’s meeting to result in a call for an immediate ceasefire.
The extraordinary meeting of political leaders in the European Parliament, while the body is normally in holiday recess, is seen as a sign of the MEP’s wish to press the EU to speak with one voice on the issue.
Foreign ministers were also discussing the possibility of sending troops to the region as part of a UN mission and humanitarian aid.
The UK, Holland, Germany and Slovakia said Israel needs to be guaranteed security before any ceasefire is announced.
EU foreign ministers were due to issue a statement calling for an immediate ceasefire.
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