The nine member states of the European Economic Community (EEC) declared in the General Assembly today that the establishment of settlements by Israel in the occupied Arab territories “is contrary to the norms of international law” and reiterated that the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians in wartime “applies to all territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem.”
In a statement delivered on behalf of the Common Market members by Ambassador Andre Ernemann of Belgium, the EEC said that it will support the Egyptian-inspired resolution before the General Assembly condemning Israel for its settlement policy and calling on it to desist. The statement noted, however, that the expression “Palestinian territory” in the first operative paragraph of the Egyptian resolution “has a purely geographic connotation in the present context.”
The statement said: “The Nine are all the more concerned by these (Israel’s) measures that in their opinion one of the essential elements in a negotiated settlement between the parties to the conflict is the necessity for Israel to put an end to its territorial occupation which it has maintained since the conflict of 1967. The policy of settlement in occupied territories is such that it would clearly complicate the negotiating process.”
The statement also said that the settlements aggravate tension in the area and that the Nine have already informed the Israeli authorities “of their concern in view of the recent illegal measures of the government of Israel. ” But the statement added that the Nine remain firmly committed to the security of Israel and consider this “to be one of the essential elements in an overall agreement.” The nine members of the EEC are Great Britain, France, West Germany, Italy, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and Ireland.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Arab countries meeting in Brussels as part of a European-Arab dialogue are pressing their demand that the EEC recognize the Palestine Liberation Organization.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
