Federation of African Ecologist parties
Federation of Green parties of Americas
Green parties from Asia and Pacific
European Federation of Green parties

Statement of the Global Green Coordination on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Following the crisis that ended the Oslo agreement process, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has reached a point of no return. After the 11th of September, the government of the United States of America publicly admitted the necessity of building an independent Palestinian State, yet so far it has openly supported the Sharon government in the conflict, even if we take good note of Colin Powell's intervention in recent hours thanks to international pressure.

The Arab League has, on its side, recognized the right for Israel to have an independent State, yet it is not giving it the necessary guarantees.

We Greens and citizens cannot remain inactive in this state of open war. Furthermore, the war in the Middle East is leading to dangerous confusions and increases the tensions between the various communities in all countries leading to daily acts of violence, against religious places for instance. Destroying all democratic forces, the war is giving a voice only to the extremists of both sides.

Peace needs the denunciation of the Ariel Sharon government's policy. Its purpose is a systematic destruction of the Palestinian Authority and its elected President Yasser Arafat, and a systematic destruction of civil society and political actors, so that at the end of the day all counterparts for peace talks will have disappeared.

Yet, the horror of kamikazes thrown against civilians is not an answer and we cannot accept any Palestinian terrorist attacks against civilians.

As Greens we reassert the need for a UN mandated international peace-keeping force to protect populations and we congratulate peace activists who have come from everywhere in the world, such as José Bové and many others from Italy and many other countries, amongst whom several are Greens, to support their Israeli and Palestinian friends. We also congratulate the Israeli Officers who are brave enough to refuse to intervene in the occupied territories.

We Greens support the Palestinians and the Israelis who refuse to jeopardize the future, such as the members ot the Peace Israeli and Palestinian Coalition and lots of others, who fight for the recognition of the national rights of the Palestinian people and the creation of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem East as capital, who fight for a durable peace between the two states of Israel and Palestine, based upon justice, security and reciprocity.

We ask for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied territories and for the establishment of a UN mandated and long lasting peace keeping force to implement protection of civilians, disarmament on both sides and implementation of all UN resolutions.

We will work as Greens to urge governments in our own countries to support these positions.

Global Greens Coordination