A leading Palestinian diplomat said today Israel and Palestine will never find peace without international intervention.
Addressing delegates at a Pax Christi seminar on the Middle East Mr Afif Safieh, the Palestinian Authority representative in the UK said: "Israel cannot repress the intifadabut the intifadaalone cannot negate the occupancy."
Mr Safieh said: "I believe our youth are dying on the West Bank and Gaza Strip because of European timidity".The meeting heard the EU is respected by both communities and its intervention would be welcome. A recent report by Pax Christi called for a stronger EU role in the peace process and accused the EU of remaining silent and hiding behind the US during the current crisis.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Cowen was due to address the meeting but had to withdraw due to the situation in Northern Ireland. His place was taken by Minister of State at the Department of Finance Mr Martin Cullen, who told the meeting the Government has pledged $2 million per annum in Irish and EU aid programmes from 1999 to 2003 to the Palestinian people.
Mr Cullen said: "The EU is by far the largest donor of aid to Palestine. Over the past six years an average of euro 179 million per year has been spent in direct support of the Palestinian Authority, refugees and regional peace process projects."
On the current Mid East situation Mr Safieh described Mr Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount in September last year as the straw that broke the camel's back.
He said three factors caused the current state of unrest. These were the enforced diaspora and "the longest military occupation in history"; the "unconvincing" 10-year peace process during which Israeli settlements in disputed areas grew at an accelerated pace, and the false view the international community has of the Palestinian community arising from the outcome of the Camp David summit of July 2000.
Mr Tijl Declercq, a memeber of Pax Christi International and a former member of the Belgian parliament said since the Oslo agreement there is a growing dependence of the Palestinian economy on the Israeli economy.
He also said the international community is now differenciating between Jews, Israelis, and the Israeli government, and Jewish communities all over the world are distancing themselves from the actions of the Israeli government.