EU Needs Balance Its Policy Towards Israel, Palestinians: Sharon

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 20, 2003

EU Needs Balance Its Policy Towards Israel, Palestinians: Sharon

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The European Union, as one of the international mediating Quartet to the Mideast peace, should take abalanced policy towards Israel and the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference in Jerusalem, the prime minister said the European Union needs to realize that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has to be removed in order for any progress to be made.

"Israel and the United States see eye-to-eye on the Mideast peace process, but the Europeans need to be more balanced in their attitude towards Israel, the Arabs and the Palestinians," Sharon said.

"When it will be balanced you are mostly welcome to participate.But at this moment the relations are unbalanced," he added.

Sharon's remark was viewed as an explanation on his previous comment published by the Newsweek online news service Saturday, in which the prime minister dismissed the Quartet's importance.

Sharon reportedly labeled the Quartet comprising the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia as "nothing," saying Israel would not take seriously the Quartet-sponsored roadmap peace plan.

It was the first time in the year 2003 for the prime minister tomention the Quartet and the roadmap peace plan, which calls for an end to violence and the implementation of confidence-building measures between the two sides to help restart the peace talks.

The plan, proposed by the United States last October, supports the establishment of a temporary Palestinian state by 2003 and the final status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in 2005.

Sharon's office said on a separate occasion the United States isthe only member of the Quartet to "see eye-to-eye with Israel on the suitable interpretation of and the appropriate methods for implementing US President George W. Bush's speech, in contrast to the position of the other Quartet members."

Israel's view is that "the US and Israeli visions are the only actual understandings which are likely to result in peace in the Middle East," Sharon's office declared.

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