November 21, 2003
| A statement of the European Jews for a Just Peace* As European Jews committed to a just and durable solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we welcome the Geneva Accord with relief and with hope. As stated in its introduction, the Accord represents an attempt to meet the desire of both Israelis and Palestinians to ‘enter an era of peace, security and stability, after years of reciprocal fear and insecurity’. It proves there are people on each side willing to negotiate and to seek a non-military solution to the long-running conflict. The Accord challenges head-on the view that the Palestinian and Israeli peoples can only think within a ‘them-or-us’ logic, a logic of mutual destruction that benefits only extremists on both sides. By so doing, it offers an opportunity to break many taboos and the mutual distrust among the parties and peoples involved. The International Community, and particularly the European Union, should support the message coming from the Geneva Accord, and encourage talks that can further develop the ‘good intentions’ coming out of Geneva. Much remains to be done, especially in involving democratic, grassroots organisations in the peace process, but we welcome the Accord as an important step in the right direction. We call for real support for this process of negotiating a non-military solution to the conflict and affirm the need for a peace based on two equal partners negotiating on the basis of justice and mutual respect. ‘Peace needs Bridges, not Walls’ and we welcome the Geneva Accord as a definite bridge. 21st November 2003 *EJJP is a federation of 18 groups in nine different European countries |