Israel must 'make peace with Palestine'

Israel must focus on making peace with Palestine rather than the United States, the minister for foreign affairs insisted today.

Brian Cowen stepped up criticism of US president George Bush’s policy shift and said any settlement about the West Bank must be negotiated fairly by those involved.

Speaking at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tullamore, Co Offaly, Mr Cowen said long-term solutions needed to be agreed and inclusive.

“To achieve lasting peace and security, Israel still has to reach agreement with the Palestinian people and its other Arab neighbours,” he said.

“It remains the case that Israel has to make peace with its enemies, not its friends. Israel and the United States are not in conflict.”

Mr Bush’s policy turnaround sparked outrage this week when he said it was “unrealistic” to expect Israel to pull back to the borders that existed before the 1967 Six Day War.

He backed Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon’s controversial plans to pull troops out of the Gaza Strip and dismantle Jewish settlements there and in parts of the West Bank.

The plan has been denounced by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat because it would stop some refugees from returning to Israel and keep large sections of the West Bank under its control.

But Mr Bush dismissed the rights of the Palestinian people to return after an independent state was created.

Mr Cowen outlined parts of Mr Bush’s statement which the EU could endorse but said there were other points on which the EU had a “different approach”.

He added: “Everyone knows that any attempt to resolve the conflict unilaterally will not bring lasting peace.”

The US-backed “road map” to peace, which envisages the formation of an independent Palestinian state by next year, remained the basic framework of of a settlement, he said.

Tony Blair has joined Mr Bush in backing the Israeli plans despite “enormous concern” expressed by EU leaders in Brussels.

British foreign secretary Jack Straw said Mr Sharon’s proposals were welcomed but said it was important to ensure the arrangements took place within the context of the road map.