Gaza is only a stepping stone to peace, says Higgins

The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza must be the first step on the roadmap to peace, the president of the Labour Party said ahead of a trip to the troubled region today.

Michael D Higgins is one of a group of former ministers from across Europe who are travelling to Israel and the Palestinian territories today at the invitation of United Civilians for Peace (UCP).

The UCP is an umbrella organisation of peace and development bodies set up in 2001 in response to the number of civilians losing their lives in the conflict.

It has asked the European delegation to observe various issues in Israel and Palestine, including the aftermath of the Gaza disengagement and the building of the controversial West Bank wall.

The delegation will visit East and West Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Hebron and the Gaza Strip, and will meet with members of both the Palestinian and Israeli Parliaments, the mayors of Bethlehem, Beit Jula and Beit Sahour.

During the week-long trip the group will also meet members of various non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, and diplomats from each of the embassies of the countries representing the makeup of the delegation.

Mr Higgins, the Labour spokesman on Foreign Affairs and former Minister for the Arts, will be joined by former Dutch prime minister Andreas Van Agt and delegates from France and Germany.

The Labour President said he was honoured to have been chosen as part of the delegation, and urged the EU to become more deeply involved in the roadmap for peace.

“This move should and must be a first step in a broader initiative towards a lasting and just peace in the region, and not an end point. The roadmap for peace must be implemented and respected by all,” Higgins said, ahead of his journey.