1 April 2008

BELGIUM - Sixteen Belgian organisations are calling on the EU and EU member states to do more to solve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
The 16 include development organisations and trade unions.

A Belgian delegation has just returned from the Middle East and warns that there is now a complete stalemate and the danger of a major resurgence of violence.

Rik Coolsaet, lecturer in international politics at Ghent University, says: “The Palestinians see there are more settlements, more checkpoints and that Palestine that should become a viable state next to Israel has become a bit like Gruyère cheese with lots of holes.

The Belgians have a number of proposals.

The organisations are asking the Belgian authorities to put pressure on the EU and the UN Security Council to end the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

This is to ensure that economic activity can resume and that people can get basic medical care.

The Belgians say Israel should foot the bill for international development projects that are destroyed as a result of the violence.

They also want an end to the labelling of Palestinian agricultural products as “Produce of Israel”.

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