'EU diplomacy will fail in Gaza'

2009-01-05 21:03

Oslo - European Union efforts to bring an end to fighting in Gaza are unlikely to succeed, a Norwegian diplomat who helped negotiate the 1993 Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians said on Monday.

"With all due respect to the EU and the world's most activist diplomacy of our time, the French, (the bloc) lacks influence with both Israel and Hamas," Jan Egeland, who heads the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Nupi), told the NTB news agency.

He also described the Middle East peace Quartet - the EU, the United States, United Nations and Russia - as "bankrupt", pointing out that "we have seen 10 years lost during which nothing was accomplished" towards creating lasting peace in the region.

Instead, Egeland stressed the importance of US influence on Israel.

"The ball is in the United States' court. Egypt and Iran also have an important role to play (but) the rest of the world comes far down the list," he said.

'Joint US initiative needed'

Norway's historic role of mediator could however make it an important player in the diplomatic efforts.

"What is needed is a joint initiative by the United States and Egypt, and Norway could also play a part," he said.

The Norwegian government had, according to Egeland, made an especially important move when it as one of few countries with normalised relations with the Palestinian coalition government uniting Hamas and Fatah in March 2007.

"One of the main reasons the Middle East Quartet is bankrupt is that it has not talked with Hamas," he insisted.

More than 520 Palestinians - including at least 90 children - have been killed since Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead on December 27 in an attempt to bring an end to Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli towns and villages.

While the rocket attacks may cease, Egeland said on Monday he doubted that Israel's invasion of Gaza would bring it peace in the long run.

"There has seldom been a country that to such an extent has acted against its own long-term interests," he said.

"You cannot simply put 1.5 million (Palestinian) people in a cage, lock the door and throw away the key. There will never be peace if you do that."

- AFP