RESOLUTION ON THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI ISSUE

 

The Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy,
• Aware of the serious difficulties that continue to be faced by the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
• Expressing its concern about the dire humanitarian and socioeconomic conditions of the Palestinian people as a result of the widespread destruction of property and infrastructure caused by Israel, the occupying Power, as well as a result of its imposition of severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of persons and goods by means of closures, checkpoints and roadblocks,
• Expressing its concern in particular about Israel’s continuing settlement activities in colonization of the Palestinian land and its construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, in grave breach of international law and in disrespect for the Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice and relevant United Nations resolutions,
• Concerned as well about the collective detrimental impact of such unlawful Israeli policies and practices on the rights of the Palestinian people, including, inter alia , their right to self-determination, to worship, to education, to health and to an adequate standard of living,
• Expressing grave concern in this regard about the severe impact of the Wall and the settlements on the tourism industry, economic situation and the livelihoods of the Palestinian population in Bethlehem and East Jerusalem, which are being walled in and isolated from the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory,
• Welcoming the holding of the democratic presidential election by the Palestinian National Authority on 9 January 2005 and the election of President Mahmoud Abbas,
• Expressing support for the holding of democratic elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council and for the democratic processes of the Palestinian people to strengthen their national institutions,
• Welcoming the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit and the understandings reached between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
• Aware of the preparations being undertaken for the intended Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four settlements in the northern West Bank, and expressing it support for this important measure,
• Emphasizing the importance of the safety and well-being of all civilians in the entire Middle East region,
• Aware of the necessity of achieving a final and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and affirming its support for the peace process towards the attainment of a just, lasting and comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East,
• Welcoming the initiatives and efforts undertaken by civil society, including Churches, in support of the peace process,

RESOLUTIONS
• Affirms the necessity of achieving a peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine in accordance with international law and of intensified efforts by all sectors of the international community, including civil society, towards that end;
• Reaffirms its support for the Middle East peace process, including the Road Map, and the efforts to achieve the two-State solution with the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and territorially contiguous State of Palestine, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, based on the pre-1967 borders;
• Stresses the need for a just resolution of the problem of the Palestine refugees in accordance with General Assembly resolution 194 (III);
• Calls upon Israel to cease its settlement activities and its construction of the Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, in compliance with its legal obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, as mentioned in the Advisory Opinion of 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice, and in compliance with relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions;
• Also calls upon Israel to fulfill the commitments made at the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit, including the withdrawal of its forces to pre-September 2000 positions and the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees;
• Further calls upon Israel to remove its checkpoints and roadblocks and to lift the restrictions it has imposed on the freedom of movement of persons and goods within as well as into and out of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem;
• Demands that Israel ensure the freedom of access to the Holy Places in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in East Jerusalem and in Bethlehem, and respect the right to worship by all Palestinian civilians without restrictions;
• Calls upon Israel to respect the agreements its has concluded with the Palestinian National Authority, including the Paris Protocol and the provisions with regard to the facilitation of tourism and tourist transport, including to the Holy Places in East Jerusalem and Bethlehem, which are suffering vast economic losses as a result of the restrictions imposed on freedom of movement and the Wall and the settlements;
• Affirms the need for the Gaza withdrawal to be full, including the crossing into and out of the Gaza Strip, for reestablishment of the safe passage between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and for humanitarian access to be ensured at all times;
• Stress the necessity to grant Palestinians other means of border accesses (airport, seaport) to help boost the economy and ensure free flow of import and export goods from and to the Palestinian markets.
• Calls upon the international community, including the Quartet, to exert all necessary efforts towards the resumption of the peace process and the achievement of a final peaceful settlement;
• Urges continued international assistance to the Palestinian people and their leadership during this critical period;
• Reaffirms its support of and solidarity with the Palestinian people and its firm support of their right to self-determination and to their independent State of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Geneva, 25 June 2005

The present resolution was adopted by the plenary session while it was opposed by Mrs. Maria Pappas, Cookcounty Teasurer of Illinois, USA, Mr. Nicholas Kotsiras, MP from Australia and Mr. Vladimir Velman, MP from Estonia.