BEFORE placing a ring of steel, around Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities should take a lesson from the ghettoisation of Jewish communities in Europe during the last World War, said Mr Michael Lanigan (FF).
Israel was one of only two states which had been set up by United Nations vote and which were going against all the wishes of the world body, he said. The Israeli authorities should reflect and see that such a ring of steel had caused the ghettoisation of the Jewish populations in Europe during the 1939-45 war. They, above all, should appreciate the consequences of the creation of ghettos.
"The ring of steel that is being put around Jerusalem is a deliberate act and is going to cause absolute friction in that area. The peace process in the Middle East is at an end and we are back to the Intifada in a big way." This was of no benefit to anyone.
We in Europe should be cognisant of the fact that it was what happened in Europe that had caused major problems in the Middle East. We in Europe should forget about asking the United States to solve the problems in that region. We should take major steps to tackle them.
The European troika, which included our own Minister for Foreign Affairs, should become more involved in this regard.