Artykuły

Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"

UK report reveals fears for future of Palestinians

Patrick Wintour
Wednesday July 21, 2004
The Guardian

The United States is losing interest in the Middle East peace process with the result that the prospects of creating a viable Palestinian state are gradually disappearing, a new British government assessment of the Palestinian crisis warns.
The analysis, written by the Department for International Development (DfID) in consultation with the Foreign Office, reveals the alarm within Whitehall at the disengagement of the Bush administration from events in Israel and the occupied territories.
It warns: "The role of the USA, the country with the most leverage over Israel, is key. Frustration with aspects of the Palestinian leadership, preoccupations in Iraq, presidential elections and security concerns for US citizens may risk USA disengagement at the highest levels from the peace process when it is most likely to start collapsing."
The analysis, signed off by the development secretary, Hilary Benn, concludes: "There is now a medium to high probability that there will be a lack of effective international engagement on the Middle East peace process due to other international priorities in 2004." It says that "the EU, by contrast, remains focused, but has limited influence".
Tony Blair has insisted that the peace process, along with Iraq, is a priority of his foreign policy and a key to winning support in the Arab world. Before the Iraq war, he told ministers and officials he was using his influence with Washington to convince the Bush administration to do more about the Middle East conflict.
But since the war, US action has been limited. Mr Blair tried to put the best gloss on the planned withdrawal from Gaza negotiated by Mr Bush and the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, earlier this year. He endorsed the plan, despite Palestinian condemnation of it, and has said the road map peace plan is not dead.
The analysis says unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and parts of the West Bank not in line with the road map may lead to a dramatic increase in violence and severe poverty.
"Without action soon, there is a real danger that facts on the ground [Israeli settlement expansion and construction of a separation barrier] may make a viable two-state solution almost impossible."
It reports a substantial risk that the Palestinian Authority will collapse, but says the most likely scenario is "continuing failure to make progress towards a political solution" leading to the "continued construction of the separation barrier on Palestinian land, and gradual disappearance of the prospects for creating a viable Palestinian state".
The report suggests a negotiated withdrawal by Israel could lead back to the road map and two-state solution.
But it adds: "The Palestinian state which would be left if Israel controlled all access and/or permanently withdrew behind the current and planned route of the separation barrier would not be viable or stable."
It might instead prompt a majority of Palestinians to drop support for a two-state solution, and "instead back a single bi-national state from the Jordan to the Mediterranean. Palestinians would outnumber Jewish Israelis in such a state within the next decade."
The DfID claims this will be "the logical consequence of indefinite occupation by Israel".
The assessment warns huge rises in aid have not prevented an increase in poverty and will not reduce it much without progress on the peace process.
The assessment asserts that Britain believes Israel could do much to ease the humanitarian and economic situation of the Palestinian people without threatening Israeli security.
The assessment includes criticism of the Palestinian Authority's failure to make the necessary progress on security reform, and accuses some Palestinians of possessing a personal agenda.
It also criticises the Palestinian Authority, saying "major constraints include a shortage of clear political direction, limited popular support, management deficiencies, inadequate staffing in key areas, corruption, and accusations of misuse of funds and sponsoring terrorism".


agenda – terminarz
to assert – zapewniać
Assessment – ocena
To collapse – runąć, załamać się, rozpaść się
condemnation – potępienie
constraint – ograniczenie
deficiencies – brak, niedobór
Disengagement – rozluźnienie, zmniejszenie napięcia, zmniejszenie zaangażowania
Drift – dryf
to endorse – udzielać poparcia
foreign policy – polityka zagraniczna
indefinite – nieokreślony
Leverage – wpływ
misuse – nadużywanie
to outnumber – przewyższać liczebnie
Preoccupation – troska
to prompt – nakłonić, skłonić
Prospect – perspektywa
to put gloss on sth – ukazywać coś w najlepszym świetle
To Reveal – ukazać, odkryć
threatening – zagrażający
Viable – realny
unilateral – jednostronny
Withdrawal – wycofanie się


TEST

• « poprz.
• nast. »