2024-06-16 08:03:56
Former Ambassador of Egypt to France (2006-2012) and to the UK (2014-2018), A chilly camel (Cairo, 1959) since 2018 he has been secretary common of Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), a company in 43 States of Europe and the Mediterranean basin created to advertise stability and cooperation within the area. The precise ones struggle in Gaza, of which 8 months have already handed, unfailingly marks his agenda. This week, Kamel participated in Jordan in a convention to advertise an pressing humanitarian response within the Strip. He got here to El Periódico, from the identical editorial workforce as this newspaper, when he returned.
What emotions did you’re taking from the convention?
My feeling is that within the worldwide neighborhood, due to the good participation from international locations world wide, there’s a consensus concerning the pressing want for an finish, to extend humanitarian help particularly to the Palestinians in Gaza and about entry to this help and to the safety of organizations, particularly these of the United Nations, engaged on the bottom. The convention additionally targeted on the early restoration response wanted to make sure the minimal necessities for an excellent life in Gaza as soon as liberation happens. We talked about water, electrical energy, schooling, housing.
What are probably the most pressing wants of Gazans?
They’re large. I encourage you and your readers to test it out World Financial institution corruption evaluation report. It exhibits the scenario in Gaza. As talked about in the course of the convention, individuals in northern and central Gaza solely have entry to 300 energy of meals per day. That’s near starvation. What we want is a quantum leap, an enormous leap within the quantity of human help. And for that to occur, not solely technical and monetary measures should be mobilized, however additionally it is crucial for this help to succeed in Gaza with out obstacles, obstacles or restrictions, which implies locations extra entry, much less laws and safety in order that convoys of help can cowl your complete Gaza strip.
However how can we use these measures if Israel doesn’t cooperate?
That is an excellent query, for which, in fact, I haven’t got a definitive reply. For these measures to be carried out, we want the complete cooperation of all events. First, we want the cooperation of Israel and, particularly, all of the taking part international locations. The appeals of the conference, utilized by Egypt, Jordan and the United Nations, to the worldwide neighborhood together with Israel, as a result of Israel is a part of the worldwide neighborhood. Subsequently, surely, Israel has to actively take part in that course of with the intention to obtain sensible outcomes by way of lowering the very tough and unpredictable humanitarian disaster that’s taking place in Gaza proper now.
How is the UfM serving to the Palestinians in Gaza?
Our historical past, our DNA is linked to working for peace and stability within the area. We’re targeted totally on early restoration, as a result of we’re not designed to be within the area of serving to individuals. We’ve got analyzed many initiatives and now we have recognized one through which we work with Unimed, the Union of Mediterranean Universities, and a few Palestinian universities in Gaza to deal with the issue of progress of younger Palestinians pursuing greater schooling, making a basis in line. the place they will full the tutorial 12 months and never be a misplaced technology. We’ve got began with a pilot challenge with 3,000 college students. And now we have acquired functions from 47,000 college students to date. We hope to have the ability to carry it out, at the very least throughout this 12 months and subsequent 12 months. Among the many objectives of this system can also be to supply religious assist to college students and lecturers, burdened and traumatized by the laborious expertise of the previous 8 months. However we’re additionally occupied with different issues: we’re learning a large-scale work program that may permit small and medium enterprises to return to work as soon as established; we’d love to have the ability to contribute to the city growth program that ensures that the Gaza that we hope to emerge after the struggle is even higher than earlier than; We’re additionally considering whether or not we could be helpful by way of water and meals safety.
In current days, the potential for fireplace formation has been heard once more.
Sure, however the termination just isn’t the best way out of the struggle, the one manner out is the place for a political answer. In my humble opinion, there will probably be no finish to this struggle primarily based on struggle phrases. Nice energy is not going to resolve it. Unity is the one approach to assure Israel’s safety, in addition to permit Palestinians to train their proper to self-determination inside an impartial Palestinian state within the West Financial institution and Gaza. There are two international locations dwelling peacefully aspect by aspect. The possibilities of a ceasefire rise someday and fall the subsequent. However lastly, and I hope the leaders perceive this, the one manner out of this deadlock is to finish the conflicts that observe a political agenda. The truth is, the decision proposed by the US and accredited by the Safety Council – subsequently necessary – final Monday clearly calls for sustainable peace and the discharge of all assessments. And it additionally talks concerning the perspective and the necessity for a political answer.
Spain has lately acknowledged Palestine as a State. Are there actual alternatives to use?
I imagine it’s the solely choice for peace and stability within the Center East. With out responding to the Palestinian individuals’s authentic concern for self-determination, how can we assure safety in that space? Greater than 130 international locations acknowledge Palestine, what does that inform us? Even the US, which is taken into account by your complete worldwide neighborhood as the primary supporter of Israel, insists on a two-state answer. This isn’t by probability, however by a deep understanding of what must be performed to finish that battle as soon as and for all. And this isn’t solely due, as I mentioned earlier than, to the thought of ethics and the worldwide system primarily based on legal guidelines that respect human dignity and the aspirations of the individuals, however additionally it is for the advantage of Israel as Nation and yours. security. Israel needs to turn into an excellent and dedicated associate, not just for Palestine, however for the entire area. All areas are able to have regular pleasant relations with Israel within the type of a peaceable answer primarily based on two States.
However the Authorities of Benjamin Netanyahu You do not appear very curious about a two-state answer.
I can not communicate for Israel, however I see that everybody believes in it, and I hope that every one the individuals of Israel and the leaders of Israel will probably be optimistic to that imaginative and prescient, as a result of it’s the finest curiosity. We see completely different concepts circulating, equivalent to normalization with the Gulf international locations, regional integration that may happen between Israel’s neighbors, … All this could possibly be a recreation changer for Israel, in addition to a progressive Palestinian state who lives with Israel. , with all the mandatory precautions for security. I believe this state of affairs could be very engaging and I hope it is going to be supported by the general public and the leaders of Israel.
Qatar, Egypt and the US are the primary mediators within the present battle. What’s the UfM’s opinion on these efforts?
The UfM shouldn’t have an opinion, as a result of we present the solidarity of our Member States, together with Israel, and in that case we recognize the efforts of the USA, Egypt and Qatar, who’ve labored diligently in a couple of months in the past, tried with all their energy to discover a manner out of the catastrophe that’s taking place in Gaza. These efforts are enormously appreciated, inspired and praised, and I imagine they’re doing probably the most. Now’s the time for the events to behave on this effort and obtain the specified end result, which is that this three-level package deal that was accredited by the Safety Council final Monday.
What function does the UfM play? Are you concerned in any manner in mediation efforts?
No, we’re not actors on a political scale, however we could be one later in mediating between individuals and in creating situations for dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian societies. The options on the convention targeted extra on partial damages. We use our expertise in greater schooling, work, financial growth, surroundings, local weather, city planning, … all of that to search out tasks that may profit Israel and Palestine and create better cooperation between these two states sooner or later.
What’s Israeli-Palestinian coexistence at UfM?
We’re one of many few organizations through which Palestine and Israel are acknowledged as member international locations with full rights, and each international locations actively take part in our technical discussions, within the sector actions . After all, once we speak concerning the political scenario or battle within the area, they’ve utterly completely different opinions and there are discussions. However they stand for our work.
Tensions between Israel and Lebanon are at their highest level because the struggle in Gaza started. Are you afraid {that a} new struggle zone might open within the area?
I hope widespread sense will prevail. In Israel, but in addition on different elements of the world. All of us hope {that a} second entrance doesn’t open that complicates issues much more within the area. Cool heads should prevail. And in reality, I’m positive that if we attain a aim in Gaza, that may have a direct impression on the scenario in northern Israel and subsequently in Lebanon, instantly, as a result of a part of the strain comes from the progress of the army in Gaza . .
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