SINCE NATO's military action has overwhelmed the media, a significant statement from the European leaders did not receive adequate coverage. The European Union has recently took a bold stand with regard to their position of the Palestine statehood. In their recent meeting of the European Summit in Berlin, they have stated on 26th March that the Palestine people have a right to self-determination leading to a separate independent state of Palestine.

Let me quote what the leaders of the 15-pation bloc said in the key paragraph, of the statement. They ■ "reaffirmed the continuing and unqualified Palestinian right to self-determination. including the option of a state and look forward to the early fulfilment of this right." The statement is very clear and forthright in its support for the Palestine statehood.

In contrast. Mr. Arafat came away from a White House meeting with President Clinton last week with strong US expressions of support for the peace process and accelerated final-status talks but a reiteration of the American position against unilateral statehood

declaration.

The question is : Why did the Eurojiean leaders do that at this point of time ? Let me discuss it.

Chairman Yasser Arafat made it quite clear that in terms of 1993 Oslo Accord the statehood of Palestine should have been negotiated by Israel with the Palestine Authority and completed by May 4. 1999. Regrettably this is not to be the case. The present right wing Netanyahu Government appears to have ditched the Accord and is not in a mood to implement the provisions of Oslo Accord. Mr. Netanyahu started all kinds of excuses to defer the stages of the plan as scheduled in the Accord. This appears to be frustrating indeed to the Palestine Authority.

Chairman Arafat decided that he could not wait further to declare the statehood of Palestine just because the right wing Israeli leaders do not want him to do it. The UN resolution of 1948 recognised the right of the Palestine people to have their own independent state together with Israel. If the Jewish people has the right to an independent state, how can they deny the same right to the

Palestine people in accordance with the UN resolution ? It makes no sense . Pick any adjective you like — mean-minded. arrogant, selfish, senseless. They would aptly describe the attitude of Israel towards the Palestine people's right of statehood.

The European Union leaders want that Chairman Arafat should postpone his proclamation of statehood on 4 May. They perceive that Mr. Netanyahu's chances of success in the Israeli election on 17 May will be greater if the Chairman Yasser would declare statehood before the election. . Therefore the Europeans gave a clear signal to Chairman Arafat that they wholeheartedly supported the legitimate aspirations of the Palestine people and in the given situation he should defer any declaration. at least until after the Israeli election and possibly for as much as a year. After the Israeli election, the political environment may change and with the Labour government in office in Israel. Chairman-Yasser Arafat would be able to negotiate to declare the statehood. There is a view that the European initiative was co-or-

dinated with the US.

Obviously Mr. Netanyahu is enraged with the statement of the European Union. He himself attacked the decision as a threat to the existence of Israel, invoking the emotion-laden memory of the Holocaust to castigate the Europeans. He said : “ Europe should show greater sensiUvity and not suggest solu-Uons to the Middle East conflict that jeopardise the Jewish people and the Jewish state. There is a lurking fear in the minds of the right wing Israeli leaders that once Palestine statehood is established they would gradually claim the areas which were recognised- as part of Palestine territory under the 1948 UN resolution and are presently grabbed by Israel.

If Israel wants peace in the region, the surest way to get it is to support the Palestine state. Former Labour Leader and Prime Minister of Israel Shimon Peres considers that Palestine state will be safety valve for Israel's security. The statement of European leaders recognised this reality.

The writer is former Bangladesh Ambassador to the UN in Europe, Geneva.