German Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful called on Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs and Europeans to make a concerted effort to implement a Middle East peace plan.
“The challenge now is to give people here in the Middle East hope by ensuring that political action follows broad agreements and declarations of intent,” Wadeful told the IISS Manama Dialogue security conference in the capital of Bahrain on Saturday.
The challenges facing the region can only be resolved through cooperation and collaboration with Europe, he said.
Wadeful said the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip is fragile and requires sustained commitment from all parties.
The Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon must be disarmed, as must Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and a strong Lebanese military is needed, he said. “These are all gigantic challenges that we face, but they need to be solved.”
In particular, problems between Israel and its neighbors must be resolved through cooperation and compromise, Wadeful emphasized and said Germany wants to “best support our partners and friends along this path.”
He said a common thread ran through his talks in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon during his visit to the Middle East. “Everyone is ready to reach out to Israel and come to a new understanding with Israel.”
He said this presented a “great opportunity” but added that “concrete understanding must now be sought.”
