The European Union made a new call Saturday for a halt to violence in the Palestinian territories so the Palestinians and Israelis can get back "on the path to peace."
"The European Union appeals once again for an immediate halt to the violence in the Palestinian territories. The continuation of the clashes offers no prospect," said French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine, speaking on behalf of the EU presidency.
France is current president of the 15-nation EU and Vedrine is at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit in Seoul but there is much international concern over the new clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians.
"The use of force must be controlled," added the statement referring to the new outbreak of clashes. "The European Union calls for the spirit of responsibility that was shown at Sharm el-Sheikh."
"Everything must be done to end the violence and favor the calm necessary to get back on the path to peace," said Vedrine.
The EU's appeal came day after the worst day in clashes between Israelis and Palestinians since the start of the crisis.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak said Friday Israel was taking "time out" from the peace process after a day of violence in which nine Palestinians were killed and more than 200 injured.
Barak said the time-out would last "as long as necessary in order to evaluate the situation and determine what we have to do, what the other side is doing, what we expect in light of the lessons that have been learned from these painful events."
The violence erupted across the West Bank Friday despite the agreement reached at a Middle East summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Tuesday to halt the violence, and provoked a new flurry of diplomacy in a bid to ease the tensions.
In a late Friday telephone call President Bill Clinton urged Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat "to do everything they could to restore the calm and get an end to the violence," said White House spokesman Jake Siewert.
"He also stressed the importance to get the commitment of Arab leaders at the Arab summit to the peace process."
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, as well as the EU's top diplomat Javier Solana and Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, Washington spokesman Richard Boucher said.
She also spoke Thursday with Vedrine and British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.
Clinton also spoke late Thursday with Barak and Arafat urging them to implement the steps outlined in the fragile Sharm el-Sheikh agreements – SEOUL (AFP)
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