(Strasbourg) “Peace will not come about by itself; it has to be built”. The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, comments on the escalation of violence in the Holy Land in his address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. “The international community – he acknowledges – has not done enough to implement the Oslo Accords, which must become a reality” based on the principle of “two peoples, two states”, so that Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace. His remarks have a political and geostrategic nature. “Israel has the right to defend itself, but the right to defend yourself, like all rights, has limits marked by international humanitarian law”. Hence both the violence of Hamas’ terrorist attacks and the violence of the Israeli armed forces against Palestinian civilians living in the Gaza Strip must be condemned. Borrell points out “the four principles” that should guide any action in this phase, namely “firmness, humanity, consistency and a proactive political attitude” aimed at stopping violence and building “a lasting peace”. “There is a need to address the ongoing conflict to ensure that there is no repetition” of acts of terrorism and war and to facilitate the creation of “a lasting peace between Israel and Arab countries in the region”.