Less than two weeks before she is due to visit the Middle East Jill Evans MEP, the leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales in the European Parliament, has reiterated calls for a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed to the region.

The all Wales MEP will be part of a European Parliamentary delegation travelling to Jenin, Tel Aviv and Ramallah on the 8th–12th May. In her speech in the full plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels Ms Evans said:

"Last week I had the privilege of meeting very brave and inspirational Israeli and Palestinian women who are working together for peace - peace between equals. They explained to us in a very vivid way just how desperate the situation is. For the Palestinians, the work that they had done building the basic institutions of a state over the past ten years was systematically being destroyed."

"For us there have been many resolutions and conferences - they are important and there will be many more, but the women who visited us said they had not seen the level of intervention needed to stop the bloodshed. They were calling for a peacekeeping force to be sent in to protect the people and we should support that call."

"A policy of force can never get rid of the levels of desperation and despair that lead to further acts of violence. There must be a just and peaceful solution for the long term as well as a swift response to stop the killing now. We must ensure that we keep up the pressure in every way we can to achieve that lasting peace."

Jill Evans MEP will be visiting the Middle East on 8th-12th May. During her visit she will meet representatives of the Palestine Legislative Council in Ramallah and members of the Knesset in Tel Aviv. She will also visit the Jenin refugee camp and hold talks with non-governmental organisations and various peace organisations. It is hoped that Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales representatives from other levels of government will join her on the four day visit.

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