The president of the European Commission insisted last night that Europeans be a part of negotiations to end the crisis in the Middle East.
President Romano Prodi also said it was important "not to change interlocutor in the middle of this crisis," referring to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Before US President George W. Bush said on Thursday that Secretary of State Colin Powell would be sent to the Middle East, European leaders had suggested the United States step aside and let other nations take the lead in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
But the Europeans were rebuffed last Wednesday when Israel refused to allow Javier Solana, the EU foreign policy chief, to meet with Mr Arafat. The Palestinian leader has been in virtual isolation for more than a week as Israeli troops and tanks surround his complex.
"I was sad to hear that the European envoy would not meet with Chairman Arafat," Mr Prodi said at a Venice conference of the Italian branch of the Aspen Institute think tank.
The European Union has demanded a greater role in cease-fire efforts, saying the United States has not done enough to stop the violence.
AP