EU FOREIGN ministers have welcomed Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conditional endorsement of a future Palestinian state but said he needs to do more before EU-Israeli ties can be upgraded.
They have also urged both sides to take immediate steps to resume peace negotiations in an effort to add momentum to US efforts to promote a comprehensive peace deal.
“The EU calls on the government of Israel to commit unequivocally to the two-state solution and welcomes the initial step, following the Israeli policy review, announced by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” said an EU statement issued after a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg yesterday.
Under strong US pressure, Mr Netanyahu announced on Sunday for the first time that he would endorse a Palestinian state if Israel received guarantees the new nation would have no army and Palestinians recognised Israel as a Jewish state. EU ministers welcomed the speech but also insisted he needed to drop the new preconditions.
“That’s good but it’s only a first step,” said Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, whose country takes over the EU presidency in July. French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said Mr Netanyahu’s speech was “not sufficient”. “Nothing was said on the settlements . . . but this stopping of the settlements is essential,” said Mr Kouchner, who in an earlier statement rejected any preconditions to peace negotiations.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin said the EU needed to do more to press the Netanyahu government on the need to commit to a two-state solution and to halt the completely illegal expansion of settlements. “I am extremely concerned at the continuing stalemate and blockade in Gaza and the reports I am receiving regarding expansion of settlements. If left unchecked, the current situation contains the potential to seriously escalate and give rise to renewed tensions and even conflict in the Palestinian territories.”
The EU and Israel agreed in principle last June to upgrade an “association agreement” defining their ties, a move that would bring trade benefits for both sides.
But the union has blocked the move after the Israel assault on Gaza this year and says it wants a firm commitment from Israel to seek a so-called two-state peace accord with the Palestinians.
“We must say quite clearly today there can only be talk of an upgrade when the peace process is on its way, and for that we need a few steps more,” said Luxembourg foreign minister Jean Asselborn.
Last night EU ministers met Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman for talks.