Several more positive straws in the wind of the renewed Middle East peace process emerged yesterday from the meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Brussels.
The Israeli foreign minister, Mr Silvan Shalom, surprised his hosts by saying Israel would welcome a greater EU role in the Middle East if it is "more balanced" and agreeing to disagree with them about Mr Yasser Arafat's role in the peace process. He was pleased with the EU's involvement in putting pressure on the Palestinians to rein in those supporting violence.
If this genuinely signifies a greater willingness by the Israelis to accept the EU's involvement in the "roadmap" drawn up by the EU together with the United States, Russia and the United Nations, there is greater reason than before to expect that progress can be made. The Israeli prime minister, Mr Ariel Sharon, was originally sceptical about the roadmap, believing President Bush, its prime mover, would not sustain that commitment into a US election year when pressure on Israel would be unpopular with key groups of his supporters. This has proved to be a miscalculation so far, leading Israeli policy-makers to take the roadmap more seriously.
Other axes of the "Quartet" responsible for the roadmap have also strengthened since it was published two months ago. Arising from the difficulties of imposing order on post-war Iraq and the gradual realisation that international financial and political help will be needed to manage it over several years, the United States has shown itself somewhat more willing to deal with the EU, the UN and Russia by recognising their distinctive approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Middle East as a whole. This must be put alongside renewed US warnings to Iran not to interfere in Iraq, which raise fears of another unilateral adventure. EU ministers have accepted a tough policy on Iran, concerning nuclear weapons, human rights and terrorism, making it more difficult for that state to exploit transatlantic disagreements.
These changes bear out the idea that the transatlantic relationship can be much more effective when it works together. This is particularly true of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is at the root of many other political problems in the Middle East. The EU and its member-states have a profound interest in seeing these problems tackled constructively, so that neighbouring tension does not spill over in their direction. A more equal, balanced and common engagement by the EU and the US can make a real difference. Israel's belated recognition of this is welcome.