EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said the decision of the Israeli government to halt the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority (PA) ‘’runs counter to Israel's obligations under the Paris Protocol.’’
Israel announced Saturday that it would suspend tax transfers to the PA after the Palestinian leadership applied to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to pursue war crimes prosecutions against Israelis.
Without directly mentioning the Palestinian bid to join the ICC, Mogherini said in statement on Tuesday that ‘’recent steps taken by Palestinians and Israelis could aggravate the already tense situation on the ground and bring them further away from a negotiated solution.’’
‘’Both sides should refrain from taking actions which could raise obstacles to the rapid return to the negotiations,’’ she added.
‘’An effective Palestinian Authority, committed to non-violence and a peaceful resolution of the conflict, is a key element for a two-state solution,’’ she stressed.
‘’In this regard, the EU is providing considerable support, including financial assistance, to ensure the building of the institutions and infrastructure of a future Palestinian State. These achievements should not be put at risk by not meeting obligations regarding the timely and transparent transfer of tax and custom revenues,’’ the statement said.
‘’The European Union will promote and support now more than ever efforts to achieve a lasting peace based on a two-state solution, including through the Middle East Quartet,’’ it said.
On Monday, the State Department said the Israeli measure “raises tensions,” which Washington was opposed to.
“What we are trying to avoid here is a back and forth tit-for-tat,” State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin also came out against the move on Monday.
“Freezing taxes cannot be useful either for Israel or for the Palestinians,” Rivlin told ambassadors accredited to Israel in a speech.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “continues to reject direct negotiations and tries to impose a deal by force,” adding that such an approach “warrants sanctions.”
“Sanctions against the PA should be in line with Israeli interests, and a tax freeze is not,” Rivlin said.
Israeli officials suggested on Sunday that the tax freeze was only the first of a series of punitive measures it could take against the Palestinian government. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also told his cabinet that he would not allow soldiers to be “hauled” in front of the court.