EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini is expected to travel to Israel and the Palestinian Authority after the new Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be sworn in, EJP has learned.
Next week, at their meeting in Brussels, the 28 European Union Foreign Ministers have put on their agenda a discussion over the situation in the Middle East and prospects for the peace process following the announcement last week of the formation of a new Israeli coalition government.
Mogherini, who has declared her readiness to personally engage in contributing to the renewal of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, has congratulated Netanyahu on the formation of his new government.
‘’The European Union will continue to work with Israel on a mutually beneficial relationship as well as on issues of joint interest,’’ she said in a statement.
But she also stressed at the same time that ‘’the inauguration of the new government will also allow to relaunch the Palestinian/Israeli peace negotiations as soon as possible,’’ reiterating the EU stance that talks should aimed at achieving ‘’a comprehensive agreement towards the creation of an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State living side by side with Israel in peace and security.’’
‘’A comprehensive peace should fulfil the legitimate aspirations of both parties, including those of Israelis for security and those of Palestinians for statehood,’’ the EU said.
For Mogherini, the Israeli people and the Palestinian people ‘’deserve not only a future, but also a present of peace after too much suffering’’. ‘’Entire generations have paid and still pay the price of a lack of confidence and courage. It's time for courageous choices for the institutions of both sides,’’ she said.
The EU, which has a strategic interest in ensuring an end to the conflict and says it is willing to actively contribute to a negotiated solution of all final status issues, appointed in April Fernando Gentilini, an Italian diplomat, as EU Special Representative for the Middle East peace process, another sign of the EU’s interest in advancing the peace process. Gentilini will accompany Mogherini on her upcoming visit to the region, a diplomatic source told EJP.
The settlement issue is expected to remain a stumbling block in EU-Israel relations.
The EU recognises Israel in its 1967 borders and has not ceased to repeat that settlements ‘’are illegal under international law’’.
The EU said it is concerned about the fact that settlement activity ‘’increasingly threatens the very possibility of a two-state solution.’’
Last week, Mogherini reiterated the EU’s concern after the Israeli announcement of the construction of new homes in Ramat Shlomo, in north east of Jerusalem.
‘’The EU and its Member States are committed to ensure continued, full and effective implementation of existing EU legislation and bilateral arrangements applicable to settlements,’’ her statement said.
In April, several EU Foreign Ministers, including those of Britain, France, Italy and Spain – but not Germany- wrote a letter to Mogherini asking her to advance a proposal to mark products made in West Bank settlements and assure "correct and coherent implementation of EU labeling legislation."
Settlement products already face higher EU tariffs because the EU doesn’t recognize Israel’s jurisdiction over territories beyond the 1967 lines, and excludes them from the EU-Israel association agreement..
EU governments committed to mark the products from the settlements in 2012, then set the plans aside during U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s Middle East peace initiative and delayed them again in the run-up to the Israeli elections last March.
The push by Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders was supported by his colleagues from the UK, France, Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Malta, the Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, Slovenia, Italy, Luxembourg, Finland, and Austria.
On Monday, Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said that the new government would “stretch out its hand” to the Palestinians in order to conduct negotiations with them, as did the two previous governments both under Netanyahu.
However, Yaalon noted, “we have bitter experience with our Palestinian neighbors,” and any agreement that does not include recognition of Israel as a Jewish state will only be part of the Palestinian “stage plan” for conquering Israel.
He spoke at a press conference with Germany's Defense Minister, Ursula von der Leyen.
Netanyahu also mentioned negotiations with the Palestinians as he enumerated the new government's goals, describing them as “to advance the diplomatic process, to continue to guarantee the market's growth, and – an important mission that we committed to – is to bring down the prices of housing and the price of living.”
The Palestinian Authority is reportedly also under pressure from the international community to resume peace talks with Israel. Some of the countries have hinted that they would reduce financial aid to the Palestinians in order to pressure to persuade the PA to resume the peace talks.
The EU is the largest aid contributor to the Palestinians.
The new Israeli coalition government includes five parties with a slim majority of one seat (61 out of 120) in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament: Likud, Bait Yehudi (Jewish Home), Kulan, Shas, and United Torah Judaism. However, Netanyahu has let open the possibility of broadening the coalition.
Netanyahu hopes to officially swear in the new government next week.

by Yossi Lempkowicz