European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Sunday called Israel’s plans to go ahead with the construction of some 3,000 new homes in the E1 area near Jerusalem ''extremely worrying'' by its scale.
Two days after abstaining in the UN General Assembly vote on a Palestinian upgraded status, German Chancellor Angela Merkel reassured Israel of her country's commitment to the security of the Jewish state.
Obama's former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel reportedly calls PM's actions ''unfathomable''; France downplays report is is also considering withdrawing ambassador after Israel authorizes 3,000 settlement homes, E1 development.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thanked his Czech counterpart for being the only EU member state to vote Friday against the UN General Assembly resolution upgrading the Palestinian status in the world body to a ''non-member observer state.''
European Parliament President Martin Schulz greeted news of the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s successful bid for non-member observer status at the UN General Assembly in New York Thursday as being in line with the assembly’s calls for the PA’s claims for statehood to be made more “visible”, on the path to achieving Europe’s desires two state solution in the region.
After gov't responds to Palestinian UN status upgrade by approving building of 3,000 units in W. Bank, J'lem, US says ''actions counterproductive and make it harder to resume direct negotiations or achieve a 2-state solution.''
European leaders sought to project a united front following their disparate showing at the UN General Assembly Thursday in New York, which saw no consensus position adopted amongst member states at the vote on upgrading the Palestinian Authority (PA)’s status, as they looked to the challenging task of reigniting stalled Middle East peace talks.
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today called on Israel and the Palestinians to find the “political will and courage” to move ahead with talks aimed at establishing a lasting peace between them through Palestinian statehood and security for Israel.
Israel’s army recent operation in Gaza “certainly has not destroyed Hamas, it might even have the opposite effect of making Hamas stronger in the longer term,” asserted British Liberal Democrat MEP Graham Watson during a debate in the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee.
