Top European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana’s visit to Israel last Sunday, has been seen as yet another sign of improvement in relations between the two sides following Israel’s pullout from the Gaza strip last month.

However, there still remain differences on certain core issues.

Solana, who is the EU high representative for the common foreign and security policy, met with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.

Solana had also a meeting with Palestinian chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

The meeting between Solana and the Israeli leaders, which a spokesman for Solana described as “positive”, was the highest diplomatic level between the two parties since the disengagement plan was implemented;

Israel, in its unilateral disengagement plan dismantled all 21 Jewish settlements in the Gaza strip and another four in the West Bank.

European praise

Solana praised Israel’s "courage and professionalism" in the way that it carried out the disengagement last month. He complimented the democratic nature of Israel’s decision and said the EU is willing to try to help with subsequent phases.

“We must not lose momentum and hope,” he said, adding that the EU “wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem, and will work to make this a reality.” Solana said the upcoming day of the Gaza strip handover will be a day of celebration.”

“The meetings with the Israeli leaders were very “positive and cordial”, Solana’s press officer Elena Peresso told EJP. But she declined to speak of a “thaw” in Israel-EU relations. “Solana has good contacts with both sides and is seen as a respectful interlocutor,” she said.

We must not lose momentum and hope Javier Solana

The EU Commission announced last week that it is preparing a new financial package of € 60 million to rebuild infrastructure and strengthen Palestinian institutions in the Gaza strip.

Observers noted that Solana did use the term "first phase of disengagement", stressing that Europe views the evacuation of settlers and the army from Gaza and the northern West Bank should only be the first of such measures for Israel. Several other EU leaders have expressed the same view.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom noted that “we have passed a great test of Israeli democracy,” following the successful and non-violent disengagement.

Shalom called on the EU “to help the Palestinian Authority to follow through with its commitments under the Roadmap.”

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Javier Solana

The Middle East Road Map toward peace was developed in 2003 by the "Quartet" made up of the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union. The plan outlines a broad series of steps that are supposed to lead to a Middle East in which the State of Israel and a new Palestinian State coexist peacefully with security.

In a reference to last Sunday’s attack in the Israeli town of Beersheba, Shalom called on the completion of the security barrier to prevent such attacks in the future.

’Israeli courage’

A shift in relations between Israel and the EU was emphasized last week when an Israeli official hailed a statement by the EU presidency on the disengagement as “the most positive statement in years.”

The statement, issued by Britain, which holds the rotating EU presidency, paid tribute “to the courage of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and the Israeli government for implementing the disengagement plan, and to the Israeli security forces for their conduct.”

According to an Israeli official quoted by ’The Jerusalem Post’, “he could not remember the last time an EU statement praised the conduct of the Israeli army.”

Israel has repeatedly criticized the EU’s Mideast “anti-Israeli” statements.

An Israeli Foreign ministry official however said, "it is too early to see any overall change in the Europeans attitude to Israel.”

“There seems to be very little change in the stance of the EU on the Middle East with the onus seemingly resting on Israel in the eyes of many of Europe’s politicians,” the official, who asked for anonymity, said.

“The thaw between Israel and the EU is cautio

it is too early to see any overall change in the Europeans attitude to Israel Israeli Foreign ministry official

us. Israel wants now the EU to show acts by putting pressure on the Palestinian side to act against terror,” Freddy Eytan, director of the European affairs at a Jerusalem-based think tank Centre of Public Affairs and State, told EJP.

Solana will be followed in Israel in the near future by the Foreign ministers of France and Spain.

Diplomatic sources said European leaders realize the importance of using the “momentum” of the pullout to start a new phase in the Mideast process.

They are also aware that both Israeli and Palestinians will be preoccupied with domestic political issues over the next few months and not concentrating on the diplomatic front.

Israel has repeatedly criticised the one sided statements on the Middle East released by the EU that seem to always favor the Palestinians.

Hizbullah differences

Israel and the EU differ as to the designation of terrorist organizations and its application to Hizbullah and Hamas. The EU sees Hizbullah as mainly a political party crucial in the make-up of the new Lebanon, while Israel sees Hizbullah as a group which commits and supports terror.

During his talks with Israeli leaders, Solana could only agree with not maintaining contacts with the Hamas, while avoiding the subject of Hizbullah in the subsequent press conference.