| advertisement |
|
|
|
| Controversial EU Jerusalem report shelved
|
|
| Page tools |
 |
|
|
|
The European Union has decided not to publish a controversial report which highly criticised Israel’s settlement activity in East Jerusalem and angered Israeli officials.
The document, which was leaked to the press last month, accused Israel of jeopardising chances for peace by continuing to build settlements and through the construction of the security barrier.
It was written by foreign policy advisors in the British consulate in East Jerusalem, who are notoriously sympathetic to the Palestinian cause.
Changing circumstances
The announcement was made by British foreign secretary Jack Straw at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
According to the British media, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned that the report could severely undermine Europe’s influence over Israel if it was to be published.
The “European Voice”, a Brussels-based weekly newspaper specialized in EU affairs, reported that “Israeli diplomats have warned that relations may be soured if the report was published.”
Straw, whose government currently holds the presidency of the EU, said changing circumstances had led to the climb-down.
"The political landscape has altered within Israel - there is a general election in a few months time," he said in reference to prime minister Ariel Sharon’s decision to form a new centrist party and abandon the right wing Likud.
"So we thought it was appropriate not to endorse or to publish the document, but instead to continue to make representations about our concerns in the normal way."
According to the Guardian newspaper one EU diplomat said the report was “a little much”. "Javier Solana made clear he thought it was very one-sided and unhelpful," the diplomat added.
Straw said that the EU will continue to press Israel on the plight of Palestinians in normal, diplomatic contacts and regular statements from the EU head office.
Controversial capital
Israel has held control over East Jerusalem since the six-day war in 1967 and its status is one of the most hotly contested issues connected to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The Israelis see Jerusalem as the “undivided capital” of the Jewish state, whereas the Palestinians have consistently spoken of their desire to build the capital of their state in East Jerusalem.
The British consulate diplomats claimed in the report that the security barrier and settlement activity were examples of Israel’s methods of expropriating Arab land.
It read: “This de facto annexation of Palestinian land will be irreversible without very large-scale forced evacuations of settlers and the rerouting of the barrier.
"When the barrier is completed, Israel will control all access to East Jerusalem, cutting off its Palestinian satellite cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and the West Bank beyond."
Relations between Israel and the EU had warmed recently, with Israel agreeing to allow EU representatives to monitor the crucial Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev stressed the importance of the decision not to publish the report.
“There's no doubt that there's a new atmosphere in relations between Europe and Israel," Regev said. "I'm sure disengagement is part of this relationship between Europe and Israel, but I think people in Europe have taken the decision that to be more involved here, it's important to be more even-handed."
|
|
 |
|