Israel-Palestine: European Union Steps In With Call for Peace Talks and Israeli Concessions

A draft document, to be discussed by EU foreign ministers next week, says that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian state compromised of Gaza and the West Bank. It also says that the EU did not recognise Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem.

The draft says that settlements, Israel's separation barrier and the demolition of Palestinian houses are "illegal under international law, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two-state solution impossible". Israel's long-running economic blockade of Gaza was "unacceptable" under international law and "politically counterproductive."

Striking a contrasting tone, the draft states that the EU says it hopes the 10-month partial settlement freeze "will become a step towards resuming meaningful negotiations" and welcomed Israel's removal of some of its hundreds of checkpoints and obstacles in the West Bank.

Israeli officials were quick to criticise the EU. The Foreign Ministry said:

The move led by Sweden damages the ability of the European Union to take a role and be a significant factor in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
After the important steps taken by the government of Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, the European Union must now exert pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. Steps like those being led by Sweden only contribute to the opposite effect.