EU divided on 'peace process,' delcaration of 'statehood'
When the 27 foreign ministers of the European Union met on Monday, all they could agree upon was that Israel and the 'Palestinians' ought to get back to the negotiating table. It seems that Europe is deeply divided when it comes to how to jump start the 'peace process' and on how to vote on the 'Palestinians' unilateral declaration of 'statehood.' There is no consensus on whether the parameters for the talks should be Obama’s call for the 1967 lines and mutually agreed swaps, or whether that formula would also include Palestinian recognition of a Jewish state, and security issues.Hmmm. What if we could get Ashton replaced with one of the good guys?
While Ashton, according to Israeli sources, would be happy just with the Obama 1967 lines comments, others – the Germans, Czechs, Danes, Dutch, Italians, Romanians and Poles – want to see language that is also amenable to Israel, language addressing the Jewish state and security issues.
Ashton’s position is, according to Israeli sources, supported by Spain, Portugal, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, Slovenia, Austria and Luxembourg, with France – according to Israeli officials – leaning in that direction, but not completely there yet.
Similar divisions exist on the Palestinian state issue at the UN, with a vote in the General Assembly on the matter likely to result in some EU countries voting for Israel, more voting for the Palestinians, and the majority abstaining.
That these divisions exist and are growing explains why Brussels issued a statement Monday that was – well – not exactly a definitive policy statement on the “Middle East peace process.”
Labels: Catherine Ashton, European Union, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome, two-state solution, unilateral declaration of statehood
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:36 PM
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