Israel Matzav

'Palestinians' seethe: Kerry asks EU to delay 'settlement guidelines'

In light of the ongoing 'negotiations' between Israel and the 'Palestinians,' US Secretary of State John Kerry has asked the European Union to delay the 'settlement guidelines' that would force Israel to exclude Judea and Samaria residents from all European projects. The 'Palestinians' are seething.

On Saturday, US Secretary of State John Kerry asked EU foreign ministers who met in Vilnius, Lithuania to delay any action on the matter given that direct talks were renewed between Israel and the Palestinian Authority at the end of July.

At a briefing with reporters prior to the meeting, a senior state department official said, “The secretary’s message to the EU foreign ministers will be very clear, that now that the parties are in negotiations and both leaders took difficult and painful – politically painful decisions in order to get into these direct negotiations – that it’s important for those parties who have an interest in a successful outcome that they be supportive of this effort and that they find a way to embrace the negotiators and encourage them to move forward, rather than, as it were metaphorically, bang them over the head.”

When asked about Kerry’s request at a press conference after the meeting, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said, “I want to reiterate the issue of the guidelines, that this is putting down on paper what is currently the EU’s position.” She added, “We will be sending a team to Israel on Monday... to make sure that in the implementation, we are doing so sensitively.

...

PLO executive committee member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi expressed concern over Kerry’s request to the EU.

“The announcement of the EU guidelines was a very positive step which played a significant role in the decision to resume negotiations. By refusing to extend grants and awards beyond the Green Line, these guidelines reinforce the 1967 border and play a constructive role in reaffirming the two-state solution, something which can only help the cause of peace.

“Reports of US lobbying the EU on behalf of Israel are extremely discouraging and cast serious doubts on the US mediation role,” Ashrawi added. “Once again the US is using the negotiations process to grant Israel immunity and to buy it more time to create facts on the ground, thereby rendering the so-called ‘peace process’ a self-defeating exercise.”

How does one 'sensitively' put a knife to a patient without anesthesia?

I agree that the 'so-called peace process' is a 'self-defeating exercise,' but that's because in the last 20 years the 'Palestinians' have never made a single concession.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Catherine Ashton, European anti-Semitism, European Union, Hanan Ashrawi, John Kerry, Middle East peace process, PLO

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:59 AM