EIPA Update

John Kerry smoothed over last year’s diplomatic tensions between Israel and the US over the Iran deal this week by saying of prime minister Netanyahu: “I think he recognized that the fight’s over and we can move on.” His words on CNN were clear evidence that while the US and Israel might have disagreements from time to time, the hatchet can, must and always will be buried for the good of the relationship as a whole.

Which brings us to the EU, who seemingly are intent on deteriorating a fragile diplomatic relationship further. On Monday the EU Foreign Affairs Council met in Brussels and declared afterwards all EU agreements with Israel “must unequivocally and explicitly indicate their inapplicability to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967.”

So rather than allowing the settlements issue to be dealt with as part of a negotiated process between both parties in any future peace deal, they have put the cart well and truly before the horse, and have effectively decided what borders the State of Israel should have.

This move will simply serve to reiterate in Israeli hearts and minds that the EU is fixated, obsessed with the issue of settlements above all else. This stubbornness is deeply counterproductive to the EU-Israel relationship. It throws it off balance.

The EU have taken a Palestinian demand and made it a requisite in any future dealings with Israel, while completely ignoring Israeli concerns about secure borders, Palestinian incitement to terror, terror itself and the repeated refusal of the Palestinians to recognize the legitimacy of State of Israel.

This spotlight on the settlement issue, above all else, and to the repeated detriment of EU-Israeli relations, is a deeply puzzling and distressing thing for us to watch here at EIPA.

In other news this week, Mahmoud Abbas demonstrated his mastery of linguistic gymnastics by saying he did in fact offer to meet Benjamin Netanyahu, and that Islam forbids the spilling of blood (with the caveat of “without justification,” of course).

Lastly, just as we at EIPA HQ had hoped for a different outcome from the Foreign Affairs Council, have you ever watched a movie and wished for a better ending? An Israeli start-up is challenging the Hollywood behemoth by giving you the power to do just that.

Thanks for your ongoing support. Until next week.

Further news here.