Foreign ministers promise closer cultural, scientific, business ties and enhanced security cooperation if an agreement is reached....
The European Union is ready to provide Israelis and Palestinians with “unprecedented” financial, political and security assistance and a significant upgrade in ties if the two parties reach a peace agreement, the union’s foreign ministers announced Monday.
The promised package, which includes upgrading bilateral relations to a so-called “Special Privileged Partnership,” can be understood as a major incentive to prod Israeli and Palestinian leaders into signing a final-status deal. Israeli officials reacted tepidly, if not cynically, to the plan, saying that as long as it does not include concrete proposals, neither side will rush to amend its positions to overcome the current stalemate in negotiations.
“These are empty words, meaningless
generalities. The offer, the way it looks now, has no concrete content
at all and seems somewhat unrealistic,” an Israeli diplomatic official
told The Times of Israel. “If they really wanted to make their mark on
the peace process they would have come up with something a bit more
tangible.”
The offer was made by the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council, which adopted the conclusions in Brussels.
“The EU will provide an unprecedented package
of European political, economic and security support to both parties in
the context of a final status agreement,” a statement from the council
read. “In the event of a final peace agreement the European Union will
offer Israel and the future state of Palestine a Special Privileged
Partnership including increased access to the European markets, closer
cultural and scientific links, facilitation of trade and investments as
well as promotion of business to business relations.”
The EU would also offer both states “enhanced political dialogue and security cooperation,” the foreign minister declared.
The council conclusions do not provide any
details regarding the promised assistance, yet state that the EU is
ready to “contribute substantially to post-conflict arrangements for
ensuring the sustainability of a peace agreement.” The EU “will work on
concrete proposals, including by building on previous work undertaken on
EU contributions to Palestinian state-building, regional issues,
refugees, security and Jerusalem,” the foreign ministers stated.
According to Israel’s Haaretz daily, the
incentives offered to Israel are “genuinely priceless.” Their monetary
worth “has been estimated in the billions of euros,” the paper reported,
and would “vastly improve Israel’s international standing, rescuing
Jerusalem from the international isolation from which it is suffering.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said he had no comment to offer at this point.
The vague prospect of enhanced cultural and
scientific links, or even increased access to European markets, is
unlikely to prompt a significant change in Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s positions regarding a possible peace treaty with the
Palestinians, the unnamed diplomatic official said. Israel already has a
free-trade agreement with the EU and while there is always room for
expanding trade, the vague offers are unlikely to prompt a significant
policy change, the official added.
“Had the Europeans offered a commissioner in
Brussels, one for Israel and one of Palestine, or full integration of
Israel and Palestine into the Eurozone, that would have caught the
attention of their target audience. Had they said they would grant
Israeli and Palestinian youths unlimited access to the Erasmus [student
exchange] program, so that people could envision their children studying
in Europe — that would be unprecedented and tangible. That would make
it worth our while to make peace because there’s so much to gain. But
enhanced cultural ties? So we will be allowed to send more than one
orchestra to Europe per year?”
In their council resolutions, the European
foreign ministers declared their full support for the currently ongoing
peace talks, which were initiated by US Secretary of State John Kerry,
and commended “the leadership shown by [Palestinian Authority] President
[Mahmoud] Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu.”
However, the EU council warned “against
actions that undermine the negotiations,” the council stated. “In this
regard, it deplores Israel’s continuous expansion of settlements, which
are illegal under international law and constitute an obstacle to
peace.” The European foreign ministers also expressed their “grave
concern regarding incitement, incidents of violence in the occupied
territory, house demolitions and the deteriorating humanitarian
situation in Gaza.”
**Raphael Ahren is the diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-offers-unprecedented-aid-to-israelis-palestinians-for-peace-deal/
16/12/13
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Related:
Η ΕΕ απαιτεί από το Ισραήλ να επιστρέψει στα σύνορα του 1967 / New EU directive bars all dealings with Israeli-held areas over the pre-1967 lines
Abbas rejects U.S. plan for Israeli troops
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Συμμετοχή Αντιπροέδρου της Κυβέρνησης και ΥΠΕΞ Ευ. Βενιζέλου σε Συμβούλιο Εξωτερικών Υποθέσεων και σε Συμβούλιο Γενικών Υποθέσεων της ΕΕ (Βρυξέλλες 16-17.12.2013)....
ReplyDeleteΟ Αντιπρόεδρος της Κυβέρνησης και Υπουργός Εξωτερικών, Ευάγγελος Βενιζέλος, θα συμμετάσχει, τη Δευτέρα 16 Δεκεμβρίου, στο Συμβούλιο Εξωτερικών Υποθέσεων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, το οποίο θα πραγματοποιηθεί στις Βρυξέλλες.
Στην ημερήσια διάταξη του Συμβουλίου περιλαμβάνονται ζητήματα Νότιας Γειτονίας, με έμφαση στις εξελίξεις στη Συρία και στο Λίβανο. Περαιτέρω, θα συζητηθούν θέματα Ανατολικής Εταιρικής Σχέσης, κυρίως οι σχέσεις της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης –Ρωσίας. Στην ημερήσια διάταξη του Συμβουλίου, περιλαμβάνονται, επίσης, η πορεία της Ειρηνευτικής Διαδικασίας στη Μέση Ανατολή, καθώς και η προοπτική διεύρυνσης των Δυτικών Βαλκανίων.
Στο περιθώριο του Συμβουλίου θα πραγματοποιηθεί γεύμα εργασίας μεταξύ των Υπουργών Εξωτερικών των 28 κρατών-μελών και του Υπουργού Εξωτερικών της Ρωσικής Ομοσπονδίας, Sergey Lavrov, με αντικείμενο τις σχέσεις Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης - Ρωσικής Ομοσπονδίας.
Την Τρίτη, 17 Δεκεμβρίου 2013, ο Αντιπρόεδρος της Κυβέρνησης και Υπουργός Εξωτερικών κ. Βενιζέλος θα συμμετάσχει στο Συμβούλιο Γενικών Υποθέσεων της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης.
Στην ημερήσια διάταξη του Συμβουλίου περιλαμβάνονται, μεταξύ άλλων, η προετοιμασία του σχεδίου συμπερασμάτων του επικείμενου Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου (19-20 Δεκεμβρίου), η εξέταση θεμάτων Διεύρυνσης και ειδικότερα η υιοθέτηση του Διαπραγματευτικού Πλαισίου της Σερβίας με την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, καθώς και η πορεία των Συμφωνιών Σταθεροποίησης και Σύνδεσης.
Τέλος, θα πραγματοποιηθεί αξιολόγηση της λειτουργίας της Ευρωπαϊκής Υπηρεσίας Εξωτερικής Δράσης και ενημέρωση για τα αποτελέσματα της πραγματοποιηθείσας άτυπης Υπουργικής Συνόδου του Βίλνιους (26 Νοεμβρίου), όπου συζητήθηκαν ζητήματα Συνοχής.
http://www.mfa.gr/epikairotita/eidiseis-anakoinoseis/summetokhe-antiproedrou-tes-kuberneses-kai-upeks-eu-benizelou-se-sumboulio-exoterikon-upotheseon-kai-se-sumboulio-genikon-upotheseon-tes-ee-bruxelles-16-17122013.html
13/12/13
Kerry: Concrete progress has been made in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks...
ReplyDeleteUS Secretary of State John Kerry said concrete progress has been made in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, but parties remain to keep a general silence on the issue in order to suppress "pressure," great expectations" and "opposition".
Speaking in an interview aired Sunday on ABC's "This Week," Kerry said that the current round of ongoing talks, which resumed in July, have come at a "different moment" from past efforts, which he hopes leaders will seize to progress work on the ground.
"I think what’s happening in the region, I think the fact of all the work that’s been done before has laid a pathway people can build on," he said. "I think there are many options that have been vetted before that leave you a different set of choices."
http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Kerry-Concrete-progress-has-been-made-in-Israeli-Palestinian-peace-talks-335152
16/12/13
Πλήρη στήριξη σε Ισραήλ - Παλαιστίνιους.....ΥΠΟΣΧΕΤΑΙ Η ΕΥΡΩΠΗ, ΑΝ ΒΡΟΥΝ ΛΥΣΗ....
ReplyDeleteΠλήρη υποστήριξη στους Ισραηλινούς και τους Παλαιστινίους σε περίπτωση που τα δύο μέρη καταφέρουν να ολοκληρώσουν τις ειρηνευτικές διαπραγματεύσεις υπόσχεται η ΕΕ.
«Η ΕΕ θα προσφέρει ένα χωρίς προηγούμενο πρόγραμμα πολιτικής και οικονομικής υποστήριξης, καθώς και υποστήριξης στον τομέα της ασφάλειας, προς τις δύο πλευρές εφόσον υπάρξει μια τελική συμφωνία» ανακοίνωσαν οι υπουργοί Εξωτερικών της ΕΕ που συνεδριάζουν στις Βρυξέλλες.
Η ΕΕ «θα προσφέρει στο Ισραήλ και στο μελλοντικό Κράτος της Παλαιστίνης ένα ειδικό καθεστώς προνομιακής σύμπραξης, το οποίο περιλαμβάνει αυξημένη πρόσβαση στις ευρωπαϊκές αγορές και ενισχυμένες επιστημονικές και πολιτιστικές σχέσεις» προσθέτουν στην ανακοίνωσή τους.
Οι υπουργοί εξέφρασαν την πλήρη υποστήριξή τους στις ειρηνευτικές διαπραγματεύσεις που διεξάγονται από τον αμερικανό υπουργό Εξωτερικών Τζον Κέρι, τον ισραηλινό πρωθυπουργό Μπενιαμίν Νετανιάχου και τον παλαιστίνιο πρόεδρο Μαχμούντ Αμπάς.
Υψηλόβαθμος ευρωπαίος αξιωματούχος διευκρίνισε πως είναι πολύ νωρίς για να εκτιμηθεί το οικονομικό ύψος της βοήθειας που θα μπορούσε να αποδεσμευθεί.
Η ισραηλινή εφημερίδα Χααρέτζ την υπολόγιζε την Παρασκευή σε πολλά «δισεκατομμύρια ευρώ» και υπογράμμιζε πως θα επέτρεπε στο Ισραήλ να βγει «από τη διεθνή απομόνωσή του».
Ωστόσο, στη δήλωσή τους οι ευρωπαίοι υπουργοί απευθύνουν «προειδοποίηση εναντίον των ενεργειών που υπονομεύουν τις διαπραγματεύσεις», βάζοντας ιδιαίτερα στόχο το Ισραήλ.
Εκφράζουν τη λύπη τους για «τη συνέχιση του εποικισμού, που είναι παράνομος» και τη βαθιά ανησυχία τους «για τις πράξεις βίας στα κατεχόμενα εδάφη, την καταστροφή κατοικιών και την επιδείνωση της ανθρωπιστικής κατάστασης στη Γάζα».
http://www.politisnews.eu/cgibin/hweb?-A=253073&-V=articles
16/12/13
Israeli PM vows to expand settlements...
ReplyDeleteIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue “developing” settlements following reports of U.S. pressure ahead of a fresh round of Palestinian prisoner releases due later this month.
“We will not stop, even for a moment, building our country and becoming stronger, and developing... the settlement enterprise,” he said in remarks on Wednesday to his rightwing Likud faction, which were broadcast on army radio on Thursday.
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/12/19/Israeli-PM-vows-to-expand-settlements.html
19/12/13
Israeli fruit exporter faces boycott pressure in Europe...
ReplyDeleteBDS activists protest stores carrying fruit grown inside the Green Line, hold demonstrations outside Mehadrin’s offices.
Despite the fact that its executives insist that its products are from Israel proper, and not produced over the Green Line, the demonstrators call for a general boycott of its goods.
The BDS movement calls for blanket boycotts of Israel, not just Israeli settlements, with the stated goal of ending the Israeli occupation of Arab lands and granting a right of return to all Palestinian refugees.
Earlier this month, Mehadrin uploaded a video on YouTube showing a compilation of clips from demonstrations calling for a boycott of the company’s goods............http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-fruit-exporter-faces-boycott-pressure-in-europe/
27/12/13
EU warns Israel, Palestinians of 'price to pay' if talks fail ....
ReplyDeleteA top European Union official warned on Wednesday that both Israel and the Palestinians would have a "price to pay" if US-led peace talks collapse.
Speaking to reporters in Jerusalem, Lars Faaborg-Andersen, the EU's ambassador to Israel, also rebuffed charges by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Europe was showing a pro-Palestinian bias.
And he warned that persistent Israeli construction on land seized during the 1967 Six Day War was fuelling private European moves to boycott products and services linked to the settlements.
"It is obvious, and we have made it clear to the parties, that there will be a price to pay if these negotiations falter," he said.
US Secretary of State John Kerry coaxed the two sides back to the negotiating table in July with the aim of securing an agreement within nine months. But the talks have shown very little visible progress, overshadowed by disagreements on security and a flurry of settlement announcements.
Since January 1, Israel has pushed ahead with plans for another 2,791 new settler homes in the West Bank, including annexed east Jerusalem, sparking a wave of international condemnation.
By continuing to build up the settlements at the expense of a peace agreement, Israel was likely to find itself more and more shunned by the European public, the envoy warned.
"If Israel were to go down the road of continued settlement expansion and were there not to be any result of the current talks, I'm afraid that what will transpire is a situation in which Israel will find itself increasingly isolated," he said.
"Not necessarily because of any decisions taken at a governmental level but because of decisions taken by a myriad of private, economic actors, be it companies, pension funds or consumers, who will be choosing other products on the supermarket shelves."
Last week, four key European states summoned Israeli ambassadors to protest over new settlement construction, which Netanyahu denounced as "hypocritical," saying the EU was unfairly singling out Israel and lacked "balance and fairness."
But Lars Faaborg-Andersen denied the charge.
"We are passing on messages to both parties, so I don't see any basis for the allegation that we are being one-sided, of not being even-handed on this issue," he said.......http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_01_22/EU-warns-Israel-Palestinians-of-price-to-pay-if-talks-fail-4113/
22/1/14
Israel's Peres opposes Netanyahu peace demand...
ReplyDeleteIsraeli President Shimon Peres privately opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence that Palestinians recognise Israel as a Jewish state, saying it obstructs peace talks, local newspaper Israel Hayom said Wednesday.
"In conversations held by Peres in the past weeks with senior diplomatic and political figures, he explained that this insistence by Netanyahu was 'unnecessary,' as he put it, since it could derail the peace negotiations," the paper wrote.
US-brokered peace talks that began in July have faltered over seemingly irreconcilable demands from both sides, failing to bring any glimpse of a final agreement that would end decades of conflict.
Netanyahu has amplified calls for Palestinians to recognise Israel as a Jewish state, a demand Palestinian leaders reject fearing this could preclude the right of return for Palestinian refugees who left or were driven into exile when the state of Israel was created in 1948.
The Palestinians recognised Israel as a state at the start of the peace process in the early 1990s.
Peres had not made his disagreement with Netanyahu public, Israel Hayom said, "so as not to undermine Israel's uniform stance."
Netanyahu reiterated his position in a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
"To have a genuine peace between us and the Palestinians there must be a Palestinian acceptance finally of a nation-state for the Jewish people," Netanyahu said.
Palestinians say Netanyahu's focus on the "Jewishness" of Israel is a deliberate ploy to sideline more pressing issues in peace talks that were kick-started by US Secretary of State John Kerry in the middle of last year, such as the contours of a future Palestinian state and the fate of Jerusalem, claimed as a capital by both sides.
"Today, you will see Mr Kerry going back and forth, discussing nothing but two issues. The two issues have never been in our agenda: the Jewishness of the state and (security in) the Jordan (Valley)," top Palestinian leader Nabil Shaath said Thursday.
http://www.france24.com/en/20140122-israels-peres-opposes-netanyahu-peace-demand/
22/1/14