Brussels, 06/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Catherine Ashton, European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has finished her two-day visit to the Middle East (on Wednesday in Israel and Thursday in the occupied territories). During her visit, she met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the minister for foreign affairs, Avigdor Lieberman, and the defence minister, Ehud Baraka, as well as the leader of the opposition Kadima party, Tzipi Livni. From the Palestinian side, she met President Mahmud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. During her visit, she also went to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. In a press release published at the end of the visit, she indicated that, “I am pleased to begin the New Year with a visit to the Middle East. My trip to the region so early in the year is an expression of my personal commitment and that of the European Union and its 27 member states to peace in the Middle East”.
Catherine Ashton pointed out that she had outlined the position of the EU to the different interlocutors saying: “During my talks, we discussed latest developments and ways to move beyond the current impasse”. In this perspective, she appealed to both sides to resume dialogue, “in substantive negotiations on all final status issues” and explained that there was no other alternative. She repeated the fact that the EU was, “prepared to do whatever is possible” to help the two sides get back to the negotiating table. Peace negotiations were relaunched on 2 September in Washington, following a 20-month suspension of the process. These discussions were, however, again suspended three weeks later. The Palestinians demanded an extension of the moratorium on Israeli settlements, a demand that Israel refused.
Ashton also referred to the situation in Gaza, “which is never far from my mind”, she explained. She again appealed for the border crossings to be opened up again to enable humanitarian aid to get in. She appealed for schools to be able to function appropriately and for the living conditions of the people in the area to be improved. She also welcomed recent Israeli measures introducing greater flexibility towards traffic to and from the Gaza Strip. She also called for greater efforts to be made to facilitate reconstruction and promote business in the area.
The EU high representative is calling for a Quartet meeting to be held soon, which could take place within the framework of the Security Conference at the beginning of February, in Munich. She also announced that the EU would be meeting up, under her chairmanship, in Brussels for the AHLC (Ad Hoc Liaison Committee for the coordination of assistance to the Palestinians). This committee meeting will help prepare for the second meeting of donor countries, planned for next spring.
This visit poses the question of what the EU can do in this process, when even the Americans seem to have given up. It does not appear that the EU is planning on playing a direct role in this process unless it is under the leadership of the Quartet. The Palestinians are, nevertheless, calling for Europe to play a role in the perspective of proclaiming a sovereign state, which would have the blessing of the international community. On 13 December last, European foreign affairs ministers reaffirmed that they were prepared to recognise the state but only, “when it is appropriate”. They did not manage to agree on exerting further pressure to bring the peace negotiations out of the current deadlock. The EU is currently keen to make a principled appeal against the settlement policy and the blockade against Gaza but it is unable or unwilling to run the risk of finding itself in an embarrassing situation.
This difficulty can be located in the absolute silence imposed on Brussels, following a report received by Ashton from the European consuls general in East Jerusalem. No details of this document have been made available to the public. According to our sources, however, the consuls general might find themselves in a very difficult situation, revealing two distinctive strategies being pursued by the Israelis and in which the government would be committed to the silent annexation of the Palestinian part of the city, notwithstanding the criticism and recommendations from the international community. One of the recommendations made by European diplomats in this area would be to increase the number of demonstrations in East Jerusalem, in an effort to demonstrate their refusal to isolate the West Bank, which appears to be Israel's aim. According to these comments, the EU would be unable to publish the conclusions of this report without taking action, something it is unable to envisage, given the diversity of opinion among the 27 EU member states.
While Catherine Ashton was making her visit, the Commission announced that it was releasing €4 million to pay the wages and pensions of 85,000 civil servants from the Palestinian Authority for this January. This direct assistance to Palestinian operational structures costs the EU €500 million a year. (F.B./transl.fl)