11/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - Harsh Israeli criticism of EU. On Tuesday 11 December, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Lieberman accused the EU of following a policy that was hostile to the Jews. “Once again Europe has ignored calls for the destruction of Israel (…) We've already seen this at the end of the 1930s and at the beginning of the 1940s when Europe knew what was happening in the concentration camps and did not act”, Lieberman said on the radio, quoted by AFP. He was referring to the declarations of the Hamas leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, who has once again refused to recognise the state of Israel. “Europe has slapped itself in the face. When Jews are sacrificed, you have to ask yourself who will be next. In Toulouse, the terrorist who killed Jewish children also killed French soldiers (…) Israel is just an hors d'oeuvre”, he added, recalling the murders carried out by Mohamed Merah. On Monday 10 December, the EU foreign affairs ministers said they were “deeply concerned” and are strongly opposed to the new plans for settlements (see EUROPE 10748). (CG/transl.fl)