Brussels, 22/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 18 April, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton called on the Israelis and Palestinians for restraint, concerned about the recent events in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, “which are not conducive to the climate of trust and cooperation needed for the current peace negotiations to succeed”.
Ashton “calls on the parties to show utmost restraint and responsibility in order not to jeopardise the current negotiation process, and to refrain from any steps which could undermine trust and threaten these negotiations”, said her spokesperson in a press release.
Ashton therefore calls on the Israeli authorities to cancel the authorisation for a new settlement in Hebron and to cancel the decision of the Israeli Defence Ministry to declare nearly one square kilometre near the Gush Etzion settlement as “state land”. Ashton also called for a halt to the demolitions of Palestinian property which are continuing in Area C and East Jerusalem - demolitions which result in the displacement of vulnerable populations. She also called for cancellation of the recent confiscation of EU humanitarian assistance provided to vulnerable civilians in the Jabal Al Baba Community in the E1 Area.
The high representative condemned the recent killing of an Israeli man in the West Bank and called for the immediate end to all acts of violence.
Ashton reiterated her full support for the “tireless efforts” of US Secretary of State John Kerry in pursuing peace and she hoped that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas “are committed to finding ways to continue negotiations”. On 29 March, Israel refused to release Palestinian prisoners as planned, demanding that the negotiations be prolonged. Three days later, Abbas signed Palestine's accession requests to 15 conventions and international treaties. These two steps run counter to their commitments during the resumption of direct negotiations at the end of July 2013. These negotiations are theoretically due to last nine months - in other words, until the end of April 2014. (CG)