Brussels, 09/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 6 March, the EU called on Israel to release the Palestinian funds and on President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to maintain cooperation on security with Israel. The EU again called on the parties to avoid any decision that would increase tension on the ground or undermine trust.
“The continued withholding of Palestinian revenues could be highly detrimental to the stability and security of the region”, said a spokesperson from the European External Action Service (EEAS), adding that this decision runs counter to Israel's obligations under the Paris Protocol of the Oslo Agreement. “These tax revenues do not belong to Israel but to Palestine”, the spokesperson said. In his view, the international community “cannot be called upon to relieve Israel of its own legal and political responsibilities vis-a-vis the Palestinian population as the occupying power in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem”. The EEAS spokesperson stated that the EU has engaged in senior-level contacts with Israeli counterparts to convey these messages.
Elsewhere, the spokesperson believed that if implemented, the resolution by the Palestinian Central Council calling for the suspension of the security cooperation with Israel due to the critical financial situation of the Palestinian Authority “would negatively affect the security of both Palestinians and Israelis and add undue tensions in an already extremely difficult context”. The spokesperson added that non-violence and a peaceful resolution to the conflict are key elements for a two-state solution.
On 5 March, the Palestinian Central Council called for the suspension of security cooperation with Israel - a decision linked to Israel's freeze on transferring Palestinian taxes since January. The non-binding decision of the Central Council may or may not be followed by Abbas. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)