Brussels, 08/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - On 7 May, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu on his appointment as Prime Minister of the State of Israel, and called on him to resume peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
Following the general elections on 17 March, the Israeli government was formed at the last minute on 7 May. “The inauguration of the new government will also allow to re-launch the Palestinian-Israeli peace negotiations as soon as possible”, Mogherini stated. “The Israeli people and the Palestinian people deserve not only a future, but also a present of peace after too much suffering: entire generations have paid and still pay the price of a lack of confidence and courage. It's time for courageous choices for the institutions of both sides”, she added.
Since Netanyahu's re-election, Mogherini has on several occasions reiterated the importance of resuming the negotiations.
Mogherini said she is ready to engage personally in order to facilitate further progress. “We look forward to working with the new government”, she added. More generally, she said that the EU would continue “to work together with Israel on a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship” and on important regional and global issues of joint interest.
On 6 May, several hours after the formation of the new government, Israel gave its agreement to the construction of 900 new housing units in the Ramat Shlomo settlement in East Jerusalem. The EU has always been opposed to the settlements - which are illegal with regard to international law. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)