On Monday 16 January, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini spoke of her opposition to moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The future US president, Donald Trump, had said during his electoral campaign that he wanted such a move.
"I believe it’s very important for us all to refrain from unilateral actions, especially those which can have a serious consequence in a large sector of public opinion in a large sector of world", Mogherini told press at the end of the Foreign Affairs Council – which dealt with the Middle East peace process. She said she was concerned about the possible response from public opinion, not only in the Arab world, but also in Africa, Asia, or part of Europe. This move "for sure would not be in line with the international consensus embodied in UN Security Resolution 478" of 20 August 1980, which requires the US to withdraw its diplomatic mission from Jerusalem, Mogherini added. She also said that the EU would continue to respect this resolution and that it would not move its delegation, which is in Tel Aviv.
EU reiterates its support for two-state solution. During their Council, Mogherini and the ministers spoke about the Paris conference for peace in the Middle East, which had been held in the French capital the previous day. "We strongly reconfirmed our position for a two-state solution and on the tendencies that endanger this solution – the expansion of settlements, the violence and incitement to violence, and the situation in Gaza", Mogherini stated. She said that the Paris statement was fully in line with the European position. The ministers also discussed what the EU could do to facilitate discussions "with the direct involvement of the parties", she added. "The EU is totally convinced that it is only with the full commitment, involvement and determination of the parties that there can be significant negotiation which can lead to a real solution. Nobody can replace this process, but we can facilitate it and provide space and an international framework for it to happen in the best conditions", she said.
Mogherini insisted that the Paris statement involves the EU in practical terms, and she said that the EU could set up economic incentives to help the Israelis and Palestinians move towards a two-state solution.
Although Mogherini highlighted European unity, the discussions at the Council were tense. The French wanted to adopt conclusions hailing the Paris conference, while the UK, Hungary and Estonia were opposed to this. According to a European source, the difficulty was on the timing rather than on the substance. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)