On Monday 11 December, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel would be favourable to peace.
"No one can deny that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. This does not prevent peace. It makes peace possible because recognising reality is the substance of peace", he said, as he arrived for breakfast with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and the 28 European foreign affairs ministers. This is the first time in 22 years that an Israeli prime minister has visited Brussels.
"I believe that all, or most of the member states will transfer their embassy to Jerusalem (Ed: from Tel Aviv), recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and engage strongly with us for security, prosperity and peace", he added. In his view, recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, as US President Donald Trump has done, "would translate facts squarely. Peace is founded on reality, on the recognition of reality".
EU's flat refusal
At the end of the meeting of over two hours between the European ministers and Israeli prime minister, Mogherini sent a flat refusal to the Israeli aspirations. "Prime Minister Netanyahu hopes other countries will follow (the USA). He can keep his expectations for others because on the EU side, this change will not take place", she told press.
Earlier in the day, during a statement in Netanyahu's presence, Mogherini had reiterated the traditional position of the Europeans on a possible political way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For the EU, "the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states, with Jerusalem as capital, both for the state of Israel and for the state of Palestine", according to the 1967 declaration. "We will continue to respect the international consensus on Jerusalem until the final status of the holy city is resolved through direct negotiations between the parties", she said, hoping that the parties might engage in meaningful negotiations with the support of the international community. She reiterated to the press that there was no alternative to a two-state solution.
Mogherini also called for calm, saying that "the worst thing" that could happen, after the US decision, was "an escalation in tension and violence". "Increased tension and violence would only inflame the region and would be a gift to the extremes and to those who are not interested in peace or who are opposed to peace, security and living together", she warned.
Towards an increased role for the EU
Upon arriving, the EU foreign affairs ministers again underlined their opposition to the US decision. Most also supported an increased role for the EU in efforts to resume the peace negotiations.
"The EU will step up its work with the international and regional partners, particularly Jordan and Egypt, and of course with the parties, to begin to relaunch the peace process, even if this seems difficult", Mogherini announced. "We are not working on a specific European initiative, nor are we waiting or doing nothing, but we are working actively with our partners", she said at a press conference.
In Mogherini's view, no peace initiative, or attempt to resume discussions, "can be made without the Americans". She added that "there needs to be a regional and international framework to accompany, if God is willing, the start of negotiations, which seems very far off at the moment".
For the Lithuanian miniser, Linas Linkevicius, "the EU can potentially play a more pertinent role than thus far". The Belgian minister, Didier Reynders, thought the same, saying that the fact the EU is Israel's top trading partner and Palestine's main source of financial support, means that it can have a "better role in the relaunch of the negotiations". However, for the French minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, it is important to wait for the US initiative, which has been expected for several months. "If this is not the case, it would certainly be necessary for the EU to take initiatives, but it is a little too early to say", he said. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)