The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, and the Israeli Prime Minister, Yair Lapid, underlined - from a distance - on Monday 3 October, as part of the EU-Israel Association Council (the first in 10 years), their willingness to strengthen bilateral relations.
In a statement issued after the Council, the EU reiterates “the importance of further developing our broad bilateral partnership through comprehensive political dialogue and cooperation to unlock the full potential of EU-Israel relations”. At the opening of the Council, Mr Borrell stressed the possibility of further strengthening the “very comprehensive” bilateral relationship in areas such as education, climate, energy and the fight against terrorism.
For his part, Mr Lapid recalled that one of his government’s priorities was to improve political and economic ties with the EU. “The EU is Israel’s main trading partner, but we share more than just economic interest, we share liberal and democratic values”, explained the Prime Minister, calling for a joint defence of these values under attack. In particular, he highlighted the rise of antisemitism in Europe.
Mr Lapid also hoped that his country would be able to finalise the signing of its participation in the Creative Europe programme, but also that it would be able to participate in the Digital Europe, Invest EU and EU for Health programmes.
He also proposed that the EU participate in the Negev Forum, which brings together Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, and established working groups on technology, food security, energy, water, education and infrastructure. In its declaration, the EU states that it is exploring the possibilities of regional and trilateral cooperation and joint initiatives.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in the Near East. Mr Lapid recalled that in his speech to the UN General Assembly he had expressed his commitment to the two-State solution, “but the Palestinians need to put an end to terrorism and incitement”.
While he said that over the past year there had been positive changes in working with the Palestinian authorities, “working with them and helping their economy to develop”, the Prime Minister made no mention of the settlements. A subject that the High Representative did not fail to mention: “We are concerned about the continued tensions and violence on the ground and the continuation of unilateral measures, such as settlement expansion, and the security issues”, he stressed in front of the Prime Minister. Mr Borrell also recalled: “This year is the year in which there has been the highest number of Palestinian deaths since 2007, and the forced transfers continue”.
On the other hand, while the EU and Israel are at odds over the agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme, Mr Lapid said the two sides were united in their desire to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. “This is a regime that is murdering its citizens even as we speak. The world must not be silent and even if we disagree on JCPOA we all agree that everything must to done to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear State”, he summarised.
See the EU position on the Association Council: https://aeur.eu/f/3dh (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)