The European Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica called on the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday 23 June to pursue its reforms.
“Strong, accountable and effective institutions are essential for delivering services to citizens and strengthening resilience”, the Commissioner stressed alongside Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa in Ramallah. Ms Šuica encouraged the Palestinian authorities to pursue their reforms, “in particular, on education and social security”. Noting that the EU was the Palestinian Authority’s main contributor, Ms Šuica pledged that the EU would continue to support reform efforts.
“We continue to stress that the reform and building on said reform and enhancement of the Palestinian institutions and organisations requires economic, operational, and political reforms and continuations as well, in a manner that puts a stop to these measures by the Israelis”, the Prime Minister underlined.
He called on his partners “under the aegis of the EU” to continue “the support for the resilience of the Palestinian institutions with practical, tangible steps with fierce efforts to put a stop to these political Israeli images that go against international law and holding them accountable in a manner that ensures justice for the Palestinian people and a just and fair peace in the region”.
The Commissioner, who had been in Tel Aviv the previous day (see EUROPE 13893/2), stressed that the EU would continue its dialogue with Israel on the importance of complying with obligations under international law and on measures to support the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian economy.
Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa recalled that “For 15 months now, 15 continuous months, Israel continues to stop the clearance revenues and hold them hostage completely in an illegal manner, which consists of over two-thirds of the general public revenues to an approximate amount of $6 billion”. “In addition to freezing over $5 billion other US dollars from the Palestinian banks”, which the Israeli central bank is refusing to accept. This means that “the Palestinian economy is losing $11 billion annually, based on the background of clearance and tax revenues and the cash or shekel amounts that the Israeli party is refusing to accept”, he added.
The donor group for Palestine will meet again in Brussels on 13 July.
Ms Šuica and Mr Mustafa also discussed the situation, notably the humanitarian situation, in Gaza and the West Bank, including increased settler violence and settlement expansion. “What Israel is carrying out on the ground, whether in the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, is not merely a series of isolated actions. It is a deliberate and systematic policy aimed at annihilating the Palestinian presence, undermining the two-State solution and compromising the creation of an independent Palestinian State”, the Prime Minister denounced.
The previous day, the European Commissioner had visited Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem to symbolise the EU’s support for the Palestinian health sector. “Since 2013, we have allocated €225 million to the Palestinian health system (...). We will continue our cooperation and assistance to the Palestinian people, both in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem, and, we hope, also in Gaza”, the Commissioner added.
After a meeting on Monday with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar—who once again criticised the EU, noting that while Israel attaches great importance to its relations with Europe, “dialogue cannot amount to one side dictating political positions to the other, especially on issues that go to the heart of its existence”—Ms Šuica held talks with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. She notably discussed “new opportunities to strengthen cooperation in areas of common interest”. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)