Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem
Photo: Reuters
EU foreign ministers target settlements
Brussels condemns construction beyond Green Line, hints at future labeling of settlement products in meeting of European foreign ministers on Middle East.
European Union foreign ministers sharply condemned on Monday recent Israeli announcements of settlement construction in East Jerusalem, claiming such declarations threaten the city's future as a capital city for two states.
"Actions which call into question stated commitments to a negotiated solution must be avoided," said the ministers in a joint statement after their meeting in Brussels.
EU's new foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in Gaza (Photo: Reuters)
The ministers emphasized their opposition to the Netanyahu administration's settlement enterprise in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. "The EU deeply deplores and strongly opposes the recent expropriation of land near Bethlehem, recent announcements of plans for new settlement construction, in particular in Givat Hamatos, Ramat Shlomo, Har Homa and Ramot, as well as plans to displace Bedouins in the West."
The assembled ministers of the European Union nations also expressed their concern over mounting tensions on the ground – and the recent wave of terror attacks – calling on all sides to "refrain from any action that would worsen the situation by way of incitement, provocation, excessive use of force or retaliation. The EU calls on political leaders from all sides to work together through visible actions to de-escalate the situation."
The EU initiative to specially mark products produced in the settlements was also mentioned in the statement, with the foreign ministers emphasizing that they were "committed to ensure continued, full and effective implementation of existing EU legislation and bilateral arrangements applicable to settlement products."
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanual Nahshon told Ynet that "the conclusions show an imbalance in the focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and they certainly do not help at a time when so many are looking for a way to reduce tensions and renew the peace process. These conclusions will not encourage the Palestinians to return to the negotiations table – just the opposite – and the faster the EU understands this, the better."
