The MS of the European Union and the Arab League insist that Jerusalem should be a shared capital of Israel and the future Palestinian state. Meanwhile, the US is preparing to move its diplomatic mission there, a step that ruffled some feathers in the Arab world.
In a speech during the talks on Monday between EU foreign ministers and the Arab League, the EU’s High Representative Federica Mogerini said “special status and character of the city must be preserved”.
She also added that both sides “know very well” that there can be only one solution to the bilateral conflict, and it consist of the idea that the Israelis and the Palestinians should live with each other in peace.
These talks come at a time when Washington is preparing to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to a temporary facility, which will open in Jerusalem in May. This is another EU rejection of US President Donald Trump’s decision of 6 December 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
9 EU governments, including Bulgaria, Sweden and Poland, have already recognized Palestine. Slovenia has also recently given signs that it can recognize the Palestinian state. Most EU governments do not recognize the Israeli settlements on occupied after the war in 1967 territories, including the West coast of the Jordan River, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
Overall, however, the EU states that this recognition must be part of a peace agreement. All of this shows the double-natured role of the EU, which is both the main donor of the Palestinian Authority, but also the largest trade partner partner of Israel.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU Member States that took place in Brussels this week, the leading diplomats discussed the prospects for the Middle East peace process with their counterparts from the Palestinian Authority, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, as well as with the Secretary-General of the of Arab League.
The first EU diplomats expressed concern about the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela and the severe humanitarian situation in the country. An exit from the crisis can only be found through inclusive political dialogue and agreement between governors and opposition under the conditions for free, fair and democratic elections.
On the Bulgarian side, the Foreign Minister Zaharieva said the EU’s partners in the Middle East should increase their financial contribution to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
