Israeli no-show at EU-Med meet deepens divisions – EURACTIV.com

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On this week’s version: Israel-Gaza diplomacy, Ukraine accession woes and an unique interview with EU’s high normal.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Israel’s absence from an EU-Med summit is predicted to additional check Europe’s Center East diplomacy, with Arab states and EU nations assembly amid a shaky ceasefire within the Gaza Strip.

A Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) ministerial assembly in Barcelona on Monday (27 November) – which incorporates international ministers from the EU plus Center Japanese and North African states – is supposed to debate the fallout of the Israel-Gaza warfare and its penalties for the area.

Each Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are members of the Mediterranean grouping together with neighbours Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt and Syria (at present suspended).

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose nation holds the rotating EU presidency, final week described the assembly as an “splendid place” to relaunch Israeli-Palestinian dialogue as the 2 sides would “sit on an equal footing” there.

Madrid has been attempting to play a number one function in shaping Europe’s response to Israel’s warfare with Hamas following the 7 October terror assaults on Israel, during which Israel has killed greater than 13,000 Palestinians, in accordance with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Well being Ministry.

Sánchez has additionally been pushing to organise a world peace convention between Israelis and Palestinians and mentioned the thought as lately as this week with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However whereas the international ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are anticipated to participate within the assembly, Israel is not going to ship its consultant.

“The UfM has determined to alter the unique agenda and focus solely on the present battle with out consulting Israel,” the Israeli Mission to the EU advised Euractiv, including the resolution would “undermine” the aim of the discussion board.

“This carries the danger of remodeling it into one other worldwide discussion board during which Arab states bash Israel. Subsequently, Israel doesn’t intend to take part within the assembly,” they added.

Requested concerning the Israeli complaints, an EU official mentioned the no-show was “regrettable”, “however as they’re a full member of the discussion board, it’s their alternative that they’re not coming”.

“It was not doable to not do something on Gaza because the scenario is dire and requires to be addressed,” they added.

The snub comes as Tel Aviv has grow to be locked in a diplomatic dispute with Spain and Belgium after it accused the 2 nations of supporting terrorism in response to their prime minister’s criticism of its bombardment of Gaza.

The Israeli and Spanish international ministers exchanged harsh phrases and summoned one another’s ambassadors for reprimands over the weekend whereas Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Belgian counterpart Alexander De Croo continued a go to to the Center East.

Talking in Jerusalem alongside Netanyahu on Thursday (23 November), Sánchez had mentioned the variety of civilians killed by Israeli assaults on Gaza was “insufferable”, with De Croo expressing related sentiments in a speech on the Rafah border crossing.

Sánchez additionally mentioned Spain could be open to unilaterally recognising a Palestinian state even “if the European Union doesn’t,” in a departure from his earlier stance amid calls for from his left-wing coalition accomplice Sumar.

The feedback of the 2 European leaders drew a pointy response from Israeli International Minister Eli Cohen, who criticised the remarks by the 2 prime ministers as “false statements” made “in assist of terrorism.”

Spanish International Minister José Manuel Albares mentioned in a press release the accusations had been “completely false and unacceptable.”

“We categorically reject them,” Albares mentioned, including that the Spanish prime minister has publicly and repeatedly defended Israel’s proper to self-defence.

With Israel’s absence in Barcelona, the assembly on Monday, nevertheless, dangers additional exposing additional variations between EU members, in addition to vis a vis the Arab states.

Over the previous weeks, Europeans have largely cut up into two camps, with Spain, France and Portugal calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, whereas Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary dismissed such a step as contradictory to Israel’s proper to defend itself.

Arab nations are anticipated to current a extra united entrance in opposition to Israel and name for a everlasting ceasefire and humanitarian help for the Palestinians in Gaza.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell, who co-chairs the discussion board and has simply returned from a visit to the Center East, is predicted to debate concepts for an EU draft roadmap trying on the future after the combating ends.

Its preliminary parts had been broadly mentioned amongst EU international ministers earlier this month, however it stays unsure how the bloc would guarantee buy-in from regional gamers.

Solely two months in the past, the EU pushed plans to assist lead a brand new ‘incentives’-focused Center East peace initiative, aimed toward re-starting talks between Israel and Palestine, which acquired a optimistic response throughout the area.

However current accusations of pro-Israel bias and ‘double requirements’ over the warfare in Gaza have raised fears that such acrimony might undermine diplomatic assist for Ukraine within the International South and the EU’s capacity to insist on human rights clauses in worldwide agreements.

“We do need to count on that positions will stay very far aside, between us Europeans, but additionally with some extra radically anti-Israeli states within the area,” one EU diplomat mentioned forward of the talks.

“After which the decisive query for any ‘day after’ is how a lot credibility we really may have left,” they added.

EU IN THE WORLD

PALESTINE AID| No EU growth funds earmarked for Palestine have discovered their option to Hamas, the European Fee introduced earlier this week as a part of a evaluation ordered after the 7 October Hamas-led terrorist assault on Israel. It, nevertheless, did name for stricter controls going ahead.

DEFENCE CORNER

CRISIS FORCE | The EU ought to use its widespread finances as an incentive to make member states commit extra capabilities and personnel to the bloc’s future disaster response pressure, the EU’s high normal, Robert Brieger, advised Euractiv in an unique interview.

RAMPING-UP | Growing ammunition manufacturing in Europe is within the palms of nationwide governments, who can re-prioritise orders, Inside Market Commissioner Thierry Breton mentioned, amid issues that the EU might fail to ship the deliberate a million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine by March.

ENLARGEMENT LATEST

ACCESSION TALKS WOES | European Council President Charles Michel made his option to Kyiv earlier this week on one more reassurance mission by a high-ranking EU official, simply three weeks earlier than a decisive end-of-year EU summit over assist to Ukraine. Learn our dispatch right here and right here.

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