Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Prime Minister Netanyahu officially suspended contact between Israel’s Foreign Ministry with the European Union representatives pending a reassessment of diplomatic relations.
The decision, made Sunday evening, results from the European Union’s decision to label products from the Golan Heights and West Bank settlements, as well as its stance on the peace process with the Palestinians.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s suspension until a “reassessment process is complete.” A senior official from the Ministry stated that, “it is inconceivable that Israel will hold dialogue with EU institutions on how to advance a peace process while the EU simultaneously initiates measures against Israel.”
The EU’s decision to label products from the West Bank, Golan Heights, and Gaza Strip has been met with strong lobbying and diplomatic pressure by Israel and global pro-Israel organizations.
The European Union does not recognize the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Golan Heights as Israeli territory, but as illegal occupation from the 1967 Six Day War.
Netanyahu has stated on the EU’s efforts, “The EU has decided to label only Israel, and we are not prepared to accept the fact that Europe is labeling the side that is being attacked by terrorism. The Israeli economy is strong and will withstand this; those who will be hurt will be those Palestinians who work in Israeli factories. The EU should be ashamed.”
Photo credit: “European flag in Karlskrona 2011” by MPD01605 – flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.
Amir Tsarfati, a Jewish Christian, is the founder and president of Behold Israel, a news site to correct the scarcity in trustworthy reportage on issues and events impacting Israel, and to resolve the uncertainty about who or what to believe.
