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The EU on Monday said that it deplored Israel’s plans to build new settlement blocs on occupied Palestinian territory but denied that it planned to impose sanctions on Israel.
There was “no plan of this type”, EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said when asked about the issue.
“I saw an article in Haaretz which apparently referred to an internal working document requested by some member states some time ago. They were only a working hypothesis, did not go to ministers and today they were absolutely not part of our discussion”, Mogherini said at a press conference after presiding over her first regular EU foreign ministers meeting.
“Our discussions today were all about getting a positive engagement with Israel and the Palestinians so as to restart the peace process; they were not about isolating or sanctioning anyone”, she added.
A statement issued after the meeting said that the bloc “deeply deplores and strongly opposes the recent expropriation of land near Bethlehem, recent announcements of plans for new settlement construction… as well as plans to displace Bedouins in the West Bank and the continued demolitions, including of EU and member states funded projects”.
Israel should reverse its decisions, which “run counter to international law and directly threaten the two state (peace) solution”, it added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has often dismissed such statements made by the EU; on Sunday, his foreign minister echoed such sentiments in an even blunter statement.
“One thing should be clear: we will never accept the definition of building in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem as settlement activity. We won’t accept any limitation on building in Jewish areas of (east) Jerusalem”, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said.
EU’s foreign ministers have said they were “gravely concerned” at growing tensions in Jerusalem and asked both sides to avoid provocation. They have also voiced concern at the “dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip” after the 50-day war.
“The EU calls for a fundamental change of the political, security and economic situation in the Gaza Strip, including the end of the closure. A return to the status quo prior to the latest conflict is not an option”, their statement said.