Israel snubs EU aid workers in West Bank, Gaza
July 26, 2013 
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Israeli security forces hassle Palestinians crossing a checkpoint
along Israel’s apartheid wall on the outskirts of the West Bank town of
Bethlehem on 26 July 2013. (Photo: AFP – Musa al-Shaer)
Israel has halted cooperation with European delegates and aid workers
in the West Bank and Gaza to protest the EU’s recent ban on funding
projects in illegal Jewish settlements, media reported Friday.
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had given instructions to Israeli officials to “freeze contacts with European Union representatives in Area C” of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control, one official told AFP.
A western source cited by The Guardian newspaper said that Israel has also refused to grant permits to humanitarian workers affiliated with the EU who want to access the Gaza Strip.
“It’s inconceivable the EU acts the way it does and we would just accept it,” the Israeli official said.
The official added that Yaalon had given the orders to General Eitan Dangot, head of the Israeli military body in charge of civilian aspects of life in the Israeli controlled parts of the West Bank.
Since the West Bank is under Israeli military occupation, Yaalon – in his capacity as defense minister – is the supreme authority for the territory.
Published last Friday, the EU guidelines exclude Jewish entities in territories occupied by the Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967 – the Golan Heights, east Jerusalem and the West Bank – from financial cooperation agreements with the bloc.
The move raised a storm in Israel and was denounced by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “an external diktat about our borders,” an issue that “will be decided upon only in direct negotiations between the sides.”
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to tell AFP whether Yaalon’s move reflected a broader Israeli stance on relations with the EU.
A defense ministry official told AFP that Yaalon instructed Dangot to give European officials “the cold shoulder.”
“Meetings between Dangot’s and EU representatives were cancelled, projects and donations frozen, and requests to renew permits granted to EU officials and Palestinians for travel in the West Bank and to Gaza were rejected,” the official said.
A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said they were “concerned over these reports, but we have not received any official communication from the Israeli authorities.”
“What we are doing right now is, through our delegation on the ground, trying to get urgent clarification,” Maja Kocijancic said.
(AFP, Al-Akhbar)
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon had given instructions to Israeli officials to “freeze contacts with European Union representatives in Area C” of the West Bank, which is under full Israeli control, one official told AFP.
A western source cited by The Guardian newspaper said that Israel has also refused to grant permits to humanitarian workers affiliated with the EU who want to access the Gaza Strip.
“It’s inconceivable the EU acts the way it does and we would just accept it,” the Israeli official said.
The official added that Yaalon had given the orders to General Eitan Dangot, head of the Israeli military body in charge of civilian aspects of life in the Israeli controlled parts of the West Bank.
Since the West Bank is under Israeli military occupation, Yaalon – in his capacity as defense minister – is the supreme authority for the territory.
Published last Friday, the EU guidelines exclude Jewish entities in territories occupied by the Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967 – the Golan Heights, east Jerusalem and the West Bank – from financial cooperation agreements with the bloc.
The move raised a storm in Israel and was denounced by right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “an external diktat about our borders,” an issue that “will be decided upon only in direct negotiations between the sides.”
A spokesman for Netanyahu declined to tell AFP whether Yaalon’s move reflected a broader Israeli stance on relations with the EU.
A defense ministry official told AFP that Yaalon instructed Dangot to give European officials “the cold shoulder.”
“Meetings between Dangot’s and EU representatives were cancelled, projects and donations frozen, and requests to renew permits granted to EU officials and Palestinians for travel in the West Bank and to Gaza were rejected,” the official said.
A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said they were “concerned over these reports, but we have not received any official communication from the Israeli authorities.”
“What we are doing right now is, through our delegation on the ground, trying to get urgent clarification,” Maja Kocijancic said.
(AFP, Al-Akhbar)
I think it is good time for the European Union to take responsibility and be held accountable for the support that the EU (has) given to the atrocities and the war-crimes by the state of Israel!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the state of Israel is now "snubbing" the EU by retracting the cooperation with EU-officials is, in my opinion, showing the arrogance and the stupidity of and by the officials of the state of Israel... as when they (the officials of the state of Israel) realize what they are in fact doing (destroying the support of and by many European Citizens) is disastrous for the state of Israel!
When the support for the state of Israel by the citizens of European Union membership states is decreasing, even lost, the governments of these EU-members states will be loosing their position of wanting to support the state of Israel! When the citizens tell their governments to end the support, the EU-leaders can no longer support anything the state of Israel is doing!
The state of Israel should be well aware that contrare to the United States of America the European Union consists of 27, 28 sovereign countries, with 27, 28 independent and sovereign governments that depend on what their own population tells them to do and or what not to do!
The USA speaks with one voice... the President, in the EU the EU-Leaders are to follow what the separate ministers decide and say!
The state of Israel should also be aware that were there is large support for the state of Israel as a fact of existence, the support for the actions by the military of the state of Israel towards the Palestinians is decreasing fast..... A lot of European Citizens have become aware of the atrocities by the military of the state of Israel, the fact that the state of Israel publicly speaks of extermination of Palestinians, the refusal to even start talks on and about a sort of normalization between the two "groups" is something that the citizens of Europe are regarding as bad!
And no, that has nothing to do with being anti-jewish, anti-Semitic, or being opposed to the state of Israel, the citizens of Europe are in fact fed up with the actions by the state of Israel, the continual oppression by the state of Israel of people who have been removed from their land and homes, as well as the refusal by the state of Israel to come to, or find a solution for the existing problems.........
Israel has done to little to argue that the existence of the state is endangered when there would be a Palestinian state, and the state of Israel has done too much to have some credit left! The war-crimes, the atrocities committed by "representatives" (ie the military) of the state of Israel has made clear to a lot of European Citizens that the state of Israel in fact is a terrorist organization with no intention to come to a solution!
Sad to say, but the state of Israel is busy loosing its credibility to exist.......... And though the state of Israel feels supported by the USA and that due to that support there is no danger for the state of Israel, the state of Israel should at the same time realize that loosing the support from the European Citizens is devastating to the support by the USA... There will be a moment that even the USA can no longer fight the anger by the European Citizens, or be able to support the state of Israel!
And yes, Israel claims to be able to defend itself when a war would occur, BUT would that indeed be possible?
Israel will not be able to use nuclear weapons, as that would ruin the region and thus the state of Israel, and without the military support of and by the USA the state of Israel will not be able to fight a war!
A military solution is out of the question, a diplomatic solution is the only solution, and for a diplomatic solution parties must (yes... MUST) sit at one table, or at least communicate with each other while being in separate rooms, or even buildings!
Israel... be careful with what you do..... if you want to survive and not loose support!