The European Union HQ in Brussels. (Shutterstock)
Having adopted an aggressive stance against Israel, the EU is pushing for more sanctions on communities in the Jewish state’s historical heartland.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry is making last-ditch diplomatic efforts ahead of Monday’s meeting of ambassadors from 28 European nations at the European Union’s (EU) Foreign Affairs Council, during which they will discuss a pending resolution that would level further sanctions against Israeli entities situated in Judea and Samaria.
According to an Israeli official who spoke to Israel’s Ha’aretz, “the drafts [on the pending sanctions] have become increasingly harsh and grave from moment to moment. He added that “the Swedes and Irish are pushing and it appears as if our friends are not able to withstand it. The Germans are trying to hold the line, but are not succeeding.”
The main thrust of the new sanctions is that agreements between the EU and the State of Israel would only be applicable to what they consider to be the State of Israel, and not Israeli entities over the so-called 1967 green line.
The resolution also discusses the EU’s promotion of the two-state solution and attempts to jump start the failed diplomatic process between Israel and the Palestinians.
Both the Israelis and Palestinians are reportedly called upon to use “proportional” force in confrontations. There is no mention of a European condemnation for the four months of Palestinian terror attacks against Israelis which have claimed the lives of 28 victims and wounded over 280.
Senior officials told Ha’aretz that Israeli ambassadors in Europe and EU institutions in Brussels had made significant, albeit unsuccessful, efforts to attempt to lighten the language of the draft resolution which is supported by Sweden, Ireland, and in part, France.
Sweden, reportedly one of the main driving forces behind the anti-Israel resolution, has had several diplomatic clashes with Israel over the past months. Sweden’s relations with Israel have been strained since the Social Democratic-led government in 2014 recognized Palestinian statehood,
The EU has adopted an increasingly hostile stance against Israel, and has already leveled sanctions against goods made in Judea and Samaria and issued a directive in November calling for a special labeling of these products, thus singling them out for boycotts.
By: United with Israel Staff
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