POLITICS-MIDEAST: EU-Israel Relations Remain Tense

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Analysis - By Stefania Bianchi

BRUSSELS, Jul 15 2003 (IPS) - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon failed to advance Israel’s relations with the European Union as he met his British counterpart Tony Blair in London to discuss the fragile Middle East peace process.

Sharon could not persuade Blair Monday to break Britain’s ties with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

One senior Israeli official in London, who did not wish to be named, told IPS: "We still have our differences with Britain on a series of issues, including Arafat." The remark was made after talks over a private dinner hosted by Blair for Sharon.

Sharon will travel to Norway next Thursday for a second round of diplomatic talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik.

Before Sharon left Sunday for talks in London and Oslo, Zvi Stauber, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, said that he hoped the visit would improve relations between the two countries.

"The expectation is that the trip will give a new impetus to relations between Israel and Britain which to the regret of both sides, have experienced some grating misunderstandings in recent months," he told the British ‘Guardian’ newspaper.

Ties between Britain and Israel were strained in January when London hosted a conference on Palestinian reform and Israel prevented Palestinian delegates from travelling to the meeting.

Sharon had hoped to improve not only strained Israeli-British relations, but also his country’s wider relationship with the European bloc.

In a series of interviews with British newspapers and the Norwegian daily ‘Aftenposten’ before the trip, Sharon urged European leaders to sever ties with Arafat to promote the Middle East peace "roadmap".

"Europe is maintaining contact with Yasser Arafat, meeting him, ringing him, and in this way is delaying a solution to the problems here in the Middle East," he said.

"I think there should be a joint effort to remove him from all posts," he added, accusing Arafat of trying to prevent the new Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas from working for peace.

However, a spokesperson for the European Commission, who did not wish to be named, told IPS that the EU is not ready to break ties with the Palestinian leader.

"We cannot cut ties with Arafat because he remains an elected representative of Palestine. We want to help the new prime minister build authority and isolating Arafat isn’t the answer," she said.

But she insisted that relations between Israel and the EU remained "strong".

"Trade relations between the EU and Israel have always been strong and we are working very hard in Israel’s best interest to stabilise the region. By providing funding for Palestine we are trying to create a better neighbour for Israel," she said.

EU imports from Israel in 1990 tripled from 3.6 million euros in 1990 to 9.5 million euros in 2001, while EU exports to Israel from 1990 grew from 5.4 million euros to 14.4 million euros in 2001. In 2001 total trade reached 24 billion euros.

At current exchange rate one Euro fetches 1,18 dollar.

In the past political relations between the EU and Israel have been tense over issues concerning membership and the EU’s continuing support for Palestine.

Since the start of the intifada in 2000 the EU has donated 107 million euros in aid to help Palestinian refugees. Last year alone ECHO, EU’s humanitarian aid office, pledged 35 million euros, some 20 million euros above the original pledge.

Relations have been particularly bad of late, rocked by allegations that some of the EU’s funding of the Palestinian authority, of which it is the primary donor, may be used for terrorism.

Sharon’s European visit comes less than a week after EU-Israeli relations reached an all time low as officials of the 15-nation European Union made clear on July 9 that the grouping was not about to shift policy to allow Israel to apply for membership, despite suggestions by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi that it should be allowed in.

Berlusconi, whose country assumed the rotating presidency of the European Council earlier this month, told EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten and Enlargment Commissioner Guenter Verheugen his detailed vision of "a greater Europe".

"I see a Europe that in the future will be able to include countries like Israel, Turkey and the Russian Federation. It would be a stronger Europe, both economically and militarily," he said.

However, Patten and Verheugen rejected Berlusconi’s proposal saying that the EU’s policy toward Israel and Russia was well known and did not involve proposals to invite them to join.

While Verheugen acknowledged that "closer trade and political coordination" was planned with Russia, he said that EU-Israeli trade ties were likely to improve greatly once the peace process stabilises.

The EU Commission spokesperson said that it was too early to discuss the possibility of Israel’s membership.

"Israel has not indicated that it wants to join the EU and now is not the moment to decide the final frontiers of the EU. However, Israel is part of the ‘Wider Europe’ initiative which aims to develop the EU’s relations with its neighbours," she told IPS.

The EU continues to call on Israel to withdraw its military forces and stop extra-judicial killings, to lift the closures and all restrictions imposed on the Palestinian people, and to freeze settlement activities.

Last month the EU rejected calls from U.S. President George W. Bush to outlaw the political wing of the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The roadmap, drafted by the U.S., the EU, Russia, and the United Nations envisions the creation of a Palestinian state and security guarantees for Israel by 2005.

Tensions between Israel and the EU were also evident earlier in the European Parliament on July 9 as Israeli officials rejected an invitation to attend a Development and Cooperation Committee meeting, which promotes, applies and monitors the development and cooperation policy of the Union.

Palestinian and EU officials met to discuss the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip following the Israeli erection of a 700km "security fence" and condemned Israeli’s involvement in the conflict.

A lack of movement of refugees within the Gaza strip has had serious economic and social effects on the area as checkpoints have destroyed the economy and infrastructure, and have made emergency care difficult.

Jean Breteche, head of the European Commission in Jerusalem, urged Israel to remove the fence.

"The long lasting humanitarian situation has been aggravated by a crisis of access. The occupation of the West Bank has made it difficult and created so many additional needs. Access should be granted under international humanitarian law. Israel should recognise its responsibilities and obligations under the Geneva convention," said Breteche.