Brussels – The EU’s top diplomat pledged on Thursday to reinvigorate diplomacy with Russia, the United States, Jordan and others to ensure Palestinians have a capital in Jerusalem after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized the city as Israel’s capital.
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The European Union, a member of the Middle East Quartet along with the United States, the United Nations and Russia, believes it has a duty to make its voice heard as the Palestinians’ biggest aid donor and Israel’s top trade partner.
“The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini told a news conference.
She said she would meet Jordan’s foreign minister on Friday, while she and EU foreign ministers would discuss Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Brussels on Monday.
“The European Union will engage even more with the parties and with our regional and international partners. We will keep working with the Middle East Quartet, possibly in an enlarged format,” said Mogherini, citing Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as Norway. “We remain convinced that the role of the United States … is crucial,” she said.
Mogherini, who also spoke to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, threw her weight behind Jordan’s King Abdullah, saying he was “a very wise man” that everyone should listen to as the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.
Trump’s decision stirred outrage across the Arab and Muslim world and alarm among U.S. allies and Russia because of Jerusalem’s internationally disputed status, and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas urged Palestinians to abandon peace efforts and launch a new uprising against Israel.
Mogherini stressed all 28 EU governments were united on the issue of Jerusalem and seeking a solution envisaging a Palestinian state on land Israel took in a 1967 war, but policy divisions within the bloc have weakened its influence.
“This is the consolidated European Union position,” she said, saying EU foreign ministers made that clear to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday in Brussels.
Hurdles for the EU include its range of positions, ranging from Germany’s strong support for Israel to Sweden’s 2014 decision to officially recognize the state of Palestine.
The EU is also perceived by some in Israel as being too pro-Palestinian, partly because of the EU’s long-held opposition to Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, diplomats say.
What do these dummies think their doing?WILL WE HAVE BARBED WIRE STRUNG ACROSS STREETS AGAIN ???SHALL THE OLD CITY BE GIVEN TO THE MURDEROUS ARABS WHO CALL THEMSELVES PALESTINIANS?
Should have let sleeping dogs lie…eh “Idiot?”
The EU sux and Europe will be islamostan soon if it don’t wake up
The outcome is murky however the dislike for Trump among the Europeans will be paid by Yidden. Those who triumph about the president’s gadlis should remember that Yidden and Israel is a small cog regardless what Netanyahu thinks and we need rachmim
The EU, especially Sweden and Spain, have a history of being pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel (and anti-Semitic in some of their internal policies); so now they want to add Norway, anti-Israeli as well, and also Jordan, Egypt and the Saudis to make even a larger anti-Israel force. B’chol dor v’dor…
The EU has no army, its falling apart with even the paper tiger UK leaving. Trump is king, wish we can allow him to do EVERYTHING he proposes.
Okay now its time for the United Nation Garbage to pass a law that Jerusalem is the capitol of the Palestinians…
The EU is afraid of one thing, namely their large Arab populous will start to misbehave. They will say or do anything to prevent this because they are afraid of them.
The EU can’t even deal with their new Muslim immigrant problem, and they have the audacious arrogance to tell Israel how to deal with it’s age old conflict. Nobody asked the EU for their opinion. They can go jump in a lake with their skinny pants and effeminate haircuts.
who cares what the nazi supporting eu has to say we all know they support the arabs and want Israel destroyed
Very smart. It will definitely reduce bloodshed. Trump is my president but made a terrible decision and let the EU fix it and bring a little stability no matter what u hard right wingers say. Btw, Im a trumpist but he goofed badly this time.