EU postpones upgrading ties with Israel - I think?

[Andrew j silverA]

I say that, I think, cos if you subscribe to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Newsletter, you wuoldn't be so sure:

FM Liberman attends EU-Israel Association meeting in Luxemburg
The EU is interested in further upgrading relations with Israel .

(Communicated by the Foreign Minister's Bureau)

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Foreign_Minister/Speec...

[H'mm, there is a video, which we can't embed, there from yesterday's meeting but the idea of an upgrade never even got a mention!! It was all Iran, Nuclear & Bibi's pre-conditions to a 2 state solution.]

At a joint press conference held after the EU-Israel Association Council meeting on Monday, June 15, Jan Kohout, the Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic , the rotating president of the EU, said that the December 2008 decision to upgrade relations with Israel is in effect and reiterated the EU's desire to further improve relations. Kohout welcomed Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech (Sunday, June 14).

EU Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, said that the relations between the EU and Israel have improved dynamically in recent years and that the EU would like to develop them even further. That was the purpose of the meeting.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman said that the Israeli prime minister's speech on Sunday was very positive and made it possible to open negotiations with the Palestinians and with the Arab states without any preconditions. Israel would expect the EU to encourage such negotiations because they are in the interests of Israel , the Palestinians and the Europeans alike.

During his visit, FM Liberman met with foreign ministers of the Czech Republic , Denmark , Italy , Luxemburg , Poland , and Sweden , and with the EU Commissioner for External Relations. The talks, which took place in a positive and constructive atmosphere, contributed to announcements about the Europeans' desire to continue upgrading relations.

We devoted time to analyzing the best joint activities throughout the years since our last Association Council meeting and considered future steps to deepen our relations. The EU is Israel’s major trade partner. More than 30 per cent of Israel’s total export is directed towards EU markets and 40 per cent of Israel’s imports originate in EU member states.

EU postpones upgrading ties with Israel

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1093086.html

European Union foreign ministers welcomed on Monday Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conditional endorsement of a future Palestinian state, but said it was not enough to raise EU-Israel ties to a higher level.

The ministers, who were due to meet Israel's foreign minister later on Monday, questioned conditions cited by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for backing a Palestinian state and also his defence of Jewish settlements on occupied land.

Netanyahu has refused to back a state for Palestinians since taking office in March, but said on Sunday he would endorse it if Israel received guarantees the new nation would have no army and Palestinians recognised Israel as a Jewish state.

"That's good but it's only a first step," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, whose country take over the EU presidency in July, said before the talks in Luxembourg.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said it was "not sufficient."

"Nothing was said on the settlements ... but this stopping of the settlements is essential," said Kouchner, who in an earlier statement rejected any pre-conditions to peace negotiations.

The EU and Israel have agreed in principle to upgrade an "association agreement" defining their ties, a move that would bring trade benefits for both sides.

But the 27-nation bloc has put the upgrade on ice and says it wants a firm commitment from Israel to seek a so-called two-state peace accord with the Palestinians.

"We must say quite clearly today there can only be talk of an upgrade when the peace process is on its way, and for that we need a few steps more," said Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn.

Asked if Netanyahu's move was sufficient for the EU to upgrade ties with Israel, Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said: "No".

The EU ministers were due to meet Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman for talks in Luxembourg on Monday evening.

U.S. President Barack Obama called Netanyahu's shift on Palestinian statehood an important step forward. But aides to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the speech sabotaged negotiations by restating Israel's refusal to share the city of Jerusalem or accept Palestinian refugees

[bushra]

These are the conditions set by Israel.
1. Any Palestinian state must be demilitarized, without an air force, full-fledged army or heavy weapons.
2. Palestinians may not sign treaties with powers hostile to Israel.
3. A Palestinian state must allow Israeli civilian and military aircraft unfettered access to Palestinian airspace, allows Israel to retain control of the airwaves and to station Israeli troops on a future state's eastern and southern borders.
4. Palestinians must accept Israel as a Jewish state and Jerusalem as its capital

It’s like a bad divorce case settlement. I can live in your house, piss in your pool and have right for sex, but we are divorced in every other way. Further more you have no right to defend yourself or say no to me.
I can’t believe the arrogance and gall of this speech. Who gave Israel the power to set these conditions? That this is being described as a step forward is laughable.

EU 's reaction was so sedate and mild. They willing to upgrade their relationship with an occupation which has broken so many UN Charter and Human rights.

Yet other countries have been placed on sanctions for less. Turkey has not even been considered based on what?

[Andrew j silverA]

I think the step forward is referring to the fact that Bibi, publicly, for the first time in his career, I read somewhere, managed to say, Palestinian State. Which in itself is laughable but these conditions, yeh, who gave them the right? We, (the West, US, UK, EU etc) did - kind of reminds me of the conditions placed against Germany after WW1 and like some how the Palestinians are to blame - the whole thing is abhorrent.

One thing I am pleased about these last two days, is that this site has been updated and if u need anything to slap in the face of a zionist, try this:

http://www.rememberthesechildren.org/remember2009.html

[Aicha]

shokran Arlo for posting this article (and gr8 link)!! But I think Bibi only said "Palestinian State" to appease the demand for peace making efforts-however-this is not a step--it would be "business as usual" with only a false title...for what comprises a state??

"While the terms country, state, and nation are often used interchangeably, there is a difference.
A State (note the capital "S") is a self-governing political entity. The term State can be used interchangeably with country.

A nation, however, is a tightly-knit group of people which share a common culture. A nation-state is a nation which has the same borders as a State.

States and Independent Countries

Let's start with what defines a State or an independent country. An independent State:


Has space or territory which has internationally recognized boundaries (boundary disputes are OK).
Has people who live there on an ongoing basis.
Has economic activity and an organized economy. A country regulates foreign and domestic trade and issues money.
Has the power of social engineering, such as education.
Has a transportation system for moving goods and people.
Has a government which provides public services and police power.
Has sovereignty. No other State should have power over the country's territory.
Has external recognition. A country has been "voted into the club" by other countries.

http://geography.about.com/cs/politicalgeog/a/statenation.htm

Under even these vague definitions the term "State" fails in proposal and violations...as Bushra said it is a "bad divorce case settlement" with no real change if any, with the name "Palestinian State" being on paper alone...