The European Union will work to “discourage” any Israeli initiative toward the annexation of parts of the West Bank and devote diplomatic efforts for a solution, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said this weekend.
Speaking at a press conference in Brussels on Friday after a virtual meeting with EU foreign ministers, Borrell said “unilateral actions from either side should be avoided and… international law should be upheld,” according to a transcript of the event released Saturday.
Borrell said the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “remains a priority and it is one of the strategic interests of the European Union.”
Several European nations led by France, and including Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg, have reportedly expressed support for threats of punitive action in a bid to deter the new Israeli government — set to be sworn in on Sunday — from carrying out annexation with a green light from Washington.
The EU bloc is Israel’s largest trading partner, grants Israel favored trading status, and helps fund Israeli scientific research and development through its massive Horizon 2020 program. (Read More)