Lip Service: EU arms and even fights wars to protect the Racist Entity's expansionism
The European Union warned Israel of
unspecified consequences Monday if it goes through with plans to build
thousands of new settler homes in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
Monday 10 December 2012
EU condemns Israel over settlements
The bloc’s 27 foreign ministers said they were ‘‘deeply dismayed’’ by
Israeli plans to expand settlements in East Jerusalem and particularly
the E1 project, which would separate the West Bank from east Jerusalem,
the Palestinians’ hoped-for capital, and drive a big wedge between the
northern and southern flanks of the West Bank.
‘‘The E1 plan, if implemented, would seriously undermine the
prospects of a negotiated resolution of the conflict by jeopardizing the
possibility of a contiguous and viable Palestinian state and of
Jerusalem as the capital of two states,’’ said the ministers said in a
joint statement. ‘‘It could also entail forced transfer of civilian
populations.’’
The EU views any Israeli settlements on territory occupied during the 1967 Mideast war as a breach of international law.
‘‘The EU will closely monitor the situation and its broader implications and act accordingly,’’ the ministers said.
The new settlement plans have drawn widespread international
condemnation, with the U.S. also urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to call off the plans.
The Israeli government reacted by calling the EU focus ‘‘mistaken.’’
‘‘Facts and history both prove that Jewish settlement never
constituted an obstacle to peace,’’ said Israeli Foreign Ministry
spokesman Yigal Palmor. ‘‘Therefore, the EU’s focus on this issue is
mistaken.’’
Netanyahu also decried what he saw as a double-standard.
‘‘We cannot accept that when Jews build homes in their ancient
capital, Jerusalem, the international community has no problem finding
its voice, but when Palestinian leaders openly call for the destruction
of Israel, the one and only Jewish state, the world is silent,’’
Netanyahu said Monday.
But Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said Europe’s political view
of the Mideast had changed profoundly since Israel announced plans to
build 3,000 new settler homes in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
Bildt, speaking as ministers gathered for Monday’s meeting, said the Israeli plans had caused ‘‘extreme concern’’ in Europe.
‘‘What the Israelis did on E1 has shifted opinions in Europe,’’ Bildt said. ‘‘I don’t think the Israelis are aware of this.’’
Some advocacy groups want the EU to prohibit the sale of goods made
by Israeli settlers from being labeled as made in Israel. The labeling
issue may come up but was not officially on the agenda.
The 27 EU foreign ministers also considered the crisis in Syria,
where activists say more than 40,000 people have died since an uprising
against President Bashar Assad began in March 2011.
They were briefed by Mouaz al-Khatib, a moderate cleric who heads the
new, Western-backed opposition coalition in Syria. Hard-line Islamist
groups in the country have not joined the new coalition, and al-Khatib
told the EU ministers about attempts to unify the Syrian opposition as
the coalition seeks greater diplomatic recognition.
The EU does not itself offer formal recognition — that is left to the
individual member countries — but it has said the coalition is a
legitimate representative of the Syrian people.
EU ministers said they were seriously concerned about the potential use of chemical weapons in Syria.
‘‘In a situation of chaos, it is exceedingly dangerous if these things start floating around in the region,’’ Bildt said.
He said it was important for EU foreign ministers to send a message
of strong support to the opposition, and also to Lakhdar Brahimi, the
joint U.N.-Arab League peace envoy for Syria, who Bildt said has been
making ‘‘good progress.’’
In their statement, EU ministers reiterated that all those responsible for crimes against humanity will be held accountable.
‘‘There should be no impunity for such violations and abuses,’’ said
the statement, which called on the U.N. Security Council to consider
referring Syria to the International Criminal Court.
‘‘We must recognize the terrible situation in Syria and the
responsibility (Assad) bears for it,’’ EU foreign policy chief Catherine
Ashton said.
Syria is not a party to the International Criminal Court and the U.N.
Security Council has not referred the conflict to the war crimes
tribunal.
Also Monday, the foreign ministers approved the concept of an EU
noncombat training mission in Mali, where the central government has
lost control of the northern part of the African nation to armed
Islamist groups.Continued...
Posted @ 15:14
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