Prime Minister Netanyahu to ask for further clarifications about new European Union directive; PM, ministers in consensus that the guidelines significantly damaged the diplomatic process with the Palestinians.
Israel will not enter into any new agreements with the EU under the terms of the recently published settlement guidelines, diplomatic sources said Thursday following a meeting on the matter chaired by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
Under the guidelines, Israel would have to sign a territorial clause reneging claims to the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan before entering in any future agreement with the EU. The guidelines also forbid any dealings with Israeli entities over the Green Line.
The sources said that Israel would ask for further clarifications about the guidelines. It was not immediately clear whether Israel would take part in negotiations that were set to begin Wednesday with the EU over its participation in the Horizon 2020 program, to begin a week from Wednesday.
Horizon 2020 is the EU’s innovation flagship program, meant to create jobs and fuel economic growth. Israel is the only non-EU country that has been asked to join as a full partner, and is expected to pay some 600 million euros over the next seven years to take part. This is considered a worthwhile investment, because for every shekel Israel contributes, it is expected to get back NIS 1.5 in research funds and other inbound investments.
The issue is expected to be a major focus of attention when German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle comes to Jerusalem early next week.
Thursday’s meeting was, in addition to Netanyahu, attended by Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, Education Minister Shai Peron, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri, Agriculture Minister Yair Shamir, and Deputy Foreign Minister Ze’ev Elkin.
The diplomatic sources said there was consensus among the ministers that the EU guidelines significantly damaged the diplomatic process with the Palestinians.
This is a copy of the full article provided by The Jerusalem Post
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