EU foreign ministers decide to renew the Association Council with Israel

Flip_flop_politics
Published on Jul 28, 2022
PM Lapid: “The fact that 27 EU Foreign Ministers have voted unanimously in favor of strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Israel is proof of Israel’s diplomatic strength and this government’s ability to create new opportunities with the international community.”

#eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Israel #Palestine #Palestinians #Borrell #Jerusalem

During a meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union in Brussels today (Monday, 18 July 2022), the 27 ministers voted to reconvene the Association Council with Israel for the first time in over a decade.

The Association Council is the senior diplomatic body in charge of promoting relations between Israel and the European Union, including in the diplomatic, economic, and technology spheres.

The convening of the Association Council will enable Israel to continue to develop its relations with the EU to the benefit of Israel’s citizens.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid participated in a meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers approximately one year ago, and defined convening the Association Council as a prime objective for Israel-EU relations. Over the last year, Israel-EU relations have significantly improved, as expressed by – inter alia – the signing of the Horizon Europe agreement on R&D cooperation and visits by senior officials from the EU including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

PM Lapid: “The fact that 27 EU Foreign Ministers have voted unanimously in favor of strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with Israel is proof of Israel’s diplomatic strength and this government’s ability to create new opportunities with the international community.”

Political differences have prevented the council from convening for the past decade. EU foreign ministers have agreed to renew the EU-Israel Association Council for the first time since 2012. The annual high-profile meeting between European foreign ministers and their Israeli counterpart was set up by EU states in 1995 to promote partnership on matters such as trade and foreign relations. However, political differences have prevented the council convening for the past decade.

#eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Israel #Palestine #Palestinians #Borrell #Jerusalem

Israel cancelled a planned meeting in 2013 in protest at an EU decision to differentiate between West Bank settlements and the rest of Israel in all agreements.

In subsequent years some EU states prevented the association council from meeting in protest at the war in Gaza or Israeli policy towards the Palestinians, and pushed for linkage between progress on peace talks and improving ties with Israel.

After the 27 EU foreign ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday, voted unanimously to reconvene the body, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stressed that the EU’s position has not changed.

“We continue with the same council conclusion of 2016 supporting the two-state solution,” he said. “We know that the situation on the ground in the Palestinian territories is deteriorating, and I think – and the ministers agreed – that this association council would be a good occasion to engage with Israel about these issues. Ministers agreed that this was the highest level forum for our bilateral relationship.”

Israel’s interim prime minister Yair Lapid welcomed the EU decision as a diplomatic breakthrough. “The fact that the 27 foreign ministers of the European Union voted unanimously to strengthen economic and diplomatic ties with Israel is proof of Israel’s diplomatic strength and the government’s ability to create new opportunities with the international community.”

The EU and Israel still need to agree on a date for the meeting which will take place only after the EU states have determined a common position.

Mr Borrell said the meeting may take place before the Israeli election on November 1st, or before a new government is formed. “Who knows when the next Israeli government will be formed? Maybe it will be six months or a year,” he said.

Mr Lapid, who also serves as foreign minister, made repairing Israel’s strained ties with the EU one of his top priorities when assuming that portfolio a year ago, following years of tension between Brussels and the governments of former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. He participated in a meeting of the EU’s foreign ministers last year and defined convening the association council as a prime objective for Israel-EU relations.

Mr Lapid hopes that improving ties with Europe will boost his image as a statesman on the international stage ahead of Israel’s election.

Category
Politics
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foreign ministers decide renew Association Council with Israel

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