Europe Conditions Upgrade in Relations with Israel on Peace ProcessIsrael must back the creation of a Palestinian state and recommit to the Middle East peace process before the EU can deepen ties with the Jewish state, the European Commission declared. The Gaza offensive prevented European action on a letter calling for an enhancement of European-Israeli relations. The EC also called for a freeze on Israel's colonial settlement expansion in the occupied territories.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in Brussels on Thursday:
We expect a clear commitment from the new [Israeli] government to pursue negotiations with the Palestinians. We expect a stop of all activities undermining our objective to a two-state solution - and this includes in particular settlement expansion, which is continuing on a daily basis. The ball is now in the court of Israel.Israel did not accept the message. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday told the visiting Czech premier that Israel's relationship to the European Union should not be linked to its relationship to the Palestinians. "Don't set conditions for us," Netanyahu told Topolanek during their meeting. "Peace is in Israel's interest no less than it is in Europe's interest, and there's no need to make the upgrade in relations with Israel conditional on progress on the peace process."
In response to the call for a settlement freeze, Netanyahu said "If Israelis can't build homes in the West Bank then Palestinians shouldn't be allowed to either."
Wash. Post: Clinton Counters Israeli Stance on Palestinians and Iran
Progress on establishing a Palestinian state must go "hand-in-hand" with efforts to stem Iranian influence in the Middle East, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said yesterday, implicitly rejecting the emerging position of the new Israeli government.
HEADLINES
Candidate for U.S. envoy: Israel must unilaterally quit West Bank (Ha'aretz)
Clinton: Israel at risk of losing support against Iran threat (Ha'aretz)
Clinton: Bush Iran Policy Did Not Work (Voice of America)
Palestine and the Palestinians
Judge: Tough sentences won't work to deter illegal Palestinian workers (Ha'aretz)
Palestinian Affairs: Pals at war (Jerusalem Post)
Palestinians: 1 hurt at Ni'lin protest (Jerusalem Post)
EXCLUSIVE-US aid goes to Abbas-backed Palestinian phone venture (Reuters)
Clinton doubts Palestinians will reach unity deal (AFP)
Israel
At Israel's request, Vatican bars Arab mayor from papal audience (Catholic Culture)
At Auschwitz, Israeli minister compares Iran to Nazis (AFP)
Netanyahu Unveils Israeli Stimulus Plan (BusinessWeek)
Israel strives to re-brand image (Reuters)
PM spokesman: Naming Gaza op 'Cast Lead' was a PR mistake (Ha'aretz)
Was Lieberman invited to Egypt? Not quite (Jerusalem Post)
The Neighbors
Lebanon Charges Ex-General With Spying for Israel (Voice of America)
US Foreign Policy
Obama pledges to confront Holocaust deniers (AFP)
Analysts: It Will Be Difficult to Restart Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process (Voice of America)
International Relations/Law
Germany to press Israel on cluster bomb maps (Daily Star)
China, Israel agree to boost bilateral ties (EastDay.com)
Racism conference groups expelled (BBC News)
Israel's Gaza report 'lacks credibility': Amnesty (AFP)
Iran warns UN's Ban against "double standards" (Reuters)
Clinton: US Prepared for New Sanctions if Outreach to Iran Fails (Voice of America)
Arts and Activism
Faculty push for Bollinger to support academic freedom Palestinian (CU Columbia Spectator)
ASU pro-Palestinian rally (Jewish News of Greater Phoenix)
Israel Independence Celebration Draws Protest (Georgetown University The Hoya)
Israel boycotters in U.K. urge Leonard Cohen to cancel Tel Aviv show (Ha'aretz)
Harman Wiretap and The Lobby
DOJ May Dismiss Spy Case Against AIPAC Lobbyists (ABC News)
Gonzales Said to Have Intervened on Wiretap (New York Times)
Pelosi, Harman Have Long History (Washington Post)
Misc.
Satellite TV salesmen gets prison time for airing Al-Manar (New York Daily News)
Commentary
Avishai Margalit, Michael Walzer: Israel: Civilians & Combatants (The New York Review of Books)
Aluf Benn: Is Netanyahu really on a collision course with Obama? (Ha'aretz)
Summing up Israel's new government in one word: Lieberman (Ha'aretz)
Daniel Luban: Jeffrey Goldberg’s War Redux (LobeLog)
David Wittenberg: Israel and New Realities (Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Stephen Walt: What did Jane Harman actually do? And who is "Mr. X?" (Foreign Policy)
Why did the Harman case break now? (Mondoweiss)
Washington has spoken on the Palestine-Israel conflict, and so have others (Daily Star)
Jalal Ghazi: Obama Signals 'Not Business as Usual' to Israel (New America Media)
Thomas J. Shire Jr.: What would you do if you were Palestinian? (South Coast Today)
UN Side-Events: The silencing of Palestinian NGOs (Muzzlewatch)
Michael Broning: Meaningful peace won't work if Hamas and Fatah are at odds (Daily Star)
Views expressed on this post or on linked web pages do not represent the Palestine Center, the educational program of the Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development. All content is for educational purposes only.
