EU-Israel to discuss settlement proposals

Two senior EU diplomats are meeting with Israeli foreign ministry officials to discuss the EU Settlement Guidelines.

The secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), Pierre Vimont, and Christian Berger, EEAS director for North Africa, Middle East, Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq, are expected to meet with Rafi Barak, the director general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry. Also expected to attend is deputy director general Ran Curiel.

The meeting follows intensive diplomatic efforts by Israel to encourage the EU to relax the new guidelines, which restrict Union funding to any organisations operating in the Occupied Territories.

Whilst its expected that the guidelines will not be changed following the meeting, diplomatic sources quoted in The Jerusalem Post say its hoped that the meeting would provide greater ‘understandings’ regarding the implementation of the guidelines and that this would make them more acceptable to Israel.

Last week, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, has urged the EU to delay the implementation of the Settlement Guidelines and to concentrate its efforts on the Middle East Peace Process.