BREAKING NEWS

Lapid warns new EU directives drive peace 'further away'

By JPOST.COM STAFF

JULY 16, 2013 18:23

Finance Minister Yair Lapid on Tuesday slammed the EU directive banning cooperation with Israeli entities beyond the Green Line, stating that the move is the "latest directive [in] part of a long line of directives which are isolating Israel in the world."

In a statement to the press, Lapid called for a return to negotiations, stating: "Time is not in our favor, and every day that Israel is not in peace negotiations is a day that our international standing is further damaged."

Lapid added, that "Nonetheless, this is a miserable directive, poorly timed, and sabotages efforts by US Secretary of State John Kerry to bring the two parties to the negotiating table."

The finance minister warned that the new directive lends the Palestinians scope that there is no price to be paid for setting preconditions to return to talks.

The directive "causes Palestinians to believe that Israel will be forced to capitulate to economic and diplomatic pressure."

Lapid added that he intends to turn to Israel's friends in the EU and to explain to them that the directive "harms the very objectives they wanted to achieve, and drives peace farther away."

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