Borrell: EU will work to 'discourage' Israeli West Bank annexation steps

The EU has long held that this two-state solution should be at the pre-1967 lines, unless modified through an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
FILE PHOTO: European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, holds a virtual news conference on the approval of Operation Irini, at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium March 31, 2020 (photo credit: REUTERS/FRANCOIS LENOIR/FILE PHOTO)
FILE PHOTO: European High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell, holds a virtual news conference on the approval of Operation Irini, at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium March 31, 2020
(photo credit: REUTERS/FRANCOIS LENOIR/FILE PHOTO)
The European Union opposes pending Israeli plans to annex portions of the West Bank and would work to halt such effort, the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Friday.
“Unilateral action should be avoided and international law should be upheld,” Borrell told reporters at the end of the monthly meeting of the 27 EU foreign ministers.
Israeli plans to annex all West Bank settlements was a part of the agenda.
The EU is under pressure from some of its member states, including France, Belgium and Ireland, to take concrete action such as threatening sanctions against Israel should it apply sovereignty to the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
But in order to take stiff action, such as sanctions, the EU would need the support of all of its 27 member states. Israel has some staunch allies in the EU, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, that would be expected to block any sanction efforts.
At a press event earlier this week, Borrell noted that members states were divided on the issue of sanctions and that Friday’s meeting would likely not go any further than an airing of opinions.
After the meeting, Borrell told reporters that the “the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a priority and is one of the strategic interests of the EU.”
He reaffirmed the EU’s support for a negotiated two-state solution. The EU has long held that this two-state solution should be at the pre-1967 lines, unless modified through an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians.
It’s a position that is in marked contrast to the US and the Trump administration, which has unveiled a two-state resolution to the conflict that ignores the pre-1967 lines and allows for Israel to annex 30% of the West Bank.
The EU will “work to discourage any possible initiative toward annexation,” Borrell said. The EU and individual member states would reach out to the US, Israel and the Palestinian Authority on this matter using all possible channels, Borrell said.
The EU is exploring actions that a geopolitical power could take to halt annexation, Borrell said.
“We will think of our geopolitical capacities in order to [have influence] on this process, but it doesn’t mean we will do it tomorrow,” Borrell said.
He emphasized that no action would be taken immediately.
Borrell was careful to stress the positive and strong ties between Israel and the EU and emphasized the importance of maintaining those ties.
He noted the formation of a new Israeli government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that is slated to be sworn in on Sunday.
“We look forward to working comprehensively and constructively with the new government once it’s in office,” Borrell said.
Earlier this month ambassador from the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and the EU met with Israel’s Foreign Ministry to express their opposition to annexation.
The United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU. It has been very vocal in its opposition to annexation.
The Palestinian Authority and Jordan are in the midst of a diplomatic campaign to urge the EU and or individual European member states to take action to halt annexation.