EU Nations Summon Israeli Ambassadors Over Settlement Plan

Israeli Ties With Europe Growing Strained by Aggressive Move

The Israeli Ambassadors to Britain, France, Spain and Sweden were each summoned today by their respective host countries to face expressions of anger over the latest Israeli settlement expansion plan.

Expansion plans have come and gone,  and usually get a little criticism, but the decision to build into the E1, eliminating the prospect of the creation of a contiguous Palestine, has so riled the international community, particularly fresh off the UN General Assembly’s overwhelming recognition of Palestine as a “non-member observer state,” has done major harm to Israel’s EU ties.

British officials say they doubt the Netanyahu government’s putative commitment to “achieving peace” in the wake of the announcement, while the French government insisted that they aren’t yet considering anti-Israel sanctions, but believe the government’s policy is “contrary” to peace in the region.

Even Israel’s relationship with Germany, which Israeli diplomats can usually shore up by brow-beating them about World War 2, looks to be more strained than at any time in recent memory. Germany abstained from the Palestine recognition, and after Israel angrily condemned them for it, setting the stage for what will likely be some very ugly reconciliation efforts.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.