Foreign Policy Chief Rejects Israeli Call for EU to Follow US Lead

TEHRAN (defapress)- EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini dismissed Tel Aviv's call on the European Union to follow US lead and recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel's capital.

News ID: 67408

Date: 11 December 2017 - 15:10

Mogherini said Monday the bloc would continue to recognize the "international consensus" on Jerusalem al-Quds as she met Benjamin Netanyahu in Brussels where the Israeli premier arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Shafaqna reported.

Netanyahu praised Trump's decision on the extremely sensitive city which is the third holiest site in Islam and said he expected the Europeans to follow suit because it would contribute to peace in the Middle East.

But even Israel's closest European allies such as the Czech Republic warned Trump's decision was bad for peace efforts.

EU foreign ministers reiterated the bloc's position that the lands Israel has occupied since a 1967 war - including the West Bank, East Jerusalem al-Quds and the Golan Heights - are part of the internationally recognized occupied territories.

The Israeli leader was headstrong, however, saying he thought the Europeans would ultimately fall in line with the US and recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of the occupying regime.

"I believe that all, or most, of the European countries will move their embassies to Jerusalem, recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and engage robustly with us for security, prosperity and peace."

Netanyahu is on the first visit to the EU by an Israeli premier in 22 years, flying into Brussels from Paris after a meeting on Sunday with France's President Emmanuel Macron. A demonstration condemning Netanyahu's visit was planned for later in the morning in Brussels.

Mogherini repeated the European Union's commitment to the so-called two-state solution and that it was in Israel's interest to find a sustainable solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

The EU, she said, would step up its peace efforts and would hold talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas next month.

The Palestinians want the eastern part of Jerusalem al-Quds as the capital of their future state. Trump's move has sent shockwaves across the world and raised the possibility of a new intifada in the occupied territories.

A day after Trump made the declaration and ordered work to begin on relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds, Mogherini said the move could take the region "backwards to even darker times."