It is more advantageous to engage in dialogue with Israel, Fiala said regarding von der Leyen’s proposals
Prague/Strasbourg – In the view of sanctions against extremist Israeli ministers, as proposed by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, there is a consensus that it is more advantageous to engage in dialogue with Israel. Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) said this to reporters today. Like Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský (independent), he stated that the proposals, as mentioned in today’s State of the Union address, are not new and there is no consensus on them.
Fiala said that the Czech cabinet does not agree with the views of many Israeli ministers and with every step taken by the Israeli government. However, he believes it is more advantageous to engage in dialogue with the country than to sever relations. Lipavský told reporters that the proposals have been regularly discussed by EU foreign ministers in various forms over the past year and have never received support. He added that he considers the statements of some Israeli ministers to be extremist, but he does not think it makes sense to sanction them. According to him, it will be seen what the final wording of the European Commission’s proposal will look like; for now, it is just a political statement, he said.
According to the head of the European Commission, the union cannot afford to be inactive and must respond to the events in the Gaza Strip. She condemned the “man-made famine” in the Gaza Strip, which was caused by the Israeli government through its measures, including the blockade. She also condemned the withholding of funds belonging to the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah on the West Bank, which she called “financial strangulation.” She pointed out the clear efforts of the Israeli government to undermine the efforts for a two-state solution.
The European Commission will suspend bilateral payments to Israel; however, funding for the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem and Israeli civil society will not be affected. The Commission will also propose a partial suspension of the association agreement concerning trade measures. Von der Leyen announced that the European Commission will establish a donor group for Palestine. (September 10)
