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EU Commission Chief's Israel Comments Provoke Palestinian Ire
(The National-UAE) Suzane Lynch - Head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has come under attack from Palestinians after praising Israel in comments to mark the 75th anniversary of Israel's foundation. In a video message posted by the EU embassy in Israel, she paid tribute to Israel as "a vibrant democracy in the heart of the Middle East." She added, "You have literally made the desert bloom," a comment that was denounced by the Palestinian foreign ministry as an "anti-Palestinian racist trope." Von der Leyen continued, "We have more in common than geography would suggest, our shared culture, our values and hundreds of thousands of dual Israeli-EU citizens have created a deep connection. Your freedom is our freedom." (Politico-EU) The EU is the Palestinian Authority's main donor. A spokesperson for the European Commission told the BBC: "The EU is unpleasantly surprised by the inappropriate statement of the Palestinian foreign ministry accusing the president of the European Commission of racism."