(Ha'aretz) Akiva Eldar - Officials in Jerusalem harshly criticized the new EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, for her scathing remarks about the "Israeli occupation" in her maiden speech to MEPs in Strasbourg. They noted that she had not welcomed the settlement construction freeze, as had her European colleagues, and said that in the EU's view, "East Jerusalem is occupied territory, together with the West Bank." Ashton demanded that Israel immediately lift its blockade on Gaza, and reiterated that the EU opposes the existence of the West Bank separation fence.
2009-12-18 08:15:25Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive