Quarterly Updates for (16 Nov 2011 — 15 Feb 2012)

The EU largely restricted its participation in the peace process this quarter to the Quartet, with EU foreign policy dir. Ashton making a strong effort to urge Abbas and Netanyahu to pursue the exploratory talks held throughout 1/2012 in Jordan (see “Jordan Hosts Israeli-Palestinian ‘Exploratory Talks’” above). In the only other direct intervention, EU member states surprised and angered Israel at the UNSC by issuing (12/20) a rare joint statement strongly criticizing the U.S. for blocking a statement condemning Israeli settlement expansion and increasing settlement violence (see “United Nations” below).

Though the EU kept a generally low profile, EU envoys in the region were clearly active in monitoring conditions on the ground and advocating a stronger European stand against Israeli mistreatment of Palestinians, to the extent of urging a greater and stronger European role in the peace process. Though no official EU decisions were taken in this regard, the picture emerged through 3 internal EU documents leaked to the press this quarter that further angered Israel:

• In a 16-page report dated 7/2011 and leaked ca. 1/12 (see Doc. A2), EU envoys said that Israeli actions in Area C, the 62% of the West Bank under full Israeli security and civilian control, were “closing the window” on the 2-state solution and undermining the peace process by allowing extensive settlement expansion, obstructing Palestinian movement and access, destroying Palestinian civilian property, undermining Palestinian economic development, and hindering delivery of humanitarian aid. The report especially urged the EU to be more vocal in raising objections to “involuntary population movements, displacements, evictions and internal migration” forced by Israel.

• An EU Heads of Mission Report on East Jerusalem dated 2011, leaked ca. 1/17 (see Doc. A3), similarly criticized escalating settlement activity in the city for undermining the 2-state solution. It also urged the EU to consider legislation “to prevent/discourage financial transactions in support of settlement activity.”

• An EU working paper reportedly urged Brussels to “consider Israel’s treatment of its Arab population a ‘core issue, not second tier to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,’” and to take a stronger stand against mistreatment of Israeli Palestinians. The 27-page document, sent to Brussels in 11/2011, was not leaked in full, but excerpts were published in the press in 12/2011 (see the article by Barak Ravid titled “Secret EU Paper Aims to Tackle Israel’s Treatment of Arab Minority” in the Selections from the Press section in this issue).