The storm is looming, but it is not certain that it will break out. This storm has a name, "annexation", and indicates the possible extension of Israeli sovereignty to a part of the West Bank. Promised by Benjamin Netanyahu during the three legislative campaigns that the country has known in a year, this explosive measure, in violation of international law, forces Europeans to anticipate. For several months, member states have been discussing how to prevent, or failing to, respond to such a historic break, which would mark an end to the occupation, a regime in force since 1967.
A new stage in these consultations is planned with the videoconference of the Twenty-Seven foreign ministers, Friday 15 May. But the divisions between member states are glaring. The difficulty in reaching consensus seems to shield Israel from any strong retaliatory measures. This is what appears in an internal document of the European External Action Service (EEAS), of which The world got to know. Signed by Susanna Terstal, the European Union’s special representative for the Middle East, the three-page text is a continuation of informal consultations between diplomats in charge of the region, held four times in February.
The Trump plan, presented at the end of January and entirely favorable to the Hebrew state, "Cannot constitute a basis for a viable solution to the conflict" Israeli-Palestinian, said the report. However, the discussions also revealed one thing: "Despite the example of Crimea, there is no desire among member states to sanction Israel in the event of annexation. " This reference to the Ukrainian province absorbed by Russia in 2014 is fundamental. The operation organized by Moscow had resulted in the adoption of a range of European sanctions.
The wishful thinking of a Palestinian counter-proposal
The report highlights all the limits of the current dialogue between Europeans: "Differences remain on how the EU can respond, with many member states stressing that it would depend on how Israel implements the annexation and how it is analyzed in relation to international law. " On this last point, there is no ambiguity possible. But it is a way for Hungary, Israel's first lawyer in the EU, or even for the Czech Republic, Bulgaria or Poland, despite the memory conflict with the Hebrew State, to curb their weight supporters of a harder line, such as Belgium, France or Luxembourg.
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