EU offers cash boost for peace
The European Union resolved on Monday to give significant cash rewards to Israel and the Palestinians if they reach a peace agreement.
It announced that it “will provide an unprecedented package of European political, economic and security support to both parties in the context of a final status agreement.”
The EU’s promise could prove to be a boost for the American-led Israeli-Palestinian peace talks which appear to have reached a dead end.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is remaining positive in spite of a sense of pessimism emerging from both Jerusalem and Ramallah. Dismissing suggestions that there will be nothing to show by the talks by their scheduled end in April, Kerry claims to be optimistic that a deal can be reached within the timetable.
“Both parties remain committed to fulfilling their obligations to stay at the table and negotiate hard during the nine-month period that we set for that,” he said in Jerusalem last Friday.
The EU has long believed that it can assist the process through economic pressure – both as a stick and a carrot.
According to new guidelines that seek to impose an economic cost on the “occupation,” assurances must be given that any EU money given to Israel will not go to projects that operate in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan. And on Monday, in what appears to be an announcement coordinated with Kerry to boost his process, came the carrot.
“In the event of a final peace agreement the European Union will offer Israel and the future state of Palestine a Special Privileged Partnership including increased access to the European markets, closer cultural and scientific links, facilitation of trade and investments as well as promotion of business to business relations,” stated the EU decision. Enhanced political dialogue and security cooperation will also be offered to both states.”
It said that the current talks “represent a unique opportunity which must be seized for both parties to implement a two-state solution.”
The EU’s foreign policy representative Catherine Ashton said that offer of extra aid “is meant to send the strongest signal possible that we really want this agreement to happen.”
NATHAN JEFFAY