EU ministers ditch sensitive Israel report
By Lisbeth Kirk
EU foreign ministers have shelved a confidential and critical report on the Israeli Jerusalem policy due to its highly sensitive nature.
The report was prepared by diplomats in East Jerusalem as part of Britain's EU presidency but leaked to the press last month.
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It slammed rapid Israeli expansion of Jewish settlements in and around east Jerusalem, saying, "Israeli activities in Jerusalem are in violation of both its road map [peace plan] obligations and international law."
Israel is making it increasingly harder for Palestinians to travel between East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the report pointed out.
"Israel's main motivation ... is almost certainly demographic - to reduce the Palestinian population of Jerusalem, while exerting efforts to boost the number of Jewish Israelis living in the city", the report stated.
But the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana persuaded EU ministers on Monday (12 December) not to endorse the report, warning that its publication could undermine the EU's influence in the area.
"This report was a little much", the Jerusalem Post quoted diplomats as saying. "Javier Solana made clear he thought it was very one-sided and unhelpful."
Also, British foreign secretary Jack Straw said it was not appropriate to publish the document.
"The political landscape has altered within Israel - there is a general election in a few months time", he was quoted saying.
Germany and Italy were reported to have backed Mr Solana's view of the report as being one-sided, while Nordic countries were reported to have argued in favour of transparency.
Israel is due to hold elections on 28 March following Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's forming of a new political party.
Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, while the Palestinians claim the area as their capital.
The EU last month upgraded its role in the region, posting observers to monitor the Palestinian-Egyptian border crossing at Rafah.