EU criticizes Israel; builds on anti-settlement policy

Two Palestinian youth riding their bikes near Salfit Monday were hit by an Israeli driver, killing one and wounding the other.

Following the attack, another Palestinian suspect stabbed and injured a pregnant woman, Michal Froman, in the West Bank settlement of Tekoa near Bethlehem on Monday. The stabber, 17, was in serious condition after being shot in the leg. He was being treated at another Jerusalem hospital.

“First, for Israel, we are concerned and perplexed by Israel’s strategy on settlements”, USA ambassador Daniel Shapiro said at the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. “Israel has enforced the law against Israelis and against Palestinians”.

Worse they are Israelis living in the West Bank (the so-called settlers) and the Obama Administration doesn’t give a damn about them.

‘Security measures alone can not stop the cycle of violence, ‘ ministers said, calling for ‘a fundamental change of policy by Israel with regard to the occupied Palestinian territory’.

“The more settlers feel vulnerable to such brutal attacks, their influential leaders would increase their pressure on the government to more sharply separate Palestinians from settlers”, said Ofer Zalzberg of the International Crisis Group.

Israeli prime minister Bibi Netanyahu was not pleased.

Israel’s Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked also critized Shapiro’s comments, telling Israel’s Army Radio on Tuesday that while “the U.S. ambassador said a lot of positive things in his speech, he uttered a sentence that was, to say the least, incorrect from a factual and a moral standpoint”.

According to Israel’s Magen David Adom medical emergency service, “29 people have been killed (including a Palestinian and a foreign worker), and 289 people injured – 25 of them seriously – in terrorist attacks” since September 13.

The European Union finalised its resolution on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and Israeli settlements Monday, confirming that the EU considers Israel’s borders to be on the 1967 Green Line, and that any agreement made between Israel and member countries would accordingly not apply to settlements.

“The Palestinian version of “Sesame Street” teaches children to murder Jews and then, as we see, they go and do it”, Bennett said.

Noting that Israel stated its support for establishing a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Shapiro said this prospect becomes increasingly hard to achieve due to the expansion of the settlements. Israelis have killed nearly 100 Palestinians during attacks or attempted attacks; 50 more have been killed in violent clashes as Israel deploys increasingly lethal countermeasures.

Some analysts say frustration with Israel’s continuing occupation as well as the Palestinians’ fractured leadership have been key reasons for the violence.