ISRAEL SUSPENDS EU ROLE IN PEACE PROCESS OVER LABELLING

Jerusalem, 19  Safar 1437/30 November 2015 (MINA) – Israel has suspended the European Union’s role in the Middle East peace process over a decision by the bloc to label products produced in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied territories.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “instructed the Foreign Ministry to re-evaluate the role of EU institutions in the political process with the Palestinians,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon said on Sunday, (11/29), Al Jazeera quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Until that re-evaluation is completed, all contacts with these EU institutions have been suspended, he said.

Among others, the EU has a special representative to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Nahshon stressed that Israel was continuing separate contacts with individual EU member states, such as Germany, Britain and France.

He did not elaborate on the practical implications of Netanyahu’s instructions.

The peace process has been long frozen and a last attempted round collapsed in April 2014, led by Washington, but supported by other international mediators such as the EU, UN and Russia. (T/Imt/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)