From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Calls mount to convene EU-Israel Association Council after 8-year hiatus
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleMore than a hundred lawmakers from Europe and Israel are calling for the European Union to convene the EU-Israel Association Council, ministerial meetings that usually take place annually but which have been suspended since 2012 due to disagreements over the peace process.
In a letter to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, which was initiated by Antonio López-Istúriz White, the chair of the European Parliament Delegation for relations with Israel, the parliamentarians lament that the Council has not held a formal meeting for nearly a decade, “despite pressing challenges and significant shared interests.”
Signatories, which include former French prime minister Manuel Valls, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar, urge the EU to relaunch the Council as an “effective forum for close dialogue and consultation.”
— Raphael Ahren
The Times of Israel Community.