Israel slams EU for ‘megaphone diplomacy’ regarding West Bank annexation

Israel’s Foreign Ministry hits back against the European Union’s “megaphone diplomacy” after the bloc’s foreign affairs chief warned Jerusalem against a unilateral annexation of West Bank territory in his message of congratulation to the Jewish state on its new government.

“The Israeli Foreign Ministry would like to thank the EU for their message congratulating Israel on the swearing in of a new government,” spokesperson Lior Haiat says in a statement. He goes on to express regret that “once again” the statement ignores the security threats Israel faces but instead focuses on the matter of international law in the context of Israel’s supposed plan to apply sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and all settlements across the West Bank.

“This ‘megaphone diplomacy’ is not a substitute for intimate diplomatic dialogue and will not advance the role the EU is seeking to fulfill,” Haiat says.

Three of four paragraphs in Josep Borrell’s statement Monday focused on international law, the need for a two-state solution and Brussels’ “grave concerns” over Jerusalem’s annexation plans.

— Raphael Ahren