Israel to wait for presidency switch before accepting key EU invite, FM says in Hungary
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Foreign Minister Israel Katz tells his Hungarian counterpart that Israel will accept the recent invitation to participate in the Israel-European Association Council meeting, but only after Budapest assumes the Presidency of the EU Council in July.
Earlier this month, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell invited Israel to an ‘ad hoc’ Association Council meeting to discuss the Gaza war, the first since 2022. Some feared the meeting would be used to berate Israel over the conflict.
Belgium currently holds the presidency, and Hungary is seen as far more friendly to Israel.
Meeting in Budapest, Katz tells Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó that Hungary’s presidency is “an unprecedented opportunity to improve Israel’s position in the EU.”
Katz says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is waiting for international bodies to adopt resolutions calling for a ceasefire that is not conditioned on the release of hostages, and “therefore it is important that the world be determined and make clear that there is no chance of that happening.”
Turning to attempts to achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon, Katz says that Israel wants a diplomatic solution, but Hezbollah is preventing one. “If we must fight, we will fight and defeat Hamas militarily,” he says.
