Speaking in Brussels, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged European governments to accept “reality” and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s unilateral recognition.
Netanyahu claimed that to take such action “makes peace possible” between Israelis and Palestinians, adding that he expects the EU to follow Washington’s lead on the Jerusalem question.
Trump’s decision has triggered a wave of criticism within the international community for undermining the peace process aimed at providing a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The status of Jerusalem has been a key stumbling block during previous peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, in particular regarding the question of how to divide sovereignty and oversee holy sites.
While Israel regards Jerusalem as its capital, a majority of the international community rejects that claim, saying the city’s status should be settled in peace talks with the Palestinians.
‘Give peace a chance’
On Sunday, Netanyahu met with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the future of the peace process in Paris, the destination of his first official trip after the US recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Macron said that while he disapproved of Trump’s decision on the basis that it is contrary to international law, he nonetheless urged Netanyahu to take confidence building measures by halting settlement activity in the West Bank.
“Freezing settlement building and confidence measures with regard to the Palestinian Authority are important acts to start with,” he said, referring to Israel’s actions in the wake of Washington’s recognition.
Standing next to Macron, Netanyahu said Trump’s decision showed that it’s time to “give peace a chance,” a line ripped from a John Lennon song.
Condemn ‘all attacks on Jews’
During a Friday morning press conference, the EU’s top diplomat, Federica Mogherini, condemned violence against Jews and Israelis amid an uptick in aggressive rhetoric and protest actions witnessed in Europe after Trump’s decision.
“Let me condemn in the strongest possible way all attacks on Jews everywhere in the world, including in Europe, and on Israel and on Israeli citizens,” Mogherini said ahead of an informal breakfast with Netanyahu and the EU’s 28 foreign ministers.
Other European officials have also come out against anti-Semitism witnessed during protests over the weekend, including German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere.
“We don’t accept when Jews or the state of Israel are disgraced in this way,” Maiziere told the Monday edition of the Berlin-based daily Bild. Germany is “bound in a special way to the state of Israel and people of Jewish belief.”
