LOC16:20
13:20 GMT
BRUSSELS, July 25 (KUNA) -- The leader of the Socialists and Democrats
(SD) Group in the European Parliament, Hannes Swoboda, today said that the
present Israeli government is not serious about peace initiatives and he urged
the EU not to upgrade ties with Tel Aviv.
"After my talks with representatives from the Israeli government,
opposition and military experts, I am concerned to see that the present
government is not willing to start serious peace initiatives," he said in a
statement after the end of his visit to Israel and occupied Palestinian
territories Wednesday.
"We must avoid any upgrading of relations with Israel which could be
misunderstood as support for or acceptance of the Israeli government's
policies," said the leader of the second largest political group in the
European Parliament.
"We must be clear that the continuing illegal settlements and eradication
of Palestinian villages undermine any attempts to find a just solution in the
Middle East and go against the EU's policies for peace and security," noted
Swoboda, who is from Austria.
He said that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "is failing on both the
peace process and the domestic social challenges."
On his talks with the Palestinian Authority leadership, Swoboda said he
found a strong willingness to find a compromise with Israel.
"But the economic and financial situation is getting worse and this is
making it harder for the Authority to perform basic tasks for its citizens,"
he added.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman held talks with EU officials in
Brussels yesterday to upgrade bilateral trade and economic cooperation. (end)
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KUNA 251620 Jul 12NNNN