ALTHOUGH still regarding Israel as a close but wayward friend, EU ministers have finally lost patience with the Israeli government, which is seen here as putting the Middle East peace process in jeopardy through its stalling and provocative actions, writes Patrick Smyth from Luxembourg.
The ministers' statement preserves a veneer, but little more, of the evenness of criticism of both Palestinians and Israelis that characterised the response only months ago to the Qana massacre when Israelis shelled a UN post, killing 84. Then the prospect of the reelection of a Labour government committed to the peace process was sufficient to stay explicit criticism. Now, it appears, the gloves are 9ff.
The statement sets out a series of key operational measures which the ministers see as key to restoring the momentum of the peace process. These include speedy implementation of the Oslo accord, including withdrawal from Hebron and the release of Palestinian prisoners a lifting of the blockade on, and major financial aid and infrastructural work in, the Palestinian areas and the resumption of full security co-operation between the Palestinian and Israeli authorities.
Yesterday's EU statement goes further than ever before in explicitly stating that East Jerusalem "is not under Israeli sovereignty". The assertion reflects an important difference with the US, which simply regards East Jerusalem as "disputed" while the EU sees it as "occupied", the illegal result of its annexation after seizure in 1967.
Diplomatic sources say the difference is far more than semantic European policy makers are far more concerned than their US counterparts about the determination of Israel to create new settlements inside Greater Jerusalem.
With the Israelis threatening to boycott the Troika if it visits Orient House, the Palestinian headquarters in Jerusalem, a formula for making the visit acceptable still appears elusive.
Avoiding Jerusalem altogether and meeting the Israelis in Tel Aviv would be seen as a climb down for the latter.