The Israeli government last night castigated the EU over a statement indicating eventual European recognition for a Palestinian state - even before the EU had formally issued it.
Though preoccupied with the Kosovo crisis and its own finance problems, the EU's summit in Berlin also produced a draft statement on Palestinian statehood, asserting that the Palestinians have an unqualified right to self-determination, declaring that the creation of a democratic and peaceful Palestine would boost Israeli security, and pledging that Europe would consider recognising an independent Palestine at the appropriate time - provided the establishment of statehood was the result of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.
Shown the draft, Israel's Prime Minister, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, reacted with the ferocity that is increasingly characterising his government's responses to the EU's Middle East positions.
A statement issued by his office countered that an independent Palestine would threaten Israel, since it could marshal a large army, purchase devastating weaponry, sign military pacts with Israel's enemies and serve as a base for terrorism.
It was particularly unfortunate that Europe, where a third of the Jewish nation was killed in the Holocaust, was now seeking to impose a solution that would endanger Israel, the statement concluded.
Israeli officials are comparing what they see as the EU pro-Palestinian stance with what they regard as a more pleasing US position.
At talks in the White House on Tuesday, the Palestinian leader, Mr Yasser Arafat, failed to win any public commitment from President Clinton for eventual recognition of an independent Palestine. Mr Arafat is contemplating a unilateral declaration of statehood on May 4th, when the Oslo peace accords with Israel expire.
Mr Clinton has apparently asked him to wait another year, and pledged to press hard for a permanent Israeli-Palestinian peace accord by May 2000.