The European Union vowed to press Israel on Monday regarding the treatment of Palestinians, settlement expansions and stalled peace efforts at the first meeting in a decade of a frozen joint council.
"We will discuss frankly and openly about some specific issues which are of our mutual concern," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at the start of the meeting in Brussels.
"I am talking about the situation in the Palestinian territories and the Middle East peace process which is stalled."
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid dialled in remotely for the EU-Israel Association Council talks. The country's travelling delegation was headed by intelligence minister Elazar Stern.
Council meetings have been suspended for a decade since Israel ditched them over the EU's opposition to expanding settlements in the West Bank.
The EU has been looking for a fresh start with Israel since right-wing leader Benjamin Netanyahu was ousted from office in 2021 after 12 years in charge.
"All in all, today is a good occasion to show our determination to have a positive and fruitful relationship with Israel, pushing for peace," Mr Borrell said.
He said support expressed by Mr Lapid in a speech at the UN for a two-state solution with the Palestinians was "very important".
"We want the resumption of a political process that can lead to a two-state solution and a comprehensive regional peace," Mr Borrell said.
But he said a UN report on the situation in the occupied territories was "worrisome" as the number of Palestinians reportedly killed this year reached the highest level since 2007.
Another bone of contention between the two sides is Israel's firm opposition to EU-mediated efforts to revive the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.
"Well, this is one of the issues in which certainly we disagree," Mr Borrell said.
"For the time being in any case, those (nuclear deal) negotiations are stalled."
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
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