AMSTERDAM // The European Union said that guidelines aimed at stopping EU funds from reaching Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories were intended to support efforts by the US secretary of state, John Kerry, to return the Palestinians and Israelis to serious negotiations.
The 28-member bloc maintained that the measures reflected long-standing policy and would not significantly affect EU-Israeli cooperation.
"There is an ongoing initiative by Secretary Kerry to move things forward. This should be seen as an encouragement in that direction," Maja Kocijancic, a spokeswoman for the EU's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said.
The guidelines were published on Friday by the European Commission, the EU's executive body, as Mr Kerry scrambled to reach an agreement with Palestinian officials to resume the talks.
Under the guidelines, any Israeli entity seeking to obtain funds from any EU agency or to participate in any of the bloc's programmes must submit a declaration that it has no direct or indirect ties to the West Bank, East Jerusalem or the Golan Heights.
Ms Kocijancic said the economic impact of the new regulations was negligible. Under the EU budget period, which runs from 2007 through 2013, less than 0.5 per cent of the primary 800 million euro Israel-EU cooperation programme would have been affected.
"There should not be a major impact from this because this is a long-running EU approach," she said, explaining that the same principles were already being applied on an "ad hoc" basis.
Despite what Ms Kocijancic described as the minimal economic repercussions of the new regulations, they sent political tremors through Israel.
Israel's president, Shimon Peres, urged the commission's president, Jose Manuel Barroso, to postpone publication of the regulations, saying they were irresponsible and would sabotage efforts to reconvene peace talks. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called Mr Barroso to make the same plea.
After the commission issued the guidelines anyway, Israel's foreign ministry summoned the ambassadors of France and Britain and the deputy ambassador to Germany to warn them that their governments must act to prevent a serious crisis between Israel and the EU.
Pro-Palestinian advocacy groups in Europe have reacted positively to the new guidelines, which they viewed as a significant change and a step towards more EU action on Israel.
"We know that hundreds of millions of euros will not go to entities that operate in settlements from the European Investment Bank," said Aneta Jerska, a coordinator at the European Coordination Committee for Palestine (ECCP).
"It also shows that pressure from civil society caused the EU to take action," she added.
The ECCP and other pro-Palestinian groups want the EU to hold Israel accountable not only on settlements, but also on other issues, including the pre-1967 borders.
"We should remember that Israel's apartheid policy is not only beyond the Green Line, but also inside Israel," she said.
Pro-Israel groups, such as the Centre for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), based in the Netherlands, acknowledged that they faced an increasingly critical European public.
"Patience towards the settlement policy is clearly running out. Here at CIDI we support a two-state solution, and we also see what's happening," said Esther Voet, CIDI's director.
She blamed a lack of attention to the nuances of the conflict by EU policymakers and by the media for changing attitudes in Europe. The result was that Israel was singled out for punishment, she said.
"If there is no movement in the peace process it cannot be excluded that this will cause significant economic damage to Israel. But I think that double standards are applied," Ms Voet said.
Ms Kocijancic, the EU spokesperson, took pains to point out that despite the swelling criticism of Israel in Europe, it is still "an extremely important partner in the region".
Analysts in Brussels also say the impact of the new measureswould probably be limited and that there was no prospect of a sea change in EU ties with Israel.
There is extensive cooperation between Israel and the EU, said Rosa Balfour at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels think tank.
"They are trying to make sure that the settlers do not benefit from increased cooperation with the EU. Basically, the EU and Israel have quite a deep level of cooperation," she said.
For historical reasons, Germany was likely to prevent any significant changes in the EU's position towards Israel, she indicated.
"I am not convinced as yet of how deep these shifts are. I do think that the Germany question is insurmountable."
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
The%20specs
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
The%20specs
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
