Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Monday that the European Union foreign ministers' intention to recognize eastern Jerusalem as the capital of 'Palestine' is nothing new and that the EU has made similar declarations in the past.
Ayalon stated that making unilateral declarations of this type will not bring agreement between Israel and the Arabs any closer, and could actually push a solution further away. “The reality will be determined here in direct negotiations based upon our security needs and the needs that they have,” he explained.
We still have the US
While advising against complacency, Ayalon said that there is no reason for undue concern that the move would lead to harsher ones by the EU or UN. “It is true that one cannot predict reality in all of its aspects,” he opined, “but beyond the UN General Assembly, where there is an automatic majority for every Palestinian vote even if the said that the earth was flat, there is a much more responsible body – namely the UN Security Council – where there are elements with greater responsibility, and chief among them is the United States.”
Ayalon said that he does not expect cooperation between Israel and the EU to be affected by the decision either. “Our interests are what counts, even if there is criticism of us in the world,” he emphasized.
Ayalon added that the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and himself have held talks with dozens of ambassadors in the EU and that they have succeeded in creating a meaningful bloc of opposition to the expected EU move, including Hungary, Bulgaria, France and others. These countries are toning down the resolution, he said. “The statement that will be issued will be much less harsh than the one that was planned,” he said.