A draft resolution to approve Israel's participation in an EU cultural joint venture that excludes all pre-1967 regions has been removed from the government's agenda and will not be considered.
The draft resolution states that Culture Minister Regev supports passage of the resolution which was brought to the government by Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, but this morning Regev announced that she opposes it.
The proposal apparently came off the agenda following a report in Haaretz which revealed that the proposal includes Israeli agreement that cultural institutions and artists working in East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Judea and Samaria not benefit from it.
Agreements with similar reservations have previously been signed by Israel, also during the Netanyahu government's tenure.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nachshon said in response to Haaretz that Israel's participation in the program would significantly contribute to promoting Israeli culture in Europe.
"There is no change in Israel's position in relation to the territorial issue as it appears in the draft agreement, and as it appeared in similar past agreements between Israel and the European Union," said Nachshon. "The territorial clause in the current agreement is identical to the 'Horizon 2020' agreement which was approved at the time by Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin".