He also voiced opposition to an interim peace agreement with Israel, saying it would be a waste of time.
Advertisement
Hello and welcome to coverage of today’s plenary sitting of the European Parliament in Brussels.
“A lasting peace in the region has been made a top priority for the European community, we continue to work with both sides and to coordinate with the partners in the Middle East in order to support the “two state solution”, Tusk said.
To the applause of lawmakers he said: “Why is worldwide law not being applied in the case of Israel?”.
Relations between Israel and Palestine have been strained for decades, as Palestinians have been seeking diplomatic recognition for their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. However “at this time, a permanent agreement for peace between us and Palestinians can not be achieved”, he added, calling on European Union to help build trust between the parties.
Earlier on Thursday, Abbas turned down an offer by European Parliament President Martin Schulz to meet with President Reuven Rivlin who was in Brussels following his address to the parliament a day earlier.
On Thursday, Abbas rejected Schultz’s attempts to broker a meeting, even though the two men are in the same buildings meeting with the same officials.
Rivlin reiterated Israel’s committment to the peace process, but stressed that the issue should not hinder cooperation between Israel and the EU. In his speech, he warned that there was no prospect of a peace deal with the Palestinians in the near future.
Advertisement
Visiting Brussels at the same time as Abbas, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin expressed disappointment that the Palestinian leader has “refused again and again to meet with Israeli leaders, and turns again and again to support of the worldwide community”. Abbas, however, has called upon Israel to accept pre-conditions to talks and has favored multi-party talks over one-on-one negotiations.
