EU foreign policy chief wasn’t invited to Israel, says spokesperson

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was not invited to Israel, a EU spokesperson acknowledged on Wednesday, but he stressed that the bloc was not informed of any official ban preventing his visit.

“You cannot be prevented to visit if you are not invited,” Peter Stano, lead spokesperson on foreign affairs, said at the daily news briefing of the European Commission.

His remarks referred to Israeli media reports about Borrell’s refused request to pay an official visit to Israel.

According to the reports, the Israeli government has repeatedly turned down the meeting because of Borrell’s criticism of Israeli policies against the Palestinians.

Stano stressed that the EU is “not aware of any ban or any decision from the Israeli official authorities not allowing” Borrell to visit Israel.

At the same time, he stressed that Borrell “is not attempting to enter Israel in any way that he would have been prevented from it.”

Stano also explained that Borrell’s criticism of Israel’s settlement policy and warnings on unproportionate military action against Palestinians reflect the stance of 27 EU member states.

In a speech at the European Parliament on Tuesday, Borrell pointed out that the violence in the occupied Palestinian territories has reached an “unseen level.”

He stressed that Israel’s settlement policy is illegal, and “it is not anti-Israel to say so,” this is international law.

Borrell reiterated his statement issued last week on behalf of the EU’s 27 member states and urged both parties to deescalate the situation.

He also called to ensure accountability for the perpetrators of settler violence and stressed that Israel’s military operations must be proportionate and respect international humanitarian law.

The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is seen as occupied territory under international law, thus making all Jewish settlements there illegal.

Like Türkiye and much of the international community, the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories it has occupied since 1967.

Since 2001, the EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activities and dismantle the already existing ones.