10:27, 24 April 2009 | GMT +5
EU won?t upgrade ties with Israel
RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM. April 24. KAZINFORM The European Union will freeze planned upgrade of relations with Israel, a source at the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, Kazinform refers to The Arab News.

The source told the daily Haaretz that the freeze follows Israel?s December-January offensive in Gaza Strip, as well as the refusal by Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to openly and directly support the creation of a Palestinian state.
In Brussels, the European Commission said yesterday Israel must back the creation of a Palestinian state and recommit to the Middle East peace process before the EU can deepen ties with the Jewish state.
?We believe that good and trustful relations with Israel are essential in order to make our voice heard,? the EU?s External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters in Brussels. ?We do not believe, however, that the time is indeed ripe to go beyond the current level of relations,? she added.
An internal Foreign Ministry document last week stated that following the Israeli offensive on Gaza Strip, diplomatic bodies in a number of European countries have called for a freeze on the upgrade, citing the pressure of domestic public opinion. Four European states have already said that if Israel did not agree to a two-state solution, they would oppose upgrading relations. Under such circumstances, the upgrade would have to be shelved since a unanimous vote is required to implement it, Kazinform cites The Arab News.
See www.arabnews. com for full version.