Israel and the EU

[I, Brian]

I like this article, simply because it's illustrating geopolitical strategy:

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,...361070,00.html

A confidential report from the Israeli Foreign Ministry has predicted relations with the European Union could further deteriorate in future, hitting Israel economically and diplomatically.

The report points to the "possibility of a deterioration in relations," one of the report's authors told the EUobserver Web site on Wednesday.

According to Israeli press reports, the document, a ten-year forecast prepared by Israel's foreign ministry, states that Israel and the EU find themselves on a collision course which would cause serious economic and diplomatic damage to the country. "Such a collision course holds the risk of Israel losing international legitimacy and could lead to its isolation in the manner of South Africa," the report read.

"It is a prognosis of the general outline of the international environment in the future... it is us looking into the crystal ball", the report's author said. "Everyone is aware of the importance of the relations with Europe."

There are said to be no recommendations in the report.

The EU and Israel have been at loggerheads for months over the implementation of a Middle East peace plan and the construction of Israel's security barrier. Israel also regards Europe as a bulwark of pro-Palestinian sentiment and has long complained of what it sees as growing anti-Semitism in Europe.

The report does send a strong signal to the Israeli government however, that, faced with an EU which is ever more prominent on the international scene, relations with Europe have to improve. The report also warns that influence over world politics by the US, Israel's most important ally, could diminish as the EU's role grows, German daily Berliner Zeitung reported on Thursday.

However, efforts are on to strengthen ties. The EU and Israel recently concluded negotiations on a new bilateral agreement paving the way for deeper relations between the two sides. EU officials believe "everything besides EU membership" for Israel could be possible, according to Berliner Zeitung.



But diplomats described some aspects of negotiations as tense.

Israel was the last of the eight countries involved in this round of 'European Neighbourhood' talks to conclude negotiations.