Bloc vents after wasted session with Israel's FM

A senior European Union representative has accused Israel of avoiding the issue after presenting irrelevant plans at a Brussels summit aimed at helping establish peace in Gaza.

Rather than address how to end to the conflict that has raged since the Hamas attacks on Israel in October, Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs, said Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz had instead delivered presentations about building an island in the Mediterranean and an international rail link to India.

"We had had the pleasure of watching two very interesting videos, one about an artificial island project to serve as a port … and another one about a project to build a railroad line linking the Middle East with India," said Borrell.

"I think the minister could have made better use of his time to worry about the security of his country and the high number of deaths in the Middle East and the high death toll in Gaza."

This week, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeated his opposition to the two-state solution, which would see the establishment of a Palestinian state, as it would, in his words, pose "an existential danger" to Israel.

In November, the United Nations Security Council called for the formulation of a "concrete "timetable and roadmap toward a two-state solution, which it said should achieve a "comprehensive, just and lasting" settlement to the age-old regional conflict.

The governments of the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and the United States also support a two-state solution, but Israel's stated aim in the current conflict is the annihilation of Hamas, which has resulted in a hugely destructive assault on Gaza that has drawn international criticism.

"What are the other solutions they have in mind? Make all the Palestinians leave? Kill all of them?" said Borrell. "The way they are destroying Hamas is not the way to do it. They are sealing the hate for generations."

The EU is a presence of economic and strategic significance in the region, having a wide-ranging cooperation agreement with Israel that includes free trade, and also being a major source of economic aid for Palestinians.

The bloc supports a two-state solution, and Borrell said it would try to help bring that about, whether or not Israel engaged in the process.

"Peace is a very general objective, nobody would say they are against peace; in our view we should stop talking about peace in the Middle East but talk about specifics, about the two-state solution," added Borrell. "If Israel does not want the solution, it is going to be difficult for them to take part… but it does not stop others taking part."