Experts

The EU versus the law

07/23/2013 17:53 By EVELYN GORDON

New EU directives are something no Israeli government could accept, because they violate Israeli law.

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Photo by: Reuters

That the new European Union directives published last week will further undermine prospects for peace talks has been amply discussed: The Palestinians obviously have no incentive to compromise with Israel if they think the EU will pressure it to make concessions for free. But in their zeal to determine Israel’s borders for it, EU bureaucrats also overlooked another tiny detail – a minor impediment called the law. This has nothing to do with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s “intransigence” or his “right-wing” government; the problem would apply equally to a left-wing government: In a democratic country governed by the rule of law, the government cannot simply pretend the law doesn’t exist, even if it wants to.

The directives bar the EU from funding or cooperating with Israeli entities that conduct activity in the West Bank, Golan Heights or east Jerusalem. They also state that any new agreement signed with Israel should “endeavor” to include a clause stipulating that these areas aren’t part of the State of Israel and therefore aren’t covered by the agreement