Lieberman: EU foreign policy chief oblivious to global problems

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman criticizes Catherine Ashton for condemning Israeli actions in Judea and Samaria • "It is fortunate that the EU knows how to diagnose the critical problems in the world and deal with them," Lieberman says, sarcastically.

Shlomo Cesana, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman [Archives]  |  Photo credit: AFP

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman leveled harsh criticism at European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton Saturday, over her condemnation of Israel's recent actions in Judea and Samaria, saying she has failed to recognize the true problems plaguing the global arena.

Commenting on recent events in the region, Ashton said Friday that she viewed with "great concern" Israel's decision to designate some 250 acres of land adjacent to Gush Etzion as state lands, saying that the "continued demolition of Palestinian property and the confiscation of EU humanitarian aid were worrying … The EU calls on the Israeli authorities to reverse these decisions.

"Such events are not conducive to the climate of trust and cooperation needed for the current peace negotiations to succeed," Ashton was quoted by Agence France Presse as saying.

She also deplored ‘’the recent confiscation of EU humanitarian assistance provided to vulnerable civilians in the Jabal Al Baba Community in the E1 area."

Ashton also condemned "the recent killing of an Israeli man in the West Bank," referring to the Passover eve terror attack that left 47-year-old Baruch Mizrahi, a chief superintendent in the Israel Police, dead. She added the EU "calls for an immediate end to all acts of violence. All sides should show utmost restraint and responsibility in order not to jeopardize the current negotiation process."

The EU "fully supports the tireless efforts of U.S. Secretary of State Kerry in pursuing peace and trusts that both Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Abbas are committed to finding ways to continue negotiations," she said.

In a post on his Facebook page, Lieberman wrote: "While the entire world is busy trying to resolve the crisis in Ukraine, while innocent people are butchered in Syria on a daily basis, while deadly terror attacks are taking place in Iraq and while numerous conflicts around the world are taking a toll on human lives, Catherine Ashton has found the real danger to world peace and has issued a statement urging Israel to reconsider its actions against the Palestinians, referring to the decision to designate and area adjacent to Gush Etzion as state lands and the decision concerning the Peace House.

"It is fortunate that the European Union knows how to diagnose the critical problems around the world and deal with them swiftly and resolutely," he wrote.

Meretz Chairwoman MK Zehava Gal-On criticized Lieberman for his response, saying, "This is the second time that Foreign Minister Lieberman has lashed out at the EU's foreign policy chief at the expense of Israel's diplomatic relations with the EU, which he seems more than willing to sacrifice to further his own narrow political agenda."

Meretz, she said, "shares the EU and Ashton's concerns for the peace process."

AFP also quoted an unnamed Israeli official who slammed Ashton's comment, pinning the blame for the faltering peace talks on the Palestinians. "It is not surprising that once more Mrs. Ashton is ignoring Palestinian responsibility in the crisis facing the discussions. Although the Palestinians clearly and crudely violated the agreements by unilaterally addressing the United Nations, Mrs. Ashton did not see the need to react to that," he said.

"As always when the Palestinians must make decisions, they refuse to do so knowing that the international community will ignore it, and this is what happened," the official said.