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On her first visit to the Middle East, European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has visited Israel and the West Bank. She called for urgency over talks, despite Palestinian anger over Israeli building plans.
Ashton said there was an urgent need for talks soon
The European Union's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has met with both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, and has urged their respective leaders to resume talks quickly.
Ashton said at a news conference in Israel that she believed it was in the longterm interests of both sides for talks to begin "the sooner the better."
At the same conference, Israel's foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman dismissed Palestinian demands that Israel should abandon building plans in east Jerusalem as "unreasonable."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas wants more EU pressure on Israel
Earlier in the day, Ashton had met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at his office in the town of Ramallah. At the meeting, Ashton was given a letter urging the European Union to put pressure on Israel to stop the controversial building project.
Israel 'obliged' to halt plans
The Palestinian president insisted Israel must honor its "obligations" to halt building activity in all Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
Last week, Ashton said that Israel had been wrong to make the announcement of building plans.
Ashton is to represent the European Union at a "quartet" summit in Moscow on Friday aimed at making peace negotiations a reality. The United Nations, the United States and Russia will also be represented.
The building plan for Jewish homes in East Jerusalem has sparked controversy
"I will have the opportunity to do more and try to give support to the move to proximity talks which will be leading to formal negotiations and a solution to the issues," Ashton said at a press conference in Jordan, shortly before visiting Israel.
Outrage after moratorium
Israel's announcement of plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jewish settlers in mainly Arab east Jerusalem prompted outrage.
In November, Israel had announced a 10-month moratorium on the building of any new settlements on the occupied West Bank.
But Israel claims this does not apply to east Jerusalem, which it annexed after the 1967 Six-Day War despite international objections.
Following the announcement of the plan, the heaviest Palestinian rioting in years took place on the West Bank leaving dozens of police and protesters injured.
rc/Reuters/AFP/dpa
Editor: Susan Houlton
