Israel’s FM Shalom Meets with EU Foreign Ministers &
Egyptian FM Maher

(IFM) During meetings in Dublin last week, Israel’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom expressed his concern to EU foreign ministers about their apparent biased nature towards Palestinians while Israel is still daily working to protect their citizens from Palestinian terrorists. Shalom told the ministers, "Your one-sided position favoring the Palestinians will impact negatively on your participation in the diplomatic process. Israel and the Palestinians need Europe’s involvement in moving the process forward, but as ‘honest brokers’ and not as unreserved supporters of the Palestinians."

Shalom urged the Europeans to take an unequivocal stand against Palestinian terror and called on Europe to promote good relations with Israel among Arab states including Libya, Algeria, Tunis, Syria and Lebanon. Shalom said that the Arab states delegates that attended the Dublin conference talked about Israel, however, Israel was not included in these talks.

Shalom also met with his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Maher. Maher told Shalom that it is important to move forward and to renew negotiations, despite the difficulties, and that Egypt is prepared to help in this endeavor. Shalom stated after the meeting that Egypt must continue to play a central role in the promotion of the peace process. Furthermore, Egypt is in a key position to convince the PA to fight terrorism and to institute administrative reforms.