EU stand towards Israel's rejection to stances concerning Jerusalem

Charge d'affaires of the European Union mission to Israel has expressed his conviction that Israel's total rejection of the European position which does not consider Jerusalem as a capital for Israel would not lead to tensions between Israel and the European Union, noting that relations between the two sides are improving.

The EU official, Michael Rayon, added in a statement to Israel Radio on Tuesday that the "question of Jerusalem is very sensitive, and we leave it to be settled between the Israeli and Palestinian sides in the context of the final status negotiations."

Concerning the withdrawal of the message of the current EU president, Germany, concerning Jerusalem, Rayon said that withdrawing such a message requires the consent of all countries which had approved it.

Replying to a question on the visit of the foreign ministers and the senior officials in the European Union to "Beit al-Mashreq" in Jerusalem, the EU official added, "We respect Israel's concern towards this issue," noting that no EU foreign minister has visited Beit al-Mashreq since 1996.

He added, "We did not try to touch with Israel's sensitivities" towards this matter, "and I do not think that this stand will be changed in the future."