He also visited the Gaza Strip and Ramallah, where he met with Palestinian officials.
A senior Israeli source stated that the reason for snubbing Koopmans was due to the behavior of the EU’s High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, during Guardian of the Walls.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry believed that Borrell did not condemn Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli civilians strongly enough, and there was reportedly a contentious confrontation between Borrell and Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi during the operation.
In addition, Borrell’s call for an immediate ceasefire outraged Israel due to the high representative’s claim that only one of the 27 EU member states opposed doing so. Israel believes this claim was untrue.
Sven Koopmans (Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal / Wikipedia)
Israeli officials snubbed the European Union’s Middle East peace envoy during his recent visit to the region, turning down all of his requests to meet with them, the Walla news site reported Wednesday.
Quoting unnamed senior Israeli officials, the report said the decision to blackball Sven Koopmans was taken over what Israel saw as EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s lack of support during the recent fighting against Gaza terror groups.
Koopmans, a Dutch politician and diplomat, was appointed the EU’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process on May 1.
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During each major Israeli offensive against Gaza, the Palestinian Authority is careful not to antagonise the settler-colonial state with its rhetoric. Its sights are perpetually set on the aftermath, .