EU urges new Israeli govt to accept Palestinian state

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HLUBOKA NAD VLTAVOU, Czech Republic, Mar 28 (AFP): The European Union told Israel's incoming new government Friday that there would be "consequences" if it does not accept the principle of a Palestinian state.
"Relations would become very difficult indeed," said Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency.
"At one of our next ministerial meetings we would have to discuss what consequences the EU would draw from that," he told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with his European Union counterparts at Hluboka castle in the southern Czech Republic. Schwarzenberg did not elaborate.
One thing that could be jeopardised would be an idea to formally upgrade EU-Israeli ties.
Israel's hawkish prime minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, of the right-wing Likud party, plans to present his new government to parliament next week, following the Labour party's decision to join his coalition, which includes other right-wing and religious formations.
The United States has warned that peace efforts, which have barely budged in recent years, will not be any easier under the hardline Netanyahu, who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state.
Several other EU foreign ministers judged that an Israeli government which does not accept a two-sate solution would not be acceptable itself.
"We Europeans believe that the putting in place of a two-state solution remains the plan," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.