Europe's ties with Israel fray ahead of October 27 election

JERUSALEM — European condemnation of Israel is growing ahead of the country's election on October 27, according to Al Jazeera, which reported on October 18. Analysts said relations may not recover quickly, whoever wins.

On Saturday, a group of settlers attacked European diplomats and officials from Belgium, France and Poland. They were visiting Palestinian olive harvesters near the village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank. The assault drew widespread international condemnation, Al Jazeera reported. A day earlier, settlers had attacked a United States journalist north of Ramallah.

Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East analyst at Chatham House, said that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returns with the far right, "certain things will become irreversible." Nicola Perugini, a senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, warned that a Netanyahu re-election would see Gaza's population continue to struggle under "unliveable" conditions.

Analysts said replacing Netanyahu would not necessarily end the policies behind European criticism. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who leads the centrist Yashar party and is seen as Netanyahu's main challenger, has opposed Palestinian statehood. A survey by the Mitvim Institute last year found that 67 percent of Israelis regarded the EU as more of an adversary, against 14 percent who saw it as a friend.

Mekelberg said a more liberal government could lead to a more reasonable conversation with Europe, but that the change would not happen overnight. Analysts said a more liberal coalition could slow settlement expansion and increase humanitarian aid. Julie M Norman, an associate fellow at Chatham House, said that may not be enough for European governments. Europe would look for concrete steps towards Palestinian statehood, according to the report.

An Al Arabiya post on Telegram also said protests in Israel were continuing before the election. The post is unverified and did not give details.

Background

Britain has imposed a ban on goods from illegal settlements, and its foreign secretary has accused Israeli settlers of ethnic cleansing, Al Jazeera reported. Ireland and Spain have long led criticism of Israel's treatment of Palestinians. At the UN General Assembly, Ireland's Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Israel's actions in Gaza "will shame the world."

Al Jazeera reported that Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed at least 74,000 Palestinians. The report did not give a date for the figure. European countries have withdrawn from Eurovision over Israel's participation, and some European footballers have refused to play the Israeli team.