EU's Ashton warns Israel of repercussions of suspending talks

The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton warned Israel of potential repercussions of suspending peace talks with the Palestinian Authority in the aftermath of the Fatah-Hamas agreement.

In a statement Sunday, Ashton expressed her deep concerns over the latest developments in peace talks between Israel and the PA, urging all sides to concentrate on peace negotiations, exercise utmost restraint and not to waste the efforts made in recent months, and to avoid any actions that would threaten the peace process.

Ashton welcomed the idea of holding genuine elections in Palestine, emphasizing the need for Mahmoud Abbas’s leadership of the peace negotiations with Israel.

“The EU expects any new government to uphold the principle of non-violence, to remain committed to achieving a two-state solution and to a negotiated peaceful settlement … including Israel’s legitimate right to exist,” Ashton said in the statement.