Shimon Stein: Israel–European Union Relations: Crisis as a Norm | iNSS

It appears that the European Union decision on marking products, which sparked the recent crisis between Israel and the organization, is a symptom of an ongoing problem, and should not be regarded, as the EU attempted to portray it, as a technical measure. It is a reflection of the EU’s policy of distinguishing between Israel within the 1967 borders and the territories captured in the Six Day War. From the EU’s perspective, the measure is designed, like other measures that may follow it, to preserve the idea of the two state solution as a viable possibility. The effort to restore relations between Israel and the EU to a “normal track” can succeed if the Israeli government abandons its current policy of adhering to the status quo, and promotes measures making clear that its support for the two-state solution is not mere lip service. As of now, the chances of this occurring are quite small.