The new European foreign policy chief, Italian Federica Mogherini, who is to take her new post on November 1, will visit Israel a few days later.The new European foreign policy chief, Italian Federica Mogherini, who is to take her new post on November 1, will visit Israel a few days later.
While the visit has not been officially confirmed in Brussels, EJP has learned that Mogherini will be in Israel on 7 November for a two-day visit during which she will also travel to the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.
It will be her first visit as High Representative High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Mogherini, who is currently the Foreign Minister of Italy, will succeed British Catherine Ashton – who was not considered as pro-Israel- for five years. Mogherini is a member of Italy’s center-left government led by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who is known to be generally friendly toward Israel and tough on Iran’s nuclear program.
As Italian Foreign Minister, Mogherini was in Israel last July during Operation Protective Edge against Hamas in Gaza and among other things, she visited, alng with her Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman a house hit by a rocket in the southern city of Ashdod.
During the recent confirmation hearing for her new EU position in the EU parliament, Mogherini, who will also be Vice-President of the European Commission, indicated that while in office, the EU would take a more prominent role in Middle East affairs. She commented, “In the Middle East in particular the EU has been an effective payer, it needs to become an effective player.” Mogherini added that, “no return to the status quo is possible” following this summer’s Gaza conflict and that “political will and political leadership” is standing in the way of a solution.
Italian Member of the European Parliament, Fulvio Martusciello, who paid this week his first visit to Israel said “it’s very important that Ms. Mogherini comes to Israel on 7 November. It’s her first official visit.” “I hope we will be able to work together.’’
Martisciello, who is the new Chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel, told the European Jewish Press he hopes to develop close relations with Israel during the next five years. ‘’Israel is so different than what people talk about it. It is an Incredible country with the start ups and its dynamic ecponomy and I think we can have a good work together in all dossiers,’’ he said.
He said there is ‘’a lack of information’’ about Israel in Europe. ‘’Many people speak about Israel without knowing.’’
‘’We work together and our delegation will operate to connect the European Parliament and Israel,’’ said.
On 6 November, the delegation will start its work with a meeting with Israel’s ambassador to the EU, David Walzer, and on 3 December a delegation from the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will come to Brussels.
Bastiaan Belder, a Dutch member of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs committee, who accompanied Martusciello in Israel as Vice-Chairman of the delegation for relations with Israel, said that he personally asked Mogherini whether she thinks that the EU and Israel have shared security interests, and if yes, how she would implement this into the EU’s foreign affairs agenda. “She was evading a clear answer,” he said.
“But I’m not a pessimistic man, for I know the important European member states have close intelligence and security cooperation with Israel in counterterrorism and the like.”
During their visit, Martusciello and Belder had political meetings in Jerusalem and visited Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF) water management projects.