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| Europe’s Carrot-and-Stick Approach to Israel Includes Blacklisting Hezbollah | Europe’s Carrot-and-Stick Approach to Israel Includes Blacklisting Hezbollah |
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| BRUSSELS — At the end of a week when the European Union slapped Israel with financing restrictions to push it to resolve its conflict with the Palestinians, major European powers on Friday stepped up pressure to give Israel one of its long-sought demands: designating the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. | BRUSSELS — At the end of a week when the European Union slapped Israel with financing restrictions to push it to resolve its conflict with the Palestinians, major European powers on Friday stepped up pressure to give Israel one of its long-sought demands: designating the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. |
| The timing of the carrot-and-stick actions was coincidental, but they illustrated the bloc’s strategy of pushing forward with its own efforts to rein in Israeli actions that undermine the Middle East peace process — and to maintain good relations with Israel, understanding its unique security needs. | The timing of the carrot-and-stick actions was coincidental, but they illustrated the bloc’s strategy of pushing forward with its own efforts to rein in Israeli actions that undermine the Middle East peace process — and to maintain good relations with Israel, understanding its unique security needs. |
| The approach has leading member states like Britain and France making a renewed effort to navigate deep divisions within the Union over the Middle East peace process, in which the United States’ role has long eclipsed that of the Union. | The approach has leading member states like Britain and France making a renewed effort to navigate deep divisions within the Union over the Middle East peace process, in which the United States’ role has long eclipsed that of the Union. |
| It may continue to do so. Analysts said the moves by Europe were unlikely to be a game changer in the region, a conclusion seemingly underlined on Friday when Secretary of State John Kerry announced possible Israeli-Palestinian talks in Washington as early as next week. | It may continue to do so. Analysts said the moves by Europe were unlikely to be a game changer in the region, a conclusion seemingly underlined on Friday when Secretary of State John Kerry announced possible Israeli-Palestinian talks in Washington as early as next week. |
| On Friday, the Union went ahead with publishing new guidelines banning the financing of, or cooperation with, institutions in territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war, despite an intense Israeli effort to stop them, including phone calls by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a half-dozen European heads of state and consultations with envoys from the British, French and German missions in Israel. | On Friday, the Union went ahead with publishing new guidelines banning the financing of, or cooperation with, institutions in territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war, despite an intense Israeli effort to stop them, including phone calls by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a half-dozen European heads of state and consultations with envoys from the British, French and German missions in Israel. |
| “We can’t accept the guidelines as they are now,” said a senior Israeli official who described himself and other officials as being engaged in “the European war” this week over the guidelines “They are imposing things we cannot accept.” | “We can’t accept the guidelines as they are now,” said a senior Israeli official who described himself and other officials as being engaged in “the European war” this week over the guidelines “They are imposing things we cannot accept.” |
| At the same time, Britain is leading the effort to impose sanctions against Hezbollah after a terrorist attack in Bulgaria a year ago that killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver, and the conviction in March of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus for plotting a similar attack. | At the same time, Britain is leading the effort to impose sanctions against Hezbollah after a terrorist attack in Bulgaria a year ago that killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver, and the conviction in March of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus for plotting a similar attack. |
| “There are still some reservations,” a senior Union official said on condition of anonymity because private talks between the bloc’s governments were continuing. But “we are moving in the end towards what could be a listing of the military movement.” | “There are still some reservations,” a senior Union official said on condition of anonymity because private talks between the bloc’s governments were continuing. But “we are moving in the end towards what could be a listing of the military movement.” |
| A decision to put Hezbollah on the terrorist list will require the unanimous consent of the bloc’s 28 members at a meeting of foreign ministers here on Monday. | A decision to put Hezbollah on the terrorist list will require the unanimous consent of the bloc’s 28 members at a meeting of foreign ministers here on Monday. |
| If such an agreement is reached, the sanctions would eventually consist of travel bans and asset freezes, Union officials said, adding that more time would be needed to come up with precise terms. | If such an agreement is reached, the sanctions would eventually consist of travel bans and asset freezes, Union officials said, adding that more time would be needed to come up with precise terms. |
| Israel and the United States, which already brand Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, are pressing hard for the Union’s member states to follow suit. | Israel and the United States, which already brand Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, are pressing hard for the Union’s member states to follow suit. |
| The Union is Israel’s largest trading partner, covering $40 billion annually — one-third Israeli exports and two-thirds European. But the political relationship is much more complicated, shrouded by memory of the Holocaust and continuing concern over anti-Semitism in many countries. | The Union is Israel’s largest trading partner, covering $40 billion annually — one-third Israeli exports and two-thirds European. But the political relationship is much more complicated, shrouded by memory of the Holocaust and continuing concern over anti-Semitism in many countries. |
| A number of European countries like Ireland and Austria, which has peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, are wary of destabilizing Lebanon by cracking down on militant elements like Hezbollah, and of eroding their own influence on events there. | A number of European countries like Ireland and Austria, which has peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, are wary of destabilizing Lebanon by cracking down on militant elements like Hezbollah, and of eroding their own influence on events there. |
| The publication of the Union guidelines met with particular fury among Israelis like Finance Minister Yair Lapid, the leader of a party whose largely wealthy, secular constituency is particularly concerned about the prospect of isolation from Europe. | The publication of the Union guidelines met with particular fury among Israelis like Finance Minister Yair Lapid, the leader of a party whose largely wealthy, secular constituency is particularly concerned about the prospect of isolation from Europe. |
| Mr. Lapid said in an interview on Israeli television Friday night that the new guidelines were not “just hypocrisy” but “stupidity,” adding, “If they care about peace, they’re damaging it.” | Mr. Lapid said in an interview on Israeli television Friday night that the new guidelines were not “just hypocrisy” but “stupidity,” adding, “If they care about peace, they’re damaging it.” |
| Mr. Lapid said militant Palestinian groups were pressuring President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to refrain from negotiations with Israel by “saying to him, ‘Wait, wait, Israel is being isolated. That isolation is mounting.’ ” | Mr. Lapid said militant Palestinian groups were pressuring President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to refrain from negotiations with Israel by “saying to him, ‘Wait, wait, Israel is being isolated. That isolation is mounting.’ ” |
| The European Union, he said, “has gone on to serve those most radical forces in Palestinian society.” | The European Union, he said, “has gone on to serve those most radical forces in Palestinian society.” |
| At the same time, Daniel Levy, the director for the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a research organization in London, said those who think that cracking down on Hezbollah would gain “more traction” with Mr. Netanyahu and right-wing Israelis were “a bit naïve.” | At the same time, Daniel Levy, the director for the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, a research organization in London, said those who think that cracking down on Hezbollah would gain “more traction” with Mr. Netanyahu and right-wing Israelis were “a bit naïve.” |
| Sanctions against Hezbollah would do little to heal rifts between Israel and Europe that have deepened in recent years over the issue of Jewish settlements, he said. | Sanctions against Hezbollah would do little to heal rifts between Israel and Europe that have deepened in recent years over the issue of Jewish settlements, he said. |
| Following publication of the guidelines, Israelis still “want to leave the Europeans in the doghouse at the moment,” Mr. Levy said, and in the future, they “will be just as vociferous in slamming the Europeans on anything they don’t like that Europe does regarding settlement policy, and just as dismissive.” | Following publication of the guidelines, Israelis still “want to leave the Europeans in the doghouse at the moment,” Mr. Levy said, and in the future, they “will be just as vociferous in slamming the Europeans on anything they don’t like that Europe does regarding settlement policy, and just as dismissive.” |
| Support for the Hezbollah sanctions has grown in recent months because of the group’s strong support for its longtime ally, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, in his violent military campaign against a two-year uprising. | Support for the Hezbollah sanctions has grown in recent months because of the group’s strong support for its longtime ally, President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, in his violent military campaign against a two-year uprising. |
| Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria helped persuade France, in particular, to drop its resistance several weeks ago to blacklisting the group. Previously, France said blacklisting Hezbollah would weaken lines of communication with the movement, which is also a major force in politics and social services in Lebanon. | |
| Some diplomats said they were turning up the pressure on the holdouts by citing growing evidence that Hezbollah had carried out attacks on Union soil, leaving members with no other choice. | Some diplomats said they were turning up the pressure on the holdouts by citing growing evidence that Hezbollah had carried out attacks on Union soil, leaving members with no other choice. |
| A Union diplomat, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the continuing talks between governments, said Friday that he would “be surprised if any ministers would want to stand in the way of the E.U. taking robust action on terrorism,” but that the outcome on Monday was still not certain. | |
| Mr. Netanyahu discussed both the Hezbollah sanctions and the new Union guidelines in his phone calls to European leaders, said a senior Israeli official briefed on the calls who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss them publicly. But the official said he was “not aware of any connection” made between the two issues either by Mr. Netanyahu or his counterparts. | |
| “The conversations on Hezbollah have been ongoing for a while,” the official noted. “We’re not confident, but we’re hopeful.” | |
| Another senior Israeli official who works on European affairs said the Europeans had not linked the issues in their internal deliberations this week for two main reasons. | Another senior Israeli official who works on European affairs said the Europeans had not linked the issues in their internal deliberations this week for two main reasons. |
| While Israel is deeply concerned about the Union’s declaring Hezbollah a terrorist group, Europe generally views Hezbollah as part of its issue with Syria, not Israel. And because the Europeans — in contrast to outraged Israelis — view the new guidelines as a minor step reflecting longstanding policy, they do not see themselves as “owing Israel one.” | |
| “They don’t see these guidelines as some tough measure they need to compensate for to maintain their relationship with Israel,” the official said. “There is no quid pro quo.” | “They don’t see these guidelines as some tough measure they need to compensate for to maintain their relationship with Israel,” the official said. “There is no quid pro quo.” |
James Kanter reported from Brussels, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem. Steven Erlanger contributed reporting from Paris, and Michael R. Gordon from Amman, Jordan. | James Kanter reported from Brussels, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem. Steven Erlanger contributed reporting from Paris, and Michael R. Gordon from Amman, Jordan. |