A senior Israeli official has reprimanded a group of diplomats and ambassadors for slamming settler violence against the Palestinians and the rest of the occupation practices in the West Bank, European diplomatic sources in Tel Aviv revealed on Friday.
The incident took place two weeks ago when the Foreign Ministry invited the European delegation from 16 countries to explain the new government’s policy toward the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian citizens, according to Walla news.
The diplomats expressed concerns over Israeli advancement of construction in the contentious E1 area between Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement, as well as controversial Israeli plans to build in the Givat Hamatos neighborhood of East Jerusalem. They also mentioned other conduct in Area C of the West Bank, which is under Israeli control.
However, Director of the European Affairs Department at the Israeli Foreign Ministry Aliza Bin Noun considered the complaints “insulting.”
“After everything the new Israeli government has been doing for the Palestinians, you come to complain?” she shot back, according to Walla.
The European diplomats said the atmosphere was bad and got out of control quickly, with the meeting breaking down and ending in a “big crisis.”
They said they are interested in managing “a professional, non-emotional dialogue on the issues that concern them since there are facts on the ground that are clearly visible.” But Bin Noun refused to hold professional talks, Walla reported.
Some diplomats tried to calm Bin Noun down, but they failed to do so.
