BARCELONA, SPAIN – Israel’s absence from an EU-Med summit is expected to further test Europe’s Middle East diplomacy, with Arab states and EU countries meeting amid a shaky ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Sánchez has also been pushing to organise an international peace conference between Israelis and Palestinians and discussed the idea as recently as this week with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But while the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia are expected to take part in the meeting, Israel will not send its representative. “This carries the risk of transforming it into another international forum in which Arab states bash Israel. Its initial elements were broadly discussed among EU foreign ministers earlier this month, but it remains uncertain how the bloc would ensure buy-in from regional players.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 26, 2023 10:48 UTC