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EU official warns Israel not to annex Ma’ale Adumim

A European Union representative warned that any Israeli move to annex the city of Ma’ale Adumim would be viewed “very negatively by the EU.”

The charge d’Affaires for the European Union (EU) embassy in Israel, Mark Gallagher, warned Israel against incorporating the city of Ma’ale Adumim, located just four miles east of Jerusalem, into the rest of Israel.

“It would be seen very negatively by the EU,” he cautioned, in response to a question posed by the Jerusalem Post at “The Arab Peace Initiative at 15-years” conference at Hebrew University on Tuesday evening.

“It would have a strong detrimental impact on our relations,” he added. “It is no secret that those relations have come under a certain amount of strain due to the same settlement expansions and the Regulation Law.”

The Regulation Law, passed by the Knesset recently, prevents the demolition of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria that are found ex post facto by Israel’s High Court of Justice to have been built on private land. Instead, the alleged property owners are compensated.

The bill’s passing received harsh condemnation from European officials.

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, also on Tuesday night, warned of a diplomatic assault at the end of the year by the EU against Israel as a result of the Knesset’s failure to abide by the EU’s expectations on policy decisions regarding Judea and Samaria.

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“After this long election period, I understand from talks with friends in Europe and Brussels that we can expect a diplomatic assault by the EU against Israel,” Liberman said, addressing a conference in memory of former Mossad head Meir Dagan at the Netanya Academic College.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News