“In Europe we have adopted a holistic approach to fighting terrorism. I think Israel could have an interest in studying our experience in holistic approaches,” Lars Faaborg-Anderson said.

“We have a lot to learn from Israel, and Israel has a lot to learn from us,” outgoing European Union (EU) Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen told reporters at a press conference Tuesday at Tel Aviv’s Dan Hotel.

According to the Danish diplomat who just completed a four-year term in the Jewish state, Israel provides Europe with valuable information on the Islamic State terror group.

However, “In Europe we have adopted a holistic approach to fighting terrorism. I think Israel could have an interest in studying our experience in holistic approaches.”

“There’s a significant security aspect to it, which you undoubtedly address,” he said, “but there are also other aspects to work with, including welfare and educational services and the like…. Israel can definitely learn from European experience.”

Radical Islamic terror attacks in major European cities have increased dramatically in recent years, the latest mass-casualty attack being the van-ramming in the heart of Barcelona last week that ended with 15 dead and 120 wounded. Asked by a reporter whether he believes the holistic approach has been effective, the EU envoy responded:

Israeli Intelligence of ‘the Highest Caliber’

“If there’s still terrorism it obviously hasn’t been a complete success, because a 100-percent hermetically sealed security against attacks is tough to achieve. But you can definitely reduce the number of attacks. I think our approach is successful, but not entirely so. It’s certainly better than not doing anything.”

Regarding cooperation with Israel, “We’re definitely learning from each other on de-radicalization, fighting terror financing, cyber terrorism and more,” he said. “And Israel absolutely supplies important information to the EU, including in matters regarding ISIS. The information Israel supplies is of the highest caliber and it flows freely between intelligence agencies. I don’t have the exact details of the information, but we’re feeling very good about it.”

Israel’s relationship with the EU during the ambassador’s tenure has often been tense. Last April, for example, Faaborg-Andersen conveyed what was reported as a diplomatic threat against the Jewish state in a meeting with the new director-general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry. The EU was demanding that Israel cease demolishing EU-sponsored structures for Palestinians, which in fact were built illegally.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the EU of attempting to create facts on the ground by building these structures.

By: Adina Katz, World Israel News

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Israel’s Foreign Ministry is protesting the EU’s demand not to demolish illegal Palestinian structures east of Jerusalem. 

Israel’s Foreign Ministry conveyed its displeasure to the European Union (EU) for calling upon Israel to tolerate EU-sponsored, illegally built Palestinian structures in Khan al-Ahmar, a village located just east of Jerusalem, according to a report in Haaretz.

“In Israel, illegal construction is dealt with according to the law,” Avivit Bar-Ilan, director of the Foreign Ministry’s EU department, told EU Deputy Ambassador to Israel Mark Gallagher, according to the foreign ministry’s spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon.

Bar-Ilan was responding to objections to the demolition of  the illegal structures voiced by EU Ambassador to Israel Lars Faaborg-Andersen.

“The practice of enforcement measures such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes and humanitarian assets (including EU-funded) and the obstruction of delivery of humanitarian assistance are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law,” the ambassador had claimed.

Bar-Ilan noted the comparatively large efforts made by the EU to protect illegal Palestinian construction in Judea and Samaria while placing much less interest in profound abuses of human rights in other parts of the world.

“There are 32 humanitarian crises around the world, but the European Union opts to deal disproportionately only with what happens in Area C, which undoubtedly isn’t in a humanitarian crisis,” she reportedly said.

Khan al-Ahmar’s location between Jerusalem and the city of Ma’ale Adumim is in a controversial spot known as “E1.” The EU has vociferously ordered Israel not to construct new housing units there, as the EU views it as a threat to the creation of a contiguous Palestinian Authority state.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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The EU is demanding that Israel cease demolishing EU-sponsored structures for Palestinians, which in fact were built illegally. 

The European Union’s ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen, conveyed what has been reported as a diplomatic threat against the Jewish state in a meeting with the new director-general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry.

“The practice of enforcement measures such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes and humanitarian assets (including EU-funded) and the obstruction of delivery of humanitarian assistance are contrary to Israel’s obligations under international law,” the ambassador stated.

“We therefore call on Israel, as the occupying power, to meet its obligations vis-à-vis the Palestinian population (and to) completely stop these demolitions and confiscations and allow full access of humanitarian assistance,” he demanded.

At issue is European Union (EU)-sponsored construction in Khan al-Ahmar, east of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian village is located in “Area C” of Judea and Samaria, which the Oslo Accords recognized as being under custodial control of Israel. Construction must first be approved by Israel’s Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria.

Israel frequently carries out demolitions on structures built without government approval, whether for Jewish communities or for Palestinians.

The EU’s attempt to build Palestinian structures in Area C without permission is an apparent attempt to create new realities on the ground, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pointed out.

“They’re building without authorization against the accepted rules and there’s a clear attempt to create political realities there,” he said several months ago.

“Activities in these territories that are not coordinated with Israel do not advance peace and coexistence between the two sides and give backing to the processes at the UN by the Palestinians, which further distances any chance of an agreement,” Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely added.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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