Czechs to voice disagreement with Jewish settlements

The Czech negative stand is to be voiced at the regular one-day Czech-Israeli political dialogue, Kolar said.

The Israeli plan has caused concern in the EU, Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg said, adding that he believed that Israel would eventually yield in the affair.

Schwarzenberg said this was a big obstacle to the Middle East reconciliation.

In the past days, some European countries summoned Israeli ambassadors.

The media has speculated that the Czech Foreign Ministry, too, has summoned the Israeli ambassador. However, this has not been officially confirmed.

Some sources say that Jiri Ellinger, head of the Foreign Ministry Middle East department, informally mentioned the Czech position before Israeli ambassador to the Czech Republic Yaakov Levy.

The Israeli plan to widen the Jewish settlements by another roughly 3000 new flats was denounced by EU foreign ministers.

However, they also criticised the weekend Hamas statement that Israel has no right to existence.

Within the EU, the Czech Republic is considered significantly "pro-Israeli." It was the only EU member to have voted against the U.N. resolution granting the non-member observer status to Palestine.

The Czech diplomacy argues that it does not believe that Palestine's recognition in the United Nations may contribute to peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than came to Prague to thank it for its attitude in the United Nations.

Author: ČTK
www.ctk.cz