EU Foreign Policy Chief Nixes Israel Visit After Apparent Snub By PM Netanyahu

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini nixed a visit to Israel after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could not find time to pencil her in for a meeting; in what is being construed as a snub by the Israeli leader due to growing resentment in Jerusalem of Brussels’ attitude and actions towards the Jewish state. Mogherini, who intended to visit Israel to address a conference, has been publicly critical of the Trump administration’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal. The EU likewise has denounced Israel’s response to the violent demonstrations along the Gaza Strip border and the recent approval to build additional homes in Jewish West Bank communities. With many Israeli politicians viewing the EU as a hostile body, the government increasingly has adopted a policy of engaging European countries on a one-to-one basis—as evidenced by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip last week to Germany, France and Britain, during which he met, individually, with the leader of each country. Moreover, Israel has made diplomatic inroads with various eastern European states that are nevertheless EU members, notably the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania, which together in May reportedly stymied Brussels’ effort to publish a joint statement denouncing the relocation of the American mission to Jerusalem.