Despite intense lobbying by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority, the European Union on Monday - in a sign of vastly improved European-Israeli relations over the last few years - agreed to a significant upgrade of relations.
The upgrade was announced in Luxembourg during the annual EU-Israel Association Council meeting, headed by foreign ministers, which conducts the bilateral relations between Israel and the EU. The announcement was made at a meeting attended by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and the ministers of the 27 EU states.
A statement put out by the foreign ministry said this agreement "will usher in a new era in Israeli-European relations."
Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayad last week sent a letter to the EU countries urging them not to upgrade ties unless Israel halted construction in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. Similar appeals in all the European capitals have been made over the last few weeks by Egyptian diplomatic officials as well.
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