Middle East Israeli-Palestine conflict: Can the EU help defuse tensions as Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates?

The EU has long been a staunch supporter of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: a position that Hugh Lovatt, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, expects to be maintained for the foreseeable future.

Josep Borel said: "The EU is unwavering in its support for not just two states but for [mid-1990s peace agreements] the Oslo Accords and the peace process,"

With regard to the latest flare-up, he added: "It's difficult to come up with a unified European Union-wide position - that has been the case for years - but the statement put out in Borrell's name, I think, was one of the better ones put out internationally." Nonetheless, Lovatt does not expect the EU to take an active role in mediation between Israel and the Palestinian Territories in the coming days or weeks, in keeping with its relatively restrained position in the past and during the war of 2014. "The EU has limited added value when it comes to escalation and de-escalation in Gaza," he said. "This is to an extent of the EU's own making because it refuses to have contact with Hamas.

"Those that play a mediating role are those that have contact: Egypt, Qatar and the UN

Read more at Can the EU help defuse tensions as Israeli-Palestinian violence escalates? | Euronews

Germany seeks talks with Iran to ease tensions

European leaders have called for calm after the US airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Despite heightened anxiety in the region, there are no plans to increase Germany's troop deployment in Iraq.

Read more at:
https://www.dw.com/en/germany-seeks-talks-with-iran-to-ease-tensions/a-51889391

Middle East:: Qatar envoy hails Turkish role ahead of Erdoğan’s visit

Erdogan,stabilizing force in Middle East

Qatar’s envoy to Turkey has underlined the importance of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Qatar on Tuesday.

“We believe that high-level diplomatic visits between Qatar and Turkey are very important and necessary,” ambassador Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi told Anadolu Agency in an interview.

“Such visits maintain the momentum in bilateral relations and help better consult and coordinate on swift changes and regional and international issues,” he added.

Erdoğan is scheduled to arrive in Qatar on Tuesday as part of a regional tour that already took him to Kuwait.

“We are satisfied with the level of our relations, especially that relations have overcome very difficult tests during the past two days,” the Qatari envoy said.

He said talks between Erdoğan and Qatari leaders are expected to tackle all important issues.

“The visit will undoubtedly dwell on the Gulf crisis and ongoing mediation efforts,” Al Shafi said.

In June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain all abruptly cut diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups in the region.

The four states have also threatened Qatar with additional sanctions if Doha failed to meet a long list of demands, including one for the closure of Qatari news broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Qatar, however, has so far refused to comply, vociferously denying the accusations against it and describing Saudi-led attempts to isolate it as a breach of international law and its own national sovereignty.

Note EU-Digest: regardless of our often expressed critical comments in relation to a variety of disturbing developments in Turkey under the present leadership of President Erdogan re: Freedom of the Press, and Human Rights violations, one must also give credit where credit is due.

Not only has Mr. Erdogan lived up to the agreement he made with the EU on controlling the stream of Syrian refugees into the EU, he also has been a stabilizing force in the Middle East, trying to cool down the looming conflict between, on one side Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and on the other side Qatar.

Contrary to our own EU, he has also had the courage to speak out against the US  Trump Administration's nebulous Middle East policies, and the role of NATO in this equation. 

Mr. Erdogan might not be everyone's favorite "Poster Boy" but he certainly is a leader in his own right.

 Read more: Qatar envoy hails Turkish role ahead of Erdoğan’s visit

Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer - by Alon Ben-Meir

Turkey’s President Erdogan has claimed that military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) will continue until “the very last rebel is killed.”

What is puzzling about this statement is that after more than 30 years of violence that has claimed the lives of over 40,000 Turks and Kurds, Erdogan still believes he can solve the conflict through brutal force.

However, he is fundamentally mistaken. The Kurds’ long historical struggle is not only embedded in their psyche, but also provides the momentum for their quest for semi-autonomy. That mindset will endure until a mutually accepted solution is found through peaceful negotiations.

Read more: Turkey and the Kurds: Violence Is Not the Answer - The Globalist