Commissioner refuses to back down in row with Czech EU presidency about bloc’s Israeli ties

EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner refused to back down on Monday in a row with the Czech EU presidency over boosting ties with Israel. Israel should first recognise a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict before ties could be strengthened, Ms Ferrero-Waldner said. At the weekend, outgoing Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek said that Ms Ferrero Waldner’s views were at variance with those of the Czech EU presidency and that the EU commissioner had ‘overstepped her powers’ by stating them. Mr Topolánek said the fact that the EU commissioner had not consulted the Czech presidency first showed the ‘arrogance’ of the European Commission. In an interview published in Israel on Sunday, the Czech prime minister said that the peace process should not be linked to relations between the EU and Israel.