First high-level talks between the EU and Israel in ten years

For the first time in ten years, the European Union and Israel have held high-level talks, and the group is eager to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid on how to implement a two-state solution to the dispute with the Palestinians.

Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy, said he was "encouraged" by recent support for such a result from Lapid, who participated in the discussions via video conference, at Monday's "Association Council" meeting."This is another goal we wish to pursue. We desire the restart of a political process that can result in a two-state solution and a lasting regional peace, according to Borrell. "We need to look into how we can implement this."

The two parties' first meeting of this kind since July 2012 was on Monday. Though negotiations have resumed, little hope exists for a peaceful resolution.

The West Bank has been under military occupation by Israel for 55 years. The last genuine peace negotiations concluded in 2009, and opponents claim that prospects for a two-state solution are undermined by expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and elsewhere.

Borrell issued a warning, stating that the EU should be "concerned about the persistent tensions and violence on the ground as well as the continuation of unilateral measures, such as settlement expansion, and the security challenges."

He continued, "The forced transfers are still occurring, and this year has seen the largest number of Palestinian fatalities since 2007.

The entire occupied West Bank, east Jerusalem that Israel has annexed, and the Gaza Strip, which is governed by the Palestinian organization Hamas, are all areas the Palestinians want for a future state.Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, stated at the UN General Assembly last month that "the Israeli occupation practices are eroding our trust in attaining a peace based on justice and international law."

He asserted that Israel's military was "killing the Palestinian people in broad daylight" with impunity and that the country was still engaged in a "frantic drive to take our lands."

The day before Abbas' speech, Lapid himself spoke to the UN General Assembly, endorsing a two-state solution and urging Muslim countries to recognize and make peace with Israel.

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