BICOM

According to the Times of Israel, incoming European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini’s debut foreign trip in office will be to Israel.

Mogherini will take over from Catherine Ashton as the EU’s top diplomat on 1 November and is apparently scheduled to make a two-day visit to Israel on 7 November, during which time she will also visit Palestinian Authority (PA) officials in Ramallah. Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello, who heads the EU’s delegation for relations with Israel commented, “It’s very important that Ms. Mogherini comes to Israel on 7 November. It’s her first official visit.”

Mogherini visited Israel in her capacity as Italian Foreign Minister in July, during Operation Protective Edge. She met with senior Israeli officials and was accompanied to Ashdod by Foreign Minister Avigdor Leiberman, to personally see the impact of Gaza rocket fire. At the time, she noted “The region is tense with the risk of radicalization.” Earlier this month, Mogherini met once again with Lieberman in Rome and pledged that Italy is “ready to contribute” to restarting the peace process between Israel and the PA, which she described as “essential to promptly bringing about the birth of a Palestinian State, along with security guarantees for Israel.”

During the recent confirmation hearing for her new EU position, Mogherini indicated that while in office, the EU would take a more prominent role in Middle East affairs. She commented, “In the Middle East in particular the EU has been an effective payer, it needs to become an effective player.” Mogherini added that, “no return to the status quo is possible” following this summer’s Gaza conflict and that “political will and political leadership” is standing in the way of a solution.