European News

Dr. Sharon Pardo, Director of BGU Centre for the Study of European Politics and Society (CSEPS) and a member of the Department of Politics and Government, has been awarded a Jean Monnet Chair for the years 2010-2013, making BGU only the second university in Israel to have ever been awarded such a distinction from the European Union.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of current European Union Presidency - Spain - Miguel Angel Moratinos, along with Former President of the European Parliament - H.E. Simone Veil visited Ben-Gurion University. This was the first visit ever to our university of an EU so high level officials.
The event was named ” Symposium on EU, Middle East and European Jewish Communities” and chaired by Amb. Andrew Standley – Head of the EU delegation to Israel. Dr. Sharon Pardo and Prof. David Newman welcomed the high positioned guests and briefly commented on current situation in European-Israeli relations.

Italian Prime mininster Silvio Berlusconi reiterated his hope that Israel would one day join the European Union, saying it is "a free and democratic state fully equal to the European democracies.

In a speech before parliament, Berlusconi said Israel "is not only the biggest example of democracy and liberty in the Middle East, but the only example."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet in Berlin on Monday, 18th January 2010, in what both leaders described as an "historic" visit.

An EU senior official said the European Union should upgrade its political and economic relations with Israel – frozen after the Gaza war in January - and grant this country the same status enjoyed by Norway.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Jerusalem that Israel has a closer relationship with the European Union than EU candidate country Croatia

"We have a growing hope that the EU countries will declare that in this state of things they cannot participate in next month’s Durban Review Conference in Geneva,” a senior Foreign Ministry official told an EU-Israel gathering in Brussels.

Around 1,500 people, including France’s ambassador to Belgium, rallied in the EU quarter of Brussels to mark the third anniversary of the detention of French-Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Hamas and to call for his release

The European Union hit out Monday at Israel's "unacceptable" eviction of two Palestinian families from a neighbourhood in east Jerusalem at the weekend

The contentious conference on racism which was held in Geneva in the end of april caused the expected scandal. Resonance from the involvement of the Iranian leader and his anti-Israel statements went far beyond Europe

Israeli President Shimon Peres discussed Middle East possible peace solutions with Czech President and the Czech current and former leaders during his two days visit to Prague

The Israeli international duet will take part in Eurovision 2009 song competition arases interest of the European media

Numerous amount of European, Israeli and worldwide authors took part in 24th Jerusalem International Book Fair, one of the prestigious events in the literature world. Over 800 publishers from all around the world have presented their books at the Jerusalem International Conference Center (Binyanei Ha-uma). The prestigious Jerusalem Prize, awarded to a writer whose work best expresses and promotes freedom of the individual in society, will be presented to renowned Japanese writer Haruki Murakami

Israeli historian, political scientist and the author of several books, now based in Brussels, Elie Barnavi speeks about the elections in Israel

German former cancellor Gerchard Schroeder has visited last week the Iranian capital and met with President Ahmadinijad. The visit was heavily critisized by German Jewry and was condemned by a number of leading German newspapers. Nonetheless, Schroeder claimed that "Holocaust is one the most terrible crimes committed ever" in relation to Ahmadinijad's efforts for Holocaust denial

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg proclaming the nessesity of EU-Israel futher active cooperation

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Tuesday that expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which is drawing criticism from the EU, “is no longer an official policy for Israel.”

Dialogue lies at the roots of European civilisation but is not enough on its own. We also need stronger social bonds in the form of "covenantal relationships", according to Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the British Commonwealth, who addressed a formal sitting of the House

Foreign Minister David Miliband arrived in Israel on Sunday the 16th November amid growing tensions after Britain's recent bid to press its European Union partners to stop Israeli exports to the EU that are manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank

For the first time European Institutions officials observed local elections in Israel, which took place at 11 November 2008

Jose Manuel Barroso is confident Europe will be able to meet the challenges of the current financial crisis. Interview by euronews