09/08/2024–|Last updated: 08/09/20248:43 p.m. (Mecca time)
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell will begin a multi-day tour of the Middle East today, Sunday, which will include Egypt and Lebanon, but during which he will not visit Israel, which has refused to receive him.
The EU official’s office said a meeting with mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States “was at the top of his agenda” during his Middle East tour.
Borrell plans to meet Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Cairo tomorrow, Monday, and will also visit the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip, according to the European Union’s foreign service office in Brussels.
He will also meet Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Aty on Tuesday and attend a meeting of the Arab League.
Next Wednesday and Thursday, Borrell will travel to Lebanon, where he will meet with Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and the commander of the Lebanese armed forces, Joseph Aoun.
Israeli refusal of visit
Borrell will not travel to Israel during his planned tour, according to his office, after refusing to receive him, according to Israeli media reports.
Yesterday, Saturday, the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that Tel Aviv had informed the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, that it could not receive him on the date of his visit.
The Israeli newspaper reported that Borrell announced in a letter to the Israeli Foreign Ministry his intention to visit the country on September 14-15.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel responded to this by saying that Borrell would not be able to attend during those two days and invited him to coordinate the visit after the holidays, which will take place at the end of October after his term ends.
This comes amid fierce Israeli criticism of Borrell over his efforts to impose sanctions on Israeli officials, including Internal Security and Finance Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, for incitement and war crimes.
It is worth noting that the decision to impose sanctions on Israeli ministers requires the consensus of the European Union member states. Agence France-Presse earlier said that the chances of success of Borrell’s efforts were slim due to the division of the 27 member states of the European Union.