EU wants Jerusalem a two-state capital

JERUSALEM, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- European Union ministers suggested Jerusalem be the capital of Israel and any future Palestinian state, a report by Sweden, the rotating EU president says.

Israel's Foreign Ministry Tuesday warned the EU against making such a position official, Israel Radio said. The ministry said the EU's intention to declare East Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian state will affect its ability to act as a mediator in future negotiations, the radio report said.

The document obtained by Haaretz suggests EU foreign ministers also intend to back a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, the newspaper said Tuesday. The document states the EU will not accept any changes made by Israel to the 1967 borders unless Palestinian Authority approval is received, the paper said.

The document calls for the immediate resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, saying the goal is to create "an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable state of Palestine, comprised of the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital," the paper said.

It calls for "all parties to refrain from provocative actions "in East Jerusalem and notes the EU Council never recognized the annexation of east Jerusalem.

"If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found to resolve the status of Jerusalem as capital of two states," the paper said. The document called on Israel to cease "all discriminatory treatment of Palestinians in East Jerusalem," the paper said

The European foreign ministers are expected to announce their support for the future Palestinian state at a two-day meeting in Brussels next week where they will discuss the EU's Middle East policy, the paper said.

Last week, Ran Kuriel, Israel's ambassador to the EU relayed a number of messages to Jerusalem, accusing Sweden of leading the EU on a collision course with Israel, the paper said.