EU slams Israel over Jerusalem construction, evictions

 
The Jewish community of Har Homa
Archive Photo / AFP, Jack Guez

On Monday, in an unusually strong statement, foreign ministers of the European Union condemned Israeli settlement policies saying that, "settlements remain illegal under international law." They reiterated that the EU would not recognize any changes to Israel's lines before the 1967 Mideast war, when it captured the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

Israel's Foreign Ministry said the EU statement included "a long list of claims and criticism which are based on a partial, biased and one-sided depiction of realities on the ground."

Greece on brink of collapse:
Europe’s financial crisis lurched into a perilous new phase

Greece will be holding a new round of elections,
having failed to agree on a coalition government
after the inconclusive poll of 9 days ago
Photo: AFP/GETTY

Europe’s financial crisis lurched into a perilous new phase as dire predictions emerged of a collapse in Greece’s economy, with a run on its banks bringing an inevitable end to its membership of the euro.

Euro future in question:
Merkel tells Greece to back cuts or face euro exit

 
Left to right: Italy PM Mario Monti, European Central Bank
President Mario Draghi, and Luxembourg PM Jean-Claude
Juncker, at the Eurogroup meeting on Monday
Photo / AP, Yves Logghe

Greece may be forced to leave the euro if the country refuses to implement spending cuts agreed with the European Union, Angela Merkel warned