RAMALLAH, West Bank, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad urged the European Union on Monday not to widen cooperation with Israel due to a lack progress by the Jewish state in meeting its peace commitments. Fayyad told EU diplomats during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah that Israel was not doing enough to advance peace moves to warrant deeper relations. "Israel is not meeting its commitments. Why are you rewarding them?" an EU diplomat quoted Fayyad as saying. Earlier this year, EU diplomats said all members of the 27-nation bloc supported the idea of increased cooperation with Israel in areas such as social policy, regulation and access to the EU's single market. Israel has also proposed strengthening political relations to include regular summits of Israeli and EU leaders, and greater access to EU markets, agencies and spending programmes. EU foreign ministers are expected to discussed increased cooperation with Israel at meetings beginning on Dec. 8 in Brussels. Fayyad made a similar appeal in May, citing continuing Jewish settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The appeal prompted Israel to temporarily hold back the transfer of Palestinian tax funds to Fayyad's cash-strapped government. Israel and the Palestinians launched U.S.-sponsored peace talks last year with the hope of reaching a deal by the end of 2008. All sides have said the deadline would not be met. (Reporting by Wafa Amr and writing by Adam Entous; Editing by Sophie Hares)
A Jewish settler carries her child inside a building occupied by settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron November 21, 2008. Jewish settlers spray-painted graffiti insulting the Prophet Mohammad on ...
