Israeli Minister Frej joins Palestinian aid summit in Brussels
In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Israel’s Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej said that while a strong Palestinian Authority is "of course a Palestinian interest ... it is also an Israeli and international interest."
BRUSSELS — Israel’s Regional Cooperation Minister Esawi Frej participated Tuesday in the spring session of the international donor coordination group in support of the Palestinian economy, known as the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC).
The meeting took place at the European Commission building in Brussels, hosted by the European Union High Representative for Foreign and Security Affairs Josep Borrell and chaired by the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt. The AHCL last met in November 2021 in Oslo. Earlier in the day, just across the street, Borrell hosted the sixth meeting of the European Union-organized conference on supporting Syria and the region. Several ministers (not Frej, of course) participated at both events.
Frej arrived in Brussels May 9, and conducted a series of diplomatic meetings ahead of the May 10 AHCL session. He met separately both with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and with Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bishara.
Ahead of the May 10 session, Frej tweeted, "'We share the same air, the same water and the same land, so we must take care of each other,' my friend, Palestinian Finance Minister Bishara, told me today. I came to Brussels for the conference of countries donors to the Palestinians convened in order to confront and overcome the difficulties and to continue working together to build a better future for both peoples and the region."
