BRUSSELS: A controversial report that accuses Israel of rushing to annex Arab areas of East Jerusalem was shelved by European foreign ministers in Brussels yesterday out of sensitivity to Israel. Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, persuaded ministers to drop the report when he warned that Europe’s influence over Israel would be severely undermined if it were to be published.

The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, whose diplomats in East Jerusalem drafted the report as part of Britain’s EU presidency, announced the climb-down at a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

“The political landscape has altered within Israel — there is a general election in a few months time,” he said of Ariel Sharon’s decision to form a new political party ahead of elections on March 28.

“So we thought it was appropriate not to endorse or to publish the document, but instead to continue to make representations about our concerns in the normal way.” Mr Straw acted after Israel reacted angrily to the report, which was obtained by the Guardian last month. It accused Mr Sharon’s government of undermining any chance of peace by trying to put the future of Arab East Jerusalem beyond negotiation. The report said: “Israeli activities in Jerusalem are in violation of both its road map [peace plan] obligations and international law.”

Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since the 1967 war, and claims it is part of its “indivisible capital”. Palestinians want the area, which contains the third holiest site in Islam, as their capital. Diplomats at the British consulate in East Jerusalem — the British embassy is based in Tel Aviv — concluded that Israel was using the vast new security barrier as a way of expropriating Arab land in and around the city.

“This de facto annexation of Palestinian land will be irreversible without very large-scale forced evacuations of settlers and the rerouting of the barrier.

“When the barrier is completed, Israel will control all access to East Jerusalem, cutting off its Palestinian satellite cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah, and the West Bank beyond.” The debate about the report highlighted divisions in Europe about Israel. Germany and Italy joined Mr Solana in agreeing that the report was so one-sided that it would reduce the EU’s influence with Israel.

Nordic countries, which are traditionally more sympathetic to the Palestinians, are understood to have argued in favour of transparency. Britain is understood to have shared Mr Solana’s objections, raising questions about Downing Street’s view of the British consulate in East Jerusalem, which some in No 10 regard as a bastion of the Arabist “Camel Corps”. “This report was a little much,” one EU diplomat said. “Javier Solana made clear he thought it was very one-sided and unhelpful.”—Dawn/The Guardian News Service