Israel proposes to build an artificial island off the coast of Gaza. This is the idea that the Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, illustrated during his speech to the EU Council.
This proposal, according to sources at the 'Guardian', has aroused dismay and bewilderment on the part of EU foreign ministers. “The ministers ignored the idea and went ahead with the meeting. Nobody was committed,” a source told the British newspaper. Katz first presented a plan for an island off Gaza in 2017 when he was transportation minister.
Katz “showed us two videos that had nothing to do with what we were discussing. We had the pleasure of seeing two very interesting videos: one about a proposed artificial island, which would serve as a port, I understand. The other on some construction projects for a railway line that will connect the Middle East with India”, says EU High Representative Josep Borrell, at a press conference in Brussels.
“This too – he continues – seemed very interesting to us, but I believe that the minister could have made better use of his time, worrying about the security of his country and the high number of deaths in Gaza”, he concludes.
It is unclear whether Katz actually suggested to ministers that the artificial island could also host Palestinian civilians. A European diplomatic source explains that the minister “showed a video, but did not suggest that it was used to host Palestinians”, but rather that it would function as a “port” and to host a sea water “desalination plant”.
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