Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas was in Lithuania this week to solidify backing for his agenda that would prevent Jews from living in Judea and Samaria and turn the areas into exclusive Palestinian Authority territory.
His nine-year strategy of drumming up support with visits around the world has won him virtually universal backing.
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said after meeting with Abbas, “The European Union does not recognize settlements as part of Israel.”
Lithuania previously has adopted the PA stance, but her comments this week are more significant because Lithuania is the rotating chair of the European Union. She called on Israel “to end the expansion of settlements in the occupied territories,’ adding that ‘’such actions impair the progress of peace talks.”
Abbas’ trip has included stopovers at the Vatican and Germany and will continue next week with a meeting in Brussels with the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.