JERUSALEM (JTA) — European taxpayers pay the price of Israel’s settlement policy, the European Commission said.
A statement from the commission’s Jerusalem office Monday said that Israel’s settlement policy inhibits the growth of the Palestinian economy and makes the Palestinian Authority more dependent on foreign aid, the Associated Press reported.
"It is the European taxpayers who pay most of the price of this dependence," the statement said.
The Jerusalem office is only mandated to deal with aid issues, not politics, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry called in the European Union ambassador to Israel following the statement’s release.
The commission claims it has given more than $280 million to help cover the Palestinian budget deficit.
