Israel calls for EU foreign minister’s resignation

Israel’s interior minister, Eli Yishai, demanded Baroness Ashton’s resignation as the European Union foreign minister for making an “outrageous comparison” between the Toulouse shooting to events in Gaza.

Yishai said her statement further damaged the possibility of the EU becoming an “honest broker” in the Middle East.

Lady Ashton spoke to young Palestinian refugee activists about several world events which have resulted in the death of young people mentioning the Toulouse school shooting, the Belgian children in a bus crash, the attack in Norway, Gaza and Syria’s situation as well as other areas.

Lady Ashton said that these young people and children who have lost their lives should be remembered.

But Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, said that Lady Ashton had made an outrageous comparison between the events and demanded that she withdrew her comments.

Defending her comments, Lady Ashton said that her speech had been greatly distorted by reporting press.