View of the Har Homa settlement in the West Bank. Photo: James Emery.

JNS.org – In an apparent response to the European Union’s recent decision to impose financial sanctions on Israeli communities located beyond the pre-1967 lines, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon on Thursday ordered Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot to suspend several joint Israeli-EU projects across Judea and Samaria and to deny EU officials the permits needed to travel freely between Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Jerusalem sources stressed that the restrictions will affect only low-level officials in Brussels’ mission to Israel, and that Israel will continue its dialogue with the EU over its pre-1967 lines measure, Israel Hayom reported. The EU mission in Israel was unavailable for comment.

The EU’s directive, which was passed last week, calls on its principal institutions and member nations to limit or suspend their economic, social and academic cooperation with Israeli institutions that operate beyond the pre-1967 lines, which include Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The new funding guidelines, which could cost Israel billions of dollars, take effect in 2014.