Israel has been granted the highest level of relations that the European Union makes available for non-member states.

The EU announced a significant upgrade in its relations with Israel on June 16 during the annual meeting of the EU-Israel Association Council—the body that conducts the bilateral relations between Israel and EU member states—in Luxembourg.

“Today, we mark a new phase in the relationship between Israel and the EU,” Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni said following the EU-Israel Association Council meeting.

Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, who chaired the meeting, declared: “The EU and Israel are elevating our relations to a new level of more intense, more fruitful, more influential cooperation.”

Israeli-EU relations will be upgraded in three areas: increased diplomatic cooperation; Israel’s participation in European plans and agencies; and examination of possible Israeli integration into the European single market.

“Today,” said Livni, “we have decided to upgrade our relationship even further in various fields including: political, economic, scientific, legal, cultural, education, counterterrorism and much more.” She went on:

Israel and Europe also share many of the same challenges, especially in our region. I want to take this opportunity to express our appreciation for the key role the EU plays as a Quartet member in relation to the peace process. This includes EU support for the Annapolis process, for capacity building in the Palestinian Authority, and for taking a firm and clear stand against the extremists and the enemies of peace, including Hamas and Iran.

Israel is looking more and more to Europe as its relations with traditional ally America become increasingly strained, as reflected in Rice’s criticism last week of Israel’s housing construction on “disputed” land.

At the same time, the European Union has been contending for a larger role in the Middle East. This is a trend the Trumpet has been pointing to for some time. In fact, Herbert W. Armstrong’s Plain Truth magazine (the Trumpet’s predecessor) for many years previous prophesied that “Europe, and particularly the Common Market [today the EU], is certain to increase its involvement in the area” (July 1971; emphasis ours).

But can Israel trust Europe? Israel’s apparent warming relationship with Europe is prophesied in the Bible—along with the outcome of it. In Jerusalem in Prophecy, editor in chief Gerald Flurry explains how it appears the Jews will invite a German-led European force into their country as peacekeepers, which will lead to a massive double cross. This double cross is described in Ezekiel 23 (read Nahum—An End-Time Prophecy for Germany for an explanation of this prophecy).

We can see the groundwork for the fulfillment of these prophecies being laid today. Read Joel Hilliker’s March/April 2004 article “The Enemies of Jerusalem” to find out what Europe’s true ambitions in Israel are.