With reports this week that the European Union is about to call for a divided Jerusalem, serving as the capitals of both Israel and a Palestinian state, and for the recognition of a unilaterally declared independent Palestinian State, one wonders what the fuss about negotiations is all about? After all, many parties outside of the region have come to their conclusion so why not let them settle all the core issues?

The obvious is answer is that without fundamental agreements by the principles involved, ones whose differences in interpretations can be successfully navigated, no pact will stand the test of time – let alone a few hours. Of course, there is no parallel demand that the Palestinians shift an educational system that can be harshly anti-Semitic, halt incendiary media reports about the State of Israel and be held accountable for measurable moves against terrorist groups.

The declaration by the EU, according to the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, is set to take place at a Dec. 7 meeting in Brussels with the continent’s foreign ministers.  The draft document, authored by Sweden, is a flagrant attempt to undermine the only successful course of action – face-to-face negotiations that are cajoled along by the United States.

The predictable and understandable Israeli response was swift: Israel has done all of the compromising of late, agreeing to halt new West Bank construction for at least 10 months. The Palestinians have said this is not enough and offered nothing in return.

Until the two sides are again negotiating without preconditions – as urged by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and agreed to by the Obama administration – nothing positive will result. The only result of an EU-backed Palestinian state will be an Israeli annexation of West Bank areas surrounding Jerusalem and adjacent to Tel Aviv. That would inflame the situation even more.

If the EU wants to help, it should spend more time encouraging the joint Palestinian/Israeli hope for an improved economic situation on the West Bank and less on working to complicate an already phenomenally difficult situation.