| A consequence, one imagines, of the many times in recent years that Israel has shared information with various European governments about particular jihadis in their midst. |
...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...’s law enforcement agency to strengthen cooperation in the joint fight against terrorism and organized crime.
The "working agreement" was signed by Police Commissioner Roni Alsheich and Europol Executive Director Catherine De Bolle in The Hague.
The signing marked Europol’s first-ever working agreement with a country that is not a member of the EU.
"The agreement will enable the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the Israel National Police to advance its capabilities to deal in the best way possible with new threats in the field of organized crime, cybercrime exploited by international criminal and terrorist elements, fighting terrorism in its various forms, and crime that crosses borders in the field of social economies," Alsheich said, according to a blurb issued by Europol.
The agreement is meant to primarily expand cooperation "to combat cross-border criminal activity," according to the blurb. It allows for the exchange of "strategic information" and the joint planning of operational activities.
Once it enters into force, the agreement will boost bilateral efforts to tackle "priority crime areas" affecting both the EU and Israel, such as fraud, cybercrime, and terrorism, the statement went on.
The agreement marks a rare positive development in Israel-EU ties, which have been undergoing a serious crisis in recent weeks.
Earlier on Tuesday, Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan publicly sparred with the EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, accusing the union of supporting groups promoting boycotts to Israel and being affiliated with terrorist groups.