ABU DHABI, March 22, 2007 (WAFA)--A major UAE daily to hailed the new European policy vis-a-vis the Palestinian government and called on the United States to follow suit.

"Now is the time to pressure the Americans to shift their stand, a change that the EU is boldly spearheading", wrote Dubai-based Khaleej Times.

Citing Israel's official anger at the Norwegian government, saying that Israeli anger stems from the fact that the high-level interaction of the Norwegian government with the Palestinian PM signals an EU recognition of the new unity government.

And since the crucial US-Israel demands, said the paper, namely- recognition of Israel, denunciation of violence and more than rhetorical respect for previous accords ? remains unfulfilled, a much-contemplated EU departure from long-held Western Palestinian policy seems imminent.

The paper pointed out that Israel's refusal to welcome Norway's deputy foreign minister Raymond Johanson as per schedule will only serve to strain relations at a time when the Israel-US duo's Middle East foreign policy is isolating Washington at an unprecedented rate. The European bloc seems to have fathomed that the show of political maturity exhibited by the fighting Palestinians factions needed a reciprocal response from the West.

"How far this split will expand will depend predominantly on the US, since Israel has already responded in typical knee-jerk-reaction fashion, simply refusing to play at all till every rule is in accordance with its wishes", said the paper.

The paper went on to say that the next prudent step would be quick restoration of aid to the Palestinian people. The unjustifiable and illegal financial blockade has brought about the worst Palestinian humanitarian disaster in more than half a century.

The paper concluded that the present sequence of events also lends credence to the widely debated argument in diplomatic circles favouring meaningful negotiations to settle international disputes.

A.D (21.45P) (19.45GMT)