The EU congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his election victory on Wednesday but added it was committed to relaunching the Middle East peace process which he appeared to repudiate during the campaign.
"The EU is committed to working with the incoming Israeli government on a mutually beneficial relationship as well as on the re-launch of the peace process," EU foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini said in a statement.
On the last day of campaigning and with polls suggesting he might lose, Netanyahu had said he would not accept the establishment of a Palestinian state, a key part of the two-state solution backed by the EU and the international community, and which he had accepted in 2009.
"The EU staunchly supports a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in the interest of the Israeli people, of the Palestinian people and of the whole region."
"It's time to turn this page and I'm confident that we can work together with the international community for a solution that will guarantee peace and security in the Middle East."
The EU has been a major provider of aid to the Palestinian Authority but last year's bloody war in Gaza dented confidence, with some member states reluctant to provide more without progress on a lasting peace deal.
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