Israel seeks compromise on EU settlement sanctions It was disclosed on Friday that Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, had written to John Kerry, the US secretary of state, to warn that talks were being jeopardised after the Israeli defence ministry approved plans to build 800 new homes in the West Bank. Mr Netanyahu initially denounced the European guidelines as "external diktats" while another Israeli official called them "an earthquake." Naftali Bennett, the economics minister and leader of the ultra-nationalist Jewish Home party, openly advocated severing links with the EU in response. But in an apparent climb-down, Israeli officials said they would seek "additional clarifications" about last month's directive, which makes an explicit distinction between Israel and territories it conquered in the 1967 Six-Day War, also including the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Zeev Elkin, the deputy foreign minister who lives on a settlement, opened the door to compromise on Friday even while insisting Israel could not join Horizon 2020 under current conditions. "We are ready to hold a creative dialogue with the Europeans," he told Israel Radio. We understand their position. We reject it, we don't like it, but it's their right when it comes to using their money. We are asking the Europeans also to take into consideration the legal and other problems this creates on the Israeli side. We want to return and are ready to negotiate. But if the terms are the way they are today - unprecedented and several steps beyond anything heretofore - then we won't be able to do it. Israeli media reported on Friday that officials are trying to persuade the EU not to implement the directive "to the letter." "We cannot be specific but we would like to see a mitigation of any possible negative impact [of the directive]," one official told The Telegraph. Europe has taken the 1967 borders and turned them into the be all and end all when even the Palestinians accept that there will be changes to the borders. There will be discussions [with the EU]. It will come up at various levels. The matter will be on the agenda when Guido Westerwelle, Germany's foreign minister, arrives in Israel on Sunday - the first EU diplomat to visit since the directive came into force. Michael Mann, Baroness Ashton's spokesman, confirmed that further talks would take place between Israel and the EU. "We stand ready to organise discussions during which such clarifications can be provided and look forward to continued successful EU-Israel cooperation, including in the area of scientific cooperation," he said