Europe no longer a mediator with Israel
ll Giornale, December 4th, 2012
Europe voices great concern, yet a wicked satisfaction smirk can be spotted. Paris, London, and Stockholm and now even Italy summoned the Israeli Ambassadors for explanations, also Germany condemns. Italy through the words of Mario Monti harshly expresses its indignation, joining France in naming Israeli “colonizations” and expresses worry joining in the declaration of the baroness, who has always had an entrenched aversion toward Israel to the point of comparing at the time the Toulouse terror massacre to Palestinian children dying in Gaza, i.e. Ms Ashton!
Monti and the other European leaders, who almost unanimously voted in New York against Israel, were perhaps expecting Israel, content with the General Assembly decision, to show some kind, shy smile and satisfaction? Israel actually naturally reacted, and Europe arose, it doesn’t seem to understand to have itself caused this reaction: no way, Israel is bad, mean, pure evil, and it's again the time for Europe to point their finger although definitely hepled the UN that as usual just attacked Israel unilaterally establishing a Palestinian State. Without negotiations, without Abu Mazen ever recognizing the Jewish State and providing security guarantees, and erasing all treaties. Israel in the European opinion should not react, should say thenk you. Yesterday, to the news that Israel had decided to unfreeze the plan, established and supported by Ytzchack Rabin, to build three thousand housing units near Ma’aleh Adumim, a settlement close to Jerusalem, Europe felt the urge to carry on its anti-Israel crusade. Just the opposite of common good sense: you caused the anger, you try to calm it down. But no: instead of giving some consideration to the manifest fact that the UN vote – far from paving new ways to peace - stirs up tensions in the area, again Europe puts it all on Israel. The Old Continent pretends not to see the easy reality that a country attacked from all sides can't but seek to protect itself. Who knows the ground there knows that building in the so called E1 would not prevent, despite claims of the contrary, the contiguity of a Palestinian state, only would protect the Jerualem belt from easy terorist attacks and that the annexation M’aleh Adumim was foreseen even by Clinton’s territorial swaps, and even Geneva initiative author Yossi Beilin has always supported annexing that bit of land lying between Jerusalem and Jericho.
Raising concern over Israeli “colonialism” is a form of provocation; our government has rather the duty to raise concern over the rapid decay of Europe and Italy from the role of possible sponsors of a peace process that so desperately we say we wish. We blew for ever this role when at the UN Israel suffered a concentric attack. Its response in a gust of pride can be argued, yes, but what sort of right can we claim with our "great concern" that we did not show at the National Assembly? When talking to Israelis disappointed by Europe, the question they pose is “Does Europe know that upon Abu Mazen’s request, we suspended building for ten months, waiting for him to come back to negotiations, and that waiting was in vain? Isn’t it just fair to secure the way to our traffic, also military, from the Jordan valley to Jerusalem, instead than leaving it, lacking agreements, in the hands of those who don’t even want to talk to us?”
Italy appears to firmly believe to have done a deed which finally puts it in line with the other European countries, and the inclination towards Arab countries has always been a distinctive feature of the EU. In the current time of uncertainties, the very temptation to embrace the Countries of the Arab revolutions is alluring, to the cost of abandoning Israel. If we look at Bersani, the left party PD leader, who announced his visit to Libya as his first step after his victory in the primaries, you’ll recognize that Lawrence of Arabia is a syndrome (but Lawrence himspef actually did support the Jews!) peculiar of the traditional left, all over Europe. A new wave of this syndrome is approaching. Now, the foirst problems will be two upcoming events: US’s reaction to Netnayhau constructions, which will surely be negative, considered its support to Israel at the UN, but then again, to what extent? Is Obama going to become again the man who makes settlement more important than the Syrian slaughter, than the Egyptian revolution, than the iranian bomb... it's quite possible, due to his scarce simpathy for Israel. Second step to face, the meeting of European Foreign Affairs Ministers on December 10th, who will surely come up with additional condemnation language. All of that is business as usual for Israel. What is actually revolting is that the electoral campaign is dragging ex-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert along with Tzipi Livini, back into politics with a new party, to empathize so much with Europe and blast their Prime Minister Netanyahu, considered that they both have always supported building in Ma’aleh Adumim … But we must not elections will be on January 22nd, and their wind blows powerfully on the Israeli soul.