Eretz Israel is our unforgettable historic homeland...The Jews who will it shall achieve their State...And whatever we attempt there for our own benefit will redound mightily and beneficially to the good of all mankind. (Theodor Herzl, DerJudenstaat, 1896)

We offer peace and amity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to cooperate with the independent Jewish nation for the common good of all. The State of Israel is ready to contribute its full share to the peaceful progress and development of the Middle East.
(From Proclamation of the State of Israel, 5 Iyar 5708; 14 May 1948)

With a liberal democratic political system operating under the rule of law, a flourishing market economy producing technological innovation to the benefit of the wider world, and a population as educated and cultured as anywhere in Europe or North America, Israel is a normal Western country with a right to be treated as such in the community of nations.... For the global jihad, Israel may be the first objective. But it will not be the last. (Friends of Israel Initiative)

Wednesday 16 December 2015

David Singer: Israel – European Union In State Of Disunion

Image: www.algemeiner.com
Here's the latest article by Sydney lawyer and international affairs analyst David Singer.

He writes:

Hungary and Greece have broken ranks with the European Union in signalling they want nothing to do with the recently introduced EU labelling laws requiring Jewish products originating in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights to have special labels and not be marked “made in Israel”.

These decisions follow hard on the heels of European Parliament delegation for relations with Israel chairman – Fulvio Martusciello – warning:
“The decision to label products was a mistake. Europe is loud about Israel, but quiet about 200 other conflicts around the world.” 
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced Hungary’s decision:
"We do not support the decision to make a special mark on products coming from the West Bank or the Golan Heights. This step is inefficient and illogical. It would only hurt attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." 
Greece’s decision was communicated by letter from its Foreign Minister to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a visit by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to Israel – when extensive bilateral cooperation in economic matters, technology, science, education, trade, energy, and agriculture were concluded.

Meantime German Chancellor Angela Merkel is backing a recent German Foreign Ministry statement that the new EU labeling initiative:
“does not deal with a stigmatized warning decal, as many have presented… What Brussels wants is, however, only a clear designation of the origin of the products”.
This Foreign Ministry thinking was no doubt influenced by the illegal invasion of many hundreds of thousands of Muslim migrants into Germany and the huge economic and social problems faced by Germany in their resettlement.

Merkel has publicly opposed boycotts of Israel – which continues to receive preferential market access from Germany.

Will Germany’s Foreign Ministry now call for similar EU labelling of goods originating from other disputed regions around the world?

Surprisingly, EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini – following talks with EU foreign ministers on 14 December – chose to refer to two points that were not part of the agenda but were debated among those present:
“One is related to the Middle East peace process, especially after the adoption of the technical guidelines on indication of origin. We had an exchange of views in this respect with the ministers, and we commonly decided that it was important also for me to pass this message publicly that the Council and the European Union stay united on these technical guidelines on indication of origin, which is in no way a boycott and should in no way be interpreted as one”
Claiming to be united on these “technical guidelines” – despite their having been already rejected by Hungary and Greece – is surely deceptive and misleading.

Describing the labelling of Jewish products – but not Arab products – as “technical guidelines” is an insult to everyone’s intelligence.

They constitute clear “stigmatized warning decals”.

Mogherini continued:
“The second thing on which the Council was completely united is our continued engagement in the Middle East peace process and in broader bilateral relations with Israel. There is full unity and solidarity among member states and among European institutions on that.”
Mogherini is seriously mistaken if she thinks Israel will allow a clearly conflicted EU to remain part of the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers which also includes the UN, United States and Russia.

No amount of doublespeak will enable the EU to escape the charges that these labelling requirements:
1. Are racist and discriminate against Jews
2. Trample on Jewish vested legal rights to reconstitute the Jewish National Home in Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem
Double standards and political hypocrisy will eventually bring even the most powerful down to earth.

9 comments:

  1. The EU court ruled that the EU must strike down a trade agreement with Morocco because of Morocco's illegal occupation of Western Sahara. The EU representatives announced they would fight or appeal the decision.

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/205004#.VnFhiVLCZeF

    Because they are screaming evil Jew hating hypocrites.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Empress
      It is human nature to pick sides in any conflict or disagreement.

      The EU picked the wrong side in the Jewish-Arab conflict on the basis of its then own perceived self-interest when it chose to declare that Jews had no legal right to live and work in Judea and Samaria.

      It continues to suffer from that outrageous racist and discriminatory stance in 2015.

      It is hard to change such a long held institutionalised view but one can only hope that someone in the EU takes the time to read and digest Article 6 of the Mandate for Palestine and article 80 of the United Nations Charter to understand why this offensive policy needs revision.

      Delete
    2. My suggestion is Israel enacts a 1,000% tariff on all EU sourced consumer goods.

      Delete
    3. Tariff wars - like any wars - are never the way to go.

      Delete
    4. Empress

      Tariff wars like any wars are always very destructive with casualties on both sides.

      Exposing the EU view as racist in denying vested Jewish legal rights to settle in Judea and Samaria is in my opinion the area that should be targeted to get the EU to review and change its position.

      Delete
  2. The EU has been funding illegal palestinian construction for years and Israel hasn't cut them out of the "Peace Process". This might have received more publicity but I think it's far less serious.

    It is about time Israel starting challenging the European perfidy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you play with fire your fingers get inevitably burnt.

      EU funding of illegal Arab building in Area "C" in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) has branded the EU as prepared to act in concert to effect an illegal purpose.

      They have effectively labelled themselves without the need to pass any regulations.

      Delete
  3. Pro-Israel computer people have to start correcting the Wikipedia entries that start the description of every town in Judea and Samaria by saying that "the international community considers it illegal".
    That is a falsehood. Australia doesn't, the U.S. doesn't for starters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually this is what Wikipedia says:
      "The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, but the Israeli government disputes this."

      That however is not what the "international community" is saying.

      The "international community" excluding some notable exceptions such as America, Canada and Australia claims that the right of Jews to live in Judea and Samaria IS illegal in international law.

      Game set and match. No argument - the Courts have decided against Jewish settlement in the West Bank.

      However there are no such judicial decisions to my knowledge.

      If anyone knows of any such decisions they should refer such cases to me.

      Hopefully Wikipedia's statement will one day come true - but at the moment it is not - until the "international community" goes from its current position that Jewish settlement has been found to be illegal by an established Court decision to an opinion that "considers" Jewish settlement to be illegal but with no decided Court case to support that opinion

      Delete

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