Rebuff the EU’s threats

By David Weinberg, ISRAEL HAYOM

The European Union is on the rampage. Every Monday and Thursday it has taken to shelling out threats to downgrade diplomatic and economic ties with Israel, unless Israel does this or desists from doing that.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also acting foreign minister, should rebuff the escalating European intimidation.

This week the EU hit Israel with a double whammy. First, it fiercely warned the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories that Israel’s policy of demolishing illegal and unauthorized Palestinian construction is harming ties between Israel and the 28-member EU.

This includes the wild Bedouin building spurt that the EU has insolently funded in the strategic E1 quadrant between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim?, in entirely purposeful defiance of Israel.

And today in Paris, EU foreign ministers led by France intend to promulgate “parameters” for a solution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which will again likely move the international markers in directions favorable to the Palestinians, while threatening Israel with deadlines for compliance.

The brazen EU intervention in E1 has reached extreme heights of chutzpah.

The IDF defines the area in question a pivotal part of Israel’s strategic depth, and essential to “defensible borders” for Israel. It is also Area C under the Oslo Accords, which means that Israel holds exclusive civilian and military control.

Yet illegally established Palestinian villages and Bedouin shantytowns have slowly closed the corridor between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim, where a major highway runs, crawling to within several meters from it. These illegal outposts steal electricity from the highway lights and water from Israeli pipelines.

Civil Administration data, recently presented to the Knesset’s subcommittee on Judea and Samaria, shows that 6,500 Palestinians currently live in some 1,220 illegally built homes in the area, and that this number is growing weekly.

Enter the imperious EU. Boycotts of Israeli products no longer satisfy the bullies of Brussels. Ramping up their confrontation with Israel, they have gone into the business of establishing “settlements” for the Bedouin and Palestinians in this area, tower and stockade style.

The EU has poured perhaps 100 million euros into EU-emblazoned prefabs, EU-signed roads, and water and energy installations — in E1, in Gush Etzion, near Tekoa, in the South Hebron Hills, and even in the Negev.

Under the cover of diplomatic immunity, the EU’s settlement-building bosses audaciously thumb their noses at COGAT inspectors, then scream bloody murder when the IDF moves in, ever so minimally (far too meekly and infrequently, I think) to knock back a few of the most provocatively and problematically positioned EU illegal outposts.

Note that every Israeli prime minister since Yitzhak Rabin has promised and intended to build in the E1 quadrant as the eastern strategic anchor for Jerusalem and its critical connection to the Jordan Valley, only to be stymied by international protests.

In short, the EU’s support of the Palestinians has subversively graduated from passive diplomatic and financial assistance to seditious participation in the Palestinian Authority’s illegal construction ventures. The explicit intent is to erode Israeli control of Areas C and eastern Jerusalem while promoting Palestinian territorial continuity.

The EU even has extended its deep concern for Arab land rights, and outrageous interference in Israeli planning matters, to the Negev and Galilee, as detailed in the shocking 2014 book “Catch the Jew!” by German-Israeli author Tuvia Tenenbom.

The writer captured ugly scents of ardent anti-Semitism and furious opposition to any Zionist presence in Palestine in his interviews of EU and European NGO officials who are enabling the Palestinian, Bedouin and Israeli Arab land wars against Israel.

The book is required reading, in Hebrew or English. But brace yourself: It unveils a violent, wicked world of official Israel bashers.

As for today’s Paris peace conference: The old cornerstones of peace diplomacy are out the window.

“Not prejudging the outcome of negotiations” and “direct negotiations between the parties without coercion” are principles that no longer hold sway. Dictating impatiently to Israel is in vogue.

that the Palestinians rejected offers three times recently — in 2000, 2001, and 2008 — which would have given them statehood, including possession of almost all of the West Bank and a share of Jerusalem. They also fled from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s talks in 2014.

They are thrilled with the Paris confab because it diverts attention from their intransigence and heightens Israel’s diplomatic isolation without actually brokering a peace negotiation that they do not want.

But none of this relevant experience bothers the EU. It’s just happy to gang up on Israel yet again, and push Israel towards essentially unilateral withdrawals — without any real expectations of moderation from the Palestinians.

Perhaps that is because the EU has been the PA’s bighearted sugar daddy; the deepest honeypot the Palestinians could ever hope for. And as Shareholder No. 1 in the PA, the EU is finding it hard to accept that there is little Palestinian maturity or good governance to show for all that investment.

And thus, in the warped worldview of the European Union, it is logical to brawl for the Palestinians and browbeat Israel.

June 3, 2016 | 14 Comments »

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14 Comments / 14 Comments

  1. Bear Klein Said:

    Does that make him brave or have an actual feel for a real fight as that he was never involved on a personal level? Did he ever bleed or sweat in a fight?

    this is a nice story…. but it has nothing to do with the criticism of the crook who never utters these words:
    JEWISH SETTLEMENT IN YS IS LEGAL AND LEGITIMATE
    I know you need a red herring to distract from the fact that you really have no basis to defend your fighter other than he was a good fighter in the past… is that a reason to try to convince folks to ignore the enormous damage he does right now to Jews and Israel…. is that a reason to ignore his lies and deceits… his false declarations and proclamations?
    blaming the spectator for the dishonesty of the fighter is itself dishonest.
    Bear Klein Said:

    Maybe he should show some respect to a real lifelong fighter? Then maybe he is so out of touch with a fight and he is now so old this just way beyond him?

    In other words, you want to cover up the crimes of the fighter by demanding respect for the fighters past life? OJ simpson?
    Your argument is transparently fallacious…. whether one who criticizes is a hypocrite or a coward is irrelevant to the acts of the “fighter” or the one pretending to fight while throwing the fight. You always avoid the facts of BB’s behavior and use every red herring to cover it up… its time you dealt with the facts of his behavior…. if only for yourself.

  2. Bear Klein Said:

    Spectator who never boxed or stepped into the ring is always criticizing the fighter who has waged the fight his whole life against a myriad of opponents.

    The spectator who is now about 80 years of age even calls the fighter a coward. In fact he never relents on calling the old fighter a coward.

    was the fighter called a coward or called dishonest?
    the spectators have an interest in the fight that the supposed opponents are fighting….the analogy is not very good because the fighters in a ring represent only their own interests and not the spectators interests as opposed to a leader who soliticits votes and support dishonestly and deceifully.
    there is a good analogy in the ring though….. the analogy of a fixed and crooked “fight”. both “opponents” give the appearance of fighting but both know that the fighter will take the dive. The fighter taking the dive may even take some lumps to make it convincing. Those that bet on the fighter based on his representations and record will be swindled.

    blaming the spectator who never represented that he will fight, lead, take money for pretending to fight…… seems to be a typical avoidance syndrom… after all, its the fighters in the ring who must be judged, not the spectators and those who invested in their respective fighters. by stepping into the ring and collecting the benefits you take on an obligation to those who paid the money… and gave the votes…. to not be a crook who throws the fight while pretending to fight.

    Perhaps you should stop trying to shoot the messenger and actually speak to the specific criticisms of your fighter… you never do that…. which would be ok if you weren’t always blaming everyone else in the world for what Israel and BB are doing. Defaming the arguer is considered a fallacious argument in the basic rules of logic…. I beleive it is called ad hominem…. and it is always used by those who are unable to answer to the argument at hand. I notice you use it a lot.

  3. Spectator who never boxed or stepped into the ring is always criticizing the fighter who has waged the fight his whole life against a myriad of opponents.

    The spectator who is now about 80 years of age even calls the fighter a coward. In fact he never relents on calling the old fighter a coward.

    A former fighter in the stands asks the spectator why he never boxed. The spectator says well the ring was just not good enough for me.

    So who is the coward or at best a hypocrite? Yes, I know the spectator bought a ticket to watch the fight he gets to criticize all he wants. Does that make him brave or have an actual feel for a real fight as that he was never involved on a personal level? Did he ever bleed or sweat in a fight?

    Maybe he should show some respect to a real lifelong fighter? Then maybe he is so out of touch with a fight and he is now so old this just way beyond him?

  4. 1. he is an obstructor of settlement outside the major blocks.

    2. I am not protecting Bibi. I just do not spend my life typing how bad he is all day.
    I think there are people better than him and worse. I do not see him as the devil (sorry). I do not agree with many things he does or does not do.
    Not trying to talk you out of blasting him daily and all day. If that makes you happy and productive feel free. I believe in free thought, speech and expression.
    I need to run as I am wasting may time.

    These two exchanges above frst by Ross second by Bear nterest me.

    First by Ross HOW TRUE…and in opposition to second THAT should be blasted from every loudspeaker

    That you have a LEADER that is DOING THAT

    Bibi is NOT the devil. He is an in between person….neither this or that KIND OF BONAPARTIST LEADER to use Marxist terms

    Remember Bear I called for vote for Bibi against Livi in last election as a tactic not a strategy…the strategy was to keep traitors out

    Bear loses the argument on essential fact which is not on numbers but on strategic defence and attack which Israel is not capable of

    Then Bear uses emotive language such as “BLASTING” poor old Bibi…I am very familiar with these stratagems

  5. NY governor orders divestment from companies that back BDS
    Andrew Cuomo makes announcement to coincide with Celebrate Israel Parade; Israeli ambassador hails ‘victory’ against movement

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/ny-governor-orders-divestment-from-companies-that-back-bds/

    Everyone complains about the foreigners but the foreigners are doing more than the Israeli gov….. I dont see BB doing the same….. he even helps the euros build muslim houses in YS……. I wonder how many BDS groups in Israel receive money from the gov of Israel?

  6. @ Bear Klein:&
    Bernard,
    I’m appalled at the arrogance of the French.
    Israel is a free and democratic country and NOT a colony of France. The treatment of Israel as if they had the authority to tell us what to do or not to do applies only to their colonies.
    Once the colonies declared themselves free and independent the colonizer has no business telling their former colony what to do.
    ISRAEL is not and has never been a colony of the FRENCH.
    What business do they have in intruding themselves into our politics and our country?
    The illegal building should come down. As Klein mentioned they should be fined and apprehended. Their diplomats should be expelled as persona non grata and, the world should know the Oslo accords do not exist any longer.
    An accord must be kept by both parties. The Palestinian have violated these Accords time after time therefore ceasing to be valid. They cannot have their cake and eat it also.
    The accords are not to be kept by Israel only. If the Oslo’s deal have been violated so many times the accord is not viable or enforceable.
    France, stop. We are not your colony. Go and govern your own citizens. You have enough problems to put your nose into our affairs.

  7. I am for Jews moving to Israel in Judah/Samaria or anywhere
    they choose to live. Many French Jews are moving to Netanya because so Jews their speak French. That is fine with me.

  8. Bear Klein Said:

    Jews coming to Israel and building it is the best rebuff.

    not really, it does not rebuff the euro assault on judea samaria and Israel…. intentionally facilitated by BB for 8 years or their assault on Israel to give up YS. You are adding more jews to the ghetto within the euro designated ghetto boundaries. those Jews should be going to YS. The euros chase out their jews and then stalk them back to Israel to admonish them to stay within their euro designated ghetto boundaries. Not at all a rebuff against the euro attack on Israel.

    a rebuff would be the massive settlement of euro jews in YS….. you appear to have avoided that Issue… the euro attack on YS and jewish settlement in YS. Why is that?

  9. Israel needs to rebuff the EU threats. Tear down illegal Arab building. Annex Ma’aleh Adumim. Additional rebuff to the French and EU Israel haters is:

    Half of French Immigrants Are Young, Academics – Mickael Bensadoun and Dafna Aviram-Nitzan
    From 2013 to 2015, Israel added more than 16,000 French Jews. In 2014, about half of French immigrants were 34 or younger, and about half had higher education with at least 16 years of schooling in fields such as medicine, engineering and finance.
    A recent survey conducted for the French president by the research institute IFOP estimates the potential French aliya at 200,000 at least, most of whom would be young. The survey found that at least 43% of French Jews were seriously considering emigrating to Israel, mainly based on the insecurity they feel in France today. Among those aged 24 to 34, the number was 64%. (Ha’aretz)

    Jews coming to Israel and building it is the best rebuff. Just keep growing the country while the haters bitch and call us names.

  10. crimes are being committed and those committing the crimes should be arrested under israeli law…. those with diplomatic immunity should be declared persona non grata and permanently deported and those without immunity should go to jail and then deported after serving the due time.

    What is BB’s and the AG excuse for NOT making the arrests? Israelis would be arrested in the EU for doing the same. Perhaps BB has made deals to facilitate the Euros illegal building for 8 years and tears down some tents and portable outhouses as a token reaction….. deals to look the other way while euros build muslim homes and to obstruct jews from building. The law is clear so why does BB keep failing to apply the law to the criminals? Perhaps BB is deceiving his electorate by covertly collaborating with euro criminals to break Israeli law?