EU Slams Israel On Settlements

The Foreign Ministry on Monday said the EU ambassador to Israel was called in for explanations after the European Commission said Israel's settlement policy helps strangle the Palestinian economy and makes the Palestinian government more dependent on foreign aid.

In an unusually harsh statement Monday, the commission said that "it is the European taxpayers who pay most of the price of this dependence."

The commission says expropriation of fertile land for Israeli settlements, roads that serve settlers only and West Bank checkpoints help constrain Palestinian economic growth and make the Palestinian government more dependent on aid.

The European Union is one of the largest donors to the Palestinian Authority.

The commission says this year alone it has paid more than 200 million euros ($280 million) to help cover the Palestinian budget deficit

Comments

[BubbaC33]

As I recall the Shoah took place in Europe. The Shoah took place because Europeans enable the Nazi Germans to murder over 6 million Jews. The Shoah could not have taken place if the nations in Europe had not held hatred for the Jews.
The EU can say whatever it wants, but the role of European nations in regard to Jews is not one that makes its opinion worth a lot.

[arle]

The Shoah took place in Europe. So why are you punishing the Palestinians for it?

[BubbaC33]

The Palestinians are not being punished by Israel, so the Shoah has nothing to do with them.

[SangZe]

High time.

[GZLives]

Israel settlement policy is NOT the issue. There was the same violence before a SINGLE settlement was ever built, before occupation in the 1960's so this is all one big giant stinking red herring and the EU borders on the absurd blaming Israel for their stupidity financing Palestinian misadventures over the years.
Fact is that Israel withdrew every Jew and uprooted every settlement in Gaza and for their troubles received thousand of rockets fired at their civilians.

Its surely very fashionable today to use building towns and villages or adding a new home as the issue rather then finding a way to deal with Hamas who not only represents at least half the Palestinian population but rejects any co existence with Israel and considers ALL Israel occupied territory.

What's the plan for that speed bump in the road ?

The fact that Arabs are unable to even utter the phrase "we recognize Israel is the Jewish national homeland" should tell you clearly where the problem to all of this is ... and it will not change until all the incitement in the schools, mosques and throughout those societies are eliminated. Last I looked, Mein Kampf was still a best seller throughout the Arab world.

[arle]

I continue to be amazed by the fact that Israel demolishing people's homes, razing farms and dumping raw sewage and toxic waste on the Palestinians in the West Bank is somehow not the issue.

[Macready]

bravo arle . . . I'm with you

[S1m0n]

Gaza was a strategic move in Sharon's plan to make the Apartheid wall the permanent border of Israel. It was neither a gift to the Palestinians, nor a peace deal. In chess terms, it was a gambit.

If you want peace, you have to make peace. You can't make war and they cry that your opponent isn't sending you roses and candy.

[MBW001]

GZLives when you say "Mein Kampf is still a best seller throughout the Arab world", which Arab world do you refer to? The Middle East or London, Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris? But to be fair, don't say "Arabs". Instead, say "radical Arabs and fanatic Muslims".

And let me clarify your statement that [radical] Arabs are unable to even utter the phrase "we recognize Israel is the Jewish national homeland". Don't you get it? They cannot recognize Israel, because that may just lead to a lasting peace, which is not among their stated goals and ideals. And if Hamas and the likes thereof were to say "Israel, we recognize your right to exist as a Jewish homeland within secure borders", fanatic Islam as we know it would go extinct. Hatred of Israel (and Jews) is evidently their raison d'etre.

[arle]

Some statistics on who really ends cease fires in the conflict:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-kanwisher/reigniting-violence-how-d_b_155611.html

[Macready]

please take amend & write to your your reps and senators:


Five years ago the International Court of Justice ruled that the Separation Wall being built by Israel in the Occupied West Bank is illegal. The ICJ's opinion stated that Israel must cease its construction, dismantle the Wall and make reparations for the damage caused by it. The ICJ also ruled that no state may aid or assist the maintenance of the Wall and that all states that are party to the IV Geneva Convention are obliged to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law.
Yet for the past five years Israel has continued construction of the Wall in defiance of international law. The Wall rips through the West Bank, cutting off Palestinians' access to water, farmland and emergency services. More than 260,000 Palestinians face displacement due to the Wall's construction. The international community has largely ignored international law with respect to Israel's crimes. Instead the British government and other nations have rewarded Israeli aggression with financial, military and diplomatic support.
I urge you to write to the Foreign Secretary to demand the suspension of the trading preferences which Israel enjoys under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Article 2 of the Agreement makes Israel's trading preferences dependent on respect for human rights, a condition which UN specialists claim Israel has often breached. Unless political pressure is placed on Israel to cease violating international law, Palestinians will face increasing human rights abuses and be plunged deeper into poverty.
Yours sincerely,

[BubbaC33]

The UN condemns Israel on false charges and ignores the real acts of terrorism around the world and across the Arab states. It has become a haven for the insignificant nations using its good offices to do harm to the developed nations.

[arle]

"Insignificant nations," huh? Yeah... Zionism isn't racism, huh? Not even slightly...

[nkhogan]

Amazing, the EU finally decided to get tough about something. Hope they step up the pressure.

[arle]

And now our time has passed.

The United States had countless opportunities to take the lead in this and undo the harm we've been party to. Now it's too late for us to recover completely. The EU will overtake us as a diplomatic power while China continues to overtake us as an economic power.

That still leaves our military supremacy. For what good that will do us in the coming era.

[BubbaC33]

Without the US China cannot be an economic power. The Chinese economy requires a large amount of growth each year and it is not keeping up with the necesssary level to maintain its current economic prosperity. Without the US there is no way China can keep growing and expanding in a manner necessary for tis population.
The EU is toothless and lacks the ability to be a diplomatic power. All it can do is get in the way, nothing more.
If you are as ashamed of the US as you seem to think I can help you. The gentleman who sold me my farm lives in Budai and needs a butler.

[arle]

Keep touting your mythology. It'll serve you well in the future when it all comes crashing down around you, like the other deniers and supremacists who have gotten a taste of power from time to time.

[Freenation]

"it is the European taxpayers who pay most of the price of this dependence."

ditto for US taxpayers too, $3 billion+ every year...

[darthmaul]

This is a very compelling argument, and one that I haven't hear made before. If you can point out to Israel that their occupation is costing you money. And that you might have to employ a tariff on their goods to recoup some of the expense, well, it just might get their attention!

[LeeCalif]

There was a very good article in The L.A. Times today about the absolute heresy of these Israeli settlements.

[gladiator777]

Biden seems to be backing them up.....i'm really starting to like that guy.....

[winningticket]

Biden's recent statements on Israel make me wish that Obama picked another running mate.

[BubbaC33]

I called the VP's office and was informed Obama doesn;t care what you think about his VP selection. He went on to say if he wants your opinion he will give it to you.

[BubbaC33]

I called the WHite House and Pres. Obama said to tell you he didn;t want your opinion.

[baffy]

Bravo to the EU.

[RJII]

Good. This should help our President in Peace Talks.

[dmbraddy]

What possible national security benefit accrues to Israel from building more settlements that overrides the damage it does to relations with the US and EU and the prospects for peace? Appeasing the radical fringe of Israelis who will only accept sovereignty over the entirety of biblical Israel may be politically expedient, but will never, ever lead to peace in the Middle East. Israel's current settlement policy is irrational and contrary to their own best interests.

[greatscot]

About time the EU strapped on a pair. Too bad their complaint was about MONEY though. It would've been so much better if the issue had been how the illegal, racist Israeli policies are STARVING the Palestinians, and STUNTING their children's growth, and TERRORIZING the infants and kids who will never grow up normal, and DEHUMANIZING the entire population, and DE-HOUSING tens of thousands of families, and STEALING from the Palestinians their arable land and water resources, and instituting APARTHEIT policies that prohibit equal access to roads, and the continual petty and major HARRASSING of Palestinians in their daily work and travel, and DEPRIVING the Palestinians of adequate health care. and IMPOVERISHING the Palestinians by destroying their economy and educational system, and ENSLAVING the Palestinians by providing only low-paid laboring jobs to the lucky few, and OPPRESSING Tthe Palestinians by locking them into their enclaves and forbidding international or even inter-regional travel. Oh My! The list goes on and on, but the EU complains about the MONEY its spending!

[discourse jockey]

Well, personally, I do agree. But the EU couldn't have issued an official statement actually telling it like it is. It took them long enough to complain about what can be reduced to hard, non-negotiable facts. But it's a safe bet that they wouldn't have issued that public statement if it weren't for a consensus that Israel is doing a lot unacceptable things to Palestine and Palestinians, at least that's what I read between the lines.

*Perceptions* of Israel's politics are bad enough throughout the world, and with good reason.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6421597.stm

[zaz33]

greatscot. Great post, and the list does go on.

[who38]

It's a start and it is something that they care about. Let the boycott begin.

[M thew]

You should read some of the debates on websites of Dutch newspapers (if you can read Dutch, that is). Everytime someone writes about the miserable conditions the Palestinians have to deal with, lots of commenters pop up accusing the OP of wanting to destroy Israel, of antisemitism, and say that the Palestinians have themselves to blame (for supporting Hamas) and that their Arab neighbours could lend a helping hand. After a while everyone is just calling everyone else names, cussing and swearing ensues, and the debate dies. Let's just be happy that the EU managed to gather the consensus that they could, and hope it develops further. With recent history in mind (remember? some 60 - 70 years ago?) that is the most you can hope for now.

[alexa07]

A bit late in the game, but never too late to stand up for peace & justice for everybody (not just one group) in the region. Why should European & American taxpayers subsidize colonies in the Holy Land?