EU-DIGEST

Labels: Israel, Persbyterian Church

Speaking in Cairo, she said: "Recent Israeli decisions to build new housing units in East Jerusalem have endangered and undermined the tentative agreement to begin proximity talks.

"The EU position on settlements is clear. Settlements are illegal, constitute an obstacle to peace and threaten to make a two state-solution impossible."

Labels: EU, Israel

Labels: Britain, EU, Hamas, Israel, Mossad

Under Berlusconi's leadership, Italy has become one of Israel's strongest allies in Europe. Berlusconi's efforts to strengthen ties with Israel followed decades of a pro-Arab tilt by previous Italian governments.

Labels: EU, Israel, Italy

Labels: Anti-Sematism, EU, Israel

Labels: EU, Germany, Israel, Navy

The official explained to Bibi Netanyahu that if there was a peace settlement, extra investment would push Israel's long-term growth rate from 5% a year to 7%. The Israeli prime minister responded that if the country had 5% growth, it did not need peace. Netanyahu was joking, according to the official who recounted the story – but the quip highlights a serious point. There is no prospect of a settlement between Israelis and Palestinians, and many Israelis are fairly relaxed about that. During a recent visit to Israel, I met very few people who were optimistic about the peace process. Netanyahu says he supports the creation of a Palestinian state. But the terms he is offering – with much of the hypothetical state's security under Israeli control – would not be acceptable to any Palestinian leader.

Many Israeli politicians and businessmen have a dark view of Europe. At a conference I attended in Jerusalem, one minister – a noted dove within the Israeli government – complained about the influence of Muslim minorities on the foreign policies of EU countries. I told him that Germany and the Netherlands, two states with large and vocal Muslim minorities, were among Israel's best friends in Europe. Israelis have long been worried about Iran. But their fear of Turkey – until very recently a close ally – is new. The Turkish government's criticism of Israeli actions in Gaza and its recent cancellation of joint military exercises makes Israelis fret that Turkey is nestling up to the Iran-led coalition. They worry about the growing power of Islamists in Turkey, the diminishing role of the secular army in Turkish public life, and Prime Minister Erdogan's burgeoning friendship with Iran's President Ahmedi-Nejad.

Many more neutral observers, however, believe that Erdogan is trying to balance Turkey's foreign policy between the EU, the US, Russia, Iran and the Arab world, and that may be in Turkey's best interests.

Labels: EU, Israel, Middle East, Turkey, US

Norwegian prosecutors announced on Friday they would not pursue war crimes charges against Israeli officials, including former prime minister Ehud Olmert, over the Gaza Strip offensive. Six Norwegian lawyers brought a case against Olmert and nine others in April for alleged offense during the conflict in December-January. The Scandinavian country's courts were recently given universal jurisdiction in human rights matters, but prosecutors said the Gaza case had nothing to do with Norway. "We are not saying there were no war crimes. We are simply saying there is no reason to open an investigation in this case," Norwegian chief prosecutor Siri Frigaard told AFP.

Labels: Gaza, Israel, Norway, War Crimes

A farcical attempt to paint Israel black - by Ron Prosor

In the history of international organizations it is hard to conceive of an institution less fit for purpose than the absurdly titled UN Human Rights Council. Since its inception in 2006, the UNHRC has included such champions of liberal values as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Cuba. There is no doubting the comic value of such membership. Analogies spring to mind of Jack the Ripper leading a disciplinary inquiry at Scotland Yard, or Dr Harold Shipman chairing a panel discussion on medical care for the elderly. Yet for Israel, on the receiving end of this surreal hypocrisy, it is no laughing matter. The latest example of its hypocrisy is the 575-page Goldstone report into the Gaza conflict at the beginning of this year. Israel, a democracy with an unquestionably free press and meticulously independent judiciary, faces a threat from terrorism unique in its intensity. Yet its obligations to defend its citizens from terror are being scrutinized, delegitimized and condemned by states in which the routine price of dissent is imprisonment without trial, torture or execution.

Note EU-Digest: We might agree or not agree with the above Times article, or even on the way how Israel conducts its foreign policy, but the fact remains that Israel is still and probably will remain the only true Democracy in the Middle East.

Labels: Democracy, Goldstone Report, Israel, UNHRC

Israel must decide on Iran by the spring - by Vaakov Katz

Mark it on your calender: Spring 2010. If everything taking place right now on the Iranian front continues as expected, it is then that Israel will need to make one of its most difficult decisions ever - to attack Iran or allow it to continue with its nuclear program. By the spring of 2010, Israel will know the results of the dialogue between the world's leading powers and Iran that is scheduled to begin on October 1, as well as whether the world will impose real, tough sanctions.

Labels: Iran, Israel

Israel-Europe relations strained under Netanyahu

A nasty diplomatic row with Sweden, Norway&aposs decision to divest from an Israeli defence contractor and rising European condemnation of Israeli settlements point to growing friction in the Jewish state&aposs already tricky relationship with Europe. European countries are taking a notably sharper tone at a time when a new US administration is more willing to take Israel to task. Last winter's Gaza war and the advent of a right-wing government in Israel have fueled increasingly vociferous criticism of Israel on a continent that is home to some of its most important allies and trading partners.

Israel's request for an upgrade in its trade relationship with the European Union has been put on hold.

Labels: EU, Israel

Why Jews see racism in Israel - by Joshua Mitnick

On the eve of the Israeli school year's start on Tuesday, recent Ethiopian immigrant Ayenew Belay didn't know whether his 7-year-old son Avi would be starting first grade. Government officials had asked several private religious schools, which are publicly subsidized, to accept about 100 children of Ethiopian Jews – some of whom would be well behind their peers in language, religious studies, and other areas. The schools informed their parents, including Mr. Belay, that the children could not be integrated into regular classes until they caught up, but offered separate "preparatory" classes. "I bought my son a backpack. He's seen the school," said Belay at a demonstration Monday outside of the Petach Tikvah municipality building. "But they won't accept the boy.... It's because he's black."

Petach Tikvah municipal spokesperson Hezi Hakak conceded that there's de-facto segregation in the Israeli public school system. One school is nearly 100 percent Ethiopian. But some activists, such as Molla, remain patriotic and express optimism that Ethiopians will eventually take their place along side other immigrants in key decision making roles in Israel.But the official obstacle now facing Ethopian Jewish children was keenly felt by Daw Jambh, a young demonstrator who repeatedly confronted policeman Monday. "I just got out of the [Israeli] army, and I feel disgraced," she said. "I feel like getting out of here."

Labels: Israel, Racism

The Jerusalem Puzzle: Jewish Enclaves in Arab Neighborhoods - by Dina Kraft

While most eyes are cast on the West Bank for a showdown over Jewish settlements there, there is another important battle going on - one that could also shape the future of the conflict’s resolution. It centers on the creation of Jewish enclaves in predominately Arab East Jerusalem. It has begun to heat up in the area in and around the Old City called the “holy” or “historic basin,” a patch of land chocker-blocked with sites holy to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The Israeli government says Jewish Israeli citizens are allowed to live in any part of the capital. Critics say it’s a cynical attempt to make East Jerusalem as “Jewish” as possible and foil any future attempts to divide the city as part of a future peace deal.

This week a plan for building a housing project with 104 apartments for Jewish Israelis was filed for approval with the city south of the Mount of Olives. Inside the complex are plaques thanking generous American donors like Irving Moskowitz, the Miami bingo parlor king who is one of the major backers of the drive to settle East Jerusalem with nationalist Jewish enclaves. About $25.4 million has been donated by Americans for the project of buying property for Jewish groups in East Jerusalem.

Labels: Israel, Settlements

Sweden tells Israel it can’t address ‘organ theft’ article and gives them a lesson in Democracy

On Monday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Europe for what is expected to be a tough round of bilateral talks with European leaders, Mr. Reinfeldt called for a ”toning down” of the debate surrounding an article by Aftonbladet, Sweden’s largest circulation tabloid newspaper.

Last week, the newspaper created an uproar among many in Israel, most notably the country’s foreign minister Avigor Lieberman, when it published an article suggesting the Israeli military had been involved in stealing the organs of Palestinians men in the early 1990s. Mr. Lieberman and others accused Sweden of antisemitism and compared the article to the medieval “blood libel” that accused Jews of bathing in the blood of Christian children. They demanded the Swedish government denounce the story, which hinged entirely on unnamed sources. But Reinfeldt, who currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, said that the Swedish constitution prohibits his government from interfering in the country’s media or passing judgment on media reports. “I don’t think that democratic nations should demand one another to break their constitutional laws,” he told Swedish public television.

”When I follow the debate in Israel I feel a need to explain what type of society Sweden is, and that we do not have a uniform view of Jews or Muslims or of individual countries. We have a free and open debate - people think differently and that is permitted. Jews, Christians, atheists and Muslims live side by side in this country in mutual respect. That is something we value.”

Labels: EU, Israel, Sweden

Obama is right not to spoil Israel in the same way that Bush did- by J.J.Goldberg

Alarm bells have been ringing around the neighborhood pretty much nonstop since July 13, when President Barack Obama sat down to talk Middle East policy at the White House with a pack of leaders from a dozen American Jewish organizations. The meeting was supposed to help buff up Obama’s relationship with the Jewish community, which is bubbling lately with resentment at the president’s aggressive peace-processing. By reaching out to the community’s customary spokesmen, he hoped to build rapport and perhaps recruit a few backers for his policies. Instead, he unleashed a whirlwind of attacks against himself, his administration and the Jews who met with him.

Another frequent complaint is that the president or his buddies deliberately skewed the Jewish delegation by inviting Americans for Peace Now and J Street, “Israel-bashing groups” whose very “Raison d’être is to force Israel to make additional unilateral concessions,” or so former World Jewish Congress firebrand Isi Leibler wrote in The Jerusalem Post. But the problem with American Jews may run deeper than a few strays, columnist Caroline Glick warned in The Jerusalem Post. Israelis are wondering, she wrote, whether American Jews have already “abandoned Israel in favor of President Obama.” A Post survey in June found that only 6 percent of Israelis “view Obama as pro-Israel,” while a May Gallup tracking poll found that 79 percent of American Jews “support the president.”

Labels: Barack Obama, Israel, US

World condemns Israeli Jerusalem evictions

The United States and the European Union hit out Monday at Israel for evicting Palestinian families from east Jerusalem, warning that such moves endangered the Middle East peace process. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led the international condemnation, labeling the evictions "deeply regrettable" and "provocative" and accusing Israel of failing to live up to its international obligations under existing peace initiatives.The Swedish presidency of the European Union expressed "its serious concern about the continued and unacceptable evictions in east Jerusalem," which it said were "illegal under international law." The strongly-worded EU statement issued in Brussels said the evictions "contravene repeated calls by the international community... to refrain from any provocative actions in east Jerusalem."

Club-wielding Israeli riot police evicted two Palestinian families from their homes in occupied east Jerusalem on Sunday, after which clashes erupted in the upmarket Arab district of Sheikh Jarrah.

Labels: EU, Israel, Palestine, US

Russia, France, EU up Pressure on Israel to Halt E.J'Lem Building

It seems that the diplomatic pressure on Israel is growing day after day over its building project in the annexed Arab quarter of occupied east Jerusalem, yet the Zionist entity continues to defy the international calls and go on building its illegal settlements at the expense of the Palestinian people and their right to live in their own land and homes. One day after the United States demanded that Israel stop building projects in occupied east Jerusalem, Russia joined the call, urging the Zionist entity to immediately halt construction in the area, and saying that a failure to do so would be a violation of the so-called “road map peace agreement”.

The US, Russia have demanded that Israel suspend a planned housing project on the grounds of the hotel in occupied east Jerusalem. "The settlement should be stopped immediately in line with the road map," AFP quoted Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko as saying, in reference to a plan to build 20 housing units in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in occupied east Jerusalem, near Mount Scopus and the National Police headquarters. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner was also quoted by the news agency as saying on Tuesday that France summoned the Israeli ambassador in Paris to demand a halt to the building in occupied east Jerusalem.

Labels: EU, Israel, Palestine, Russia

Israeli Defense official: "Israel readying for attack on Iran" - by Amos Harel, Anshel Pfeffer and Jack Khoury

"Israel's recent deployment of warships across the Red Sea should be seen as serious preparation for an attack on Iran, an Israeli defense official told the Times of London on Thursday.Earlier this week, two Israel Navy gunboats openly sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea. The ships that passed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday were two Sa'ar 5 gunboats, the Hanit and the Eilat. This follows a similar incident in late June, when an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine passed through the canal, later returning the same way. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed the crossings and said that Cairo's agreements with Jerusalem permit Israeli military ships to transit the canal. He declined to speculate on whether the voyage was meant as a warning to Iran or anyone else.

Israel has an interest in a naval presence in the Red Sea for two reasons: the effort to halt arms smuggling from Iran to the Gaza Strip - which, according to international media reports, mainly takes place by sea from Iran to Sudan, and then overland via Egypt, and the effort to bolster its deterrence against Iran in the event of a direct conflict breaking out." Note EU-Digest: this is sensationalist reporting, because in reality Israel would certainly not carry out open naval activities if it was planning to attack another country or carry out surveillance activities. So the above report seems to be mainly for the purpose of intimidation and seems to be in-line with recent statements made by the US State Department.

Labels: Egypt, Iran, Israel, Nuclear proliferation, US

Time for an Israeli Strike? - by John R.Bolton

With Iran's hard-line mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unmistakably back in control, Israel's decision of whether to use military force against Tehran's nuclear weapons program is more urgent than ever. In short, the stolen election and its tumultuous aftermath have dramatically highlighted the strategic and tactical flaws in Obama's game plan. With regime change off the table for the coming critical period in Iran's nuclear program, Israel's decision on using force is both easier and more urgent. Since there is no likelihood that diplomacy will start or finish in time, or even progress far enough to make any real difference, there is no point waiting for negotiations to play out. In fact, given the near certainty of Obama changing his definition of "success," negotiations represent an even more dangerous trap for Israel.

Note EU-Digest: Mr. Bolton still believes that power comes from the barrel of a gun. This is not only dangerous but also shows no sense of reality. Most people will agree that the present Iran regime is untrustworthy and potentially dangerous to the region but there are better ways to topple them than Mr. Bolton suggests. One of them is to support democratic forces in that country with every possible method of assistance except direct intervention and to tighten economic sanctions.

Labels: Iran, Israel

Israel says French president Sarkozy advised firing foreign minister with hardline views -- by Amy Teibel

French president Nicolas Sarkozy urged the Israeli prime minister to fire his foreign minister — a hard-liner whose party tried to force Israelis to take a loyalty oath, two senior Israeli officials said Tuesday. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman's appointment has been ill-received internationally because of his hard-line positions on peace and Israel's Arab population, among other issues. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, addressing EU ambassadors on Tuesday, expressed "full confidence" in the country's chief diplomat. "He is a man who is fully committed to peace and security for our country," Netanyahu said. "He is part of the democratically elected government of Israel which was elected with a clear mandate from the voters to achieve peace and security."

In May, Lieberman's party unsuccessfully tried to advance a proposal to strip the citizenship of Israelis who do not pledge loyalty to the state — a proposal viewed as aimed at Israel's Arab minority.

Labels: EU, France, Israel

Napoleon and the Jews

The ascendancy of Napoleon Bonaparte proved to be an important event in the emancipation of the Jews of Europe from old laws restricting them to Jewish ghettos, as well as the many laws that limited Jews' rights to property, worship, and careers.

During the siege of Acre in 1799, Bonaparte prepared a proclamation declaring a Jewish state in Palestine, though he did not issue it. The siege was lost to the Ottoman and the plan was never carried out. Some historians, including Nathan Schur in "Napoleon and the Holy Land," believe that the proclamation was intended purely for propaganda purposes, and that Napoleon was not serious about the creation of a Jewish state. Some believe that the proclamation was made in order to win the heart of Haim Farhi, the Jewish advisor to the ruler of Acre, Ahmed al Jazzar, and to bring him over to Napoleon's side, as Farhi was the actual commander of the defence of Acre on the field.

Still, this proclamation in 1799 is counted by some as having historic importance in the history of Zionism, because it was made by the major political power of its time, many years before Theodor Herzl's "Der Judenstaat" or the Balfour Declaration. Napoleon's indirect influence on the fate of the Jews was even more powerful than any of the decrees recorded in his name. By breaking up the feudal trammels of mid-Europe and introducing the equality of the French Revolution he effected more for Jewish emancipation than had been accomplished during the three preceding centuries.

Labels: EU, Israel, Napoleon Bonaparte

Pope Benedict XVI

For the complete report from The TPMCafe click on this link

Religion - The Pope and Ruby's Tuesday - by Bernard Avishai

Pope Benedict XVI is not a man to feel sorry for himself, or even think his pronouncements just those of a man. Yet it is hard not to extend him some sympathy for braving a trip to Jerusalem this week. The mission was delicate from the start, stepping as he was into the middle of a blood feud between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims. As the world's most famous "neither-of-the-above", he was bound to be seen as a some kind of proxy for the conscience of the world--something like what the stately Notre Dame complex has come to represent among the buildings of Jerusalem: a neutral place where Israelis and Arabs go for "dialogue," while Christians listen, encourage--remind. The Pope's silence would have been interpreted, not as tactfulness, but as cowardice. Who in the middle of a quarrel does not imagine, well, an audience?

Labels: Israel, Vatican

Israel warns EU against criticizing new govt

Israel has warned the European Union to limit its criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's largely right-wing cabinet or risk losing involvement in the Middle East peace process, an official said on Thursday. The warning was issued in a series of phone conversations in recent days between the deputy director of the Israeli foreign ministry's European desk Rafi Barak and the ambassadors of Britain, France and Germany, the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "Israel asks the European Union to keep a low profile and conduct a quiet dialogue... But if these declarations continue, Europe will not be able to have involvement in the peace process and both sides will lose," the senior official quoted Barak as telling the ambassadors.

Note EU-Digest: What will Israel's next step be if the EU continues their critique? Bomb the EU ?? Israel better watch out with these kind of comments not to lose more of the few true friends and commercial partners they have left in the world.

Labels: EU, Israel, Middle East

EU wants Israel to back creation of Palestinian State - before considering upgrade of ties

(AFP) Israel must back the creation of a Palestinian state and recommit to the Middle East peace process before the EU caneven consider to deepen its ties with the Jewish state, the European Commission said Thursday.

Late last year EU nations agreed to possibly enhance ties with Israel, but the idea has been a dead letter since the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip in December and January, leaving over 1,300 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian figures. "We believe that good and trustful relations with Israel are essential in order to make our voice heard," the EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters in Brussels. "We do not believe, however, that the time is indeed ripe to go beyond the current level of relations," she added.

"Too much remains unclear at this current point in time. And we expect indeed a clear commitment from the new government to pursue the negotiations with the Palestinians," EU commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said. "We expect a stop of all activities undermining our objective of a two-state solution," she added, citing the expansion of Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories "which is continuing on a daily basis."

"Israel knows what we have to offer and we have shown our very good will and our commitment to reinforce our relations but we think that the ball is now in the court of Israel," she said.

Labels: Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Benjamin Netanyahu, EU, Israel

Obama Signals 'Not Business as Usual' to Israel

The first sign was President Barack Obama giving an interview to Al Arabia Television right after he came to office in January. Now after his speech in Turkey and his meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan in the White House, Arab media are suggesting that Obama is going to play a more balanced role as mediator between Israelis and Palestinians than his predecessor. It is important to note the U.S. position has not really changed. The two-state solution also was part of the Bush administration’s Middle East policy. What is new, said Marwan Bishara, senior political analyst with Al Jazeera English “is that the Obama administration considers reconciliation and peace part of its national security. Under the Bush administration, conflict and war on terror were part of its national security.” However Obama’s vision for the Middle East is on a collision course with that of the Israeli right-wing government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Obama wants to move the peace process forward because he feels that the situation may explode at any moment. He said, “new missiles may land in Tell Aviv, Israel may invade Gaza again, and other problems may rise in Lebanon.” Atwan said that Obama would not tolerate Netanyahu’s rejection to the two-state solution. Obama is already signaling his displeasure, according to the media. Former U.S. diplomat Hillary Mann Leverett told Al Jazeera English, “ During the eight years of the Bush administration and even during the eight years of the Clinton administration where I served, Israeli presidents and prime ministers would be able to come whenever they want with even just a phone call notice.” But according to the Israeli Radio Station(IDF Radio), Netanyahu had to cancel his appearance before AIPAC after learning that Obama would not be able to meet with him during the conference.

Labels: Barack Obama, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, US

Will Israel Attack? Mixed Messages from Washington Could Lead to Catastrophe in Iran - by Roane Carey

Israel has been steadily ratcheting up pressure on the United States concerning the grave threat allegedly posed by Iran, which seems poised to master the nuclear fuel cycle, and thus the capacity to produce nuclear weapons. The new Israeli prime minister, Likud Party hawk Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned President Barack Obama that if Washington does not quickly find a way to shut down Iran's nuclear program, Israel will. Some analysts argue that this is manufactured hysteria, not so much a reflection of genuine Israeli fears as a purposeful diversion from other looming difficulties. The Netanyahu government is filled with hardliners adamantly opposed to withdrawal from, or even a temporary freeze on, settlements in the occupied territories, not to mention to any acceptance of Palestinian statehood. On his first day as foreign minister, extremist demagogue Avigdor Lieberman, with characteristic bluster, announced that Israel was no longer bound by the 2007 Annapolis agreements brokered by Washington, which called for accelerated negotiations toward a two-state settlement.

Labels: Iran, Israel, US

Obama and Netanyahu: Idealism vs. Pragmatism - by Eytan Gilboa

Clashes are inevitable between the idealist and pragmatic proclivities of the new Obama administration in foreign affairs. In fashioning Middle East policy, especially with regard to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iran, Obama's idealism will face harsh realities that limit his policy options. Obama and Netanyahu may subscribe to different values and principles, but they are both pragmatic leaders capable of adjusting to realities; and thus can be expected to make efforts to avoid a major confrontation.

Labels: Israel, US

Israel, U.S. Diverge Over Iran Strategy

The United States and Israel are openly disagreeing over how urgently they should address the Iranian nuclear crisis, with Jerusalem warning that Tehran is closer to having a nuclear bomb than Washington appears ready to assess, the New York Times reported Saturday.The dispute centers around U.S. President Barack Obama's willingness to hold direct talks with Iran after comprehensively reviewing U.S. strategy. Israel has urged Washington to complete any new diplomatic initiatives quickly -- "by late spring or early summer," according to one Israeli intelligence official -- but the Obama administration is considering waiting for the completion of Iran's presidential elections in June.

Labels: Israel, US

Breaking the Taboo on Israel's Spying Efforts

Scratch a counter intelligence officer in the US government and they'll tell you that Israel is not a friend to the United States. This is because Israel runs one of the most aggressive and damaging espionage networks targeting the US. The fact of Israeli penetration into the country is not a subject oft-discussed in the media or in the circles of governance, due to the extreme sensitivity of the US-Israel relationship coupled with the burden of the Israel lobby, which punishes legislators who dare to criticize the Jewish state.

According to the 1979 CIA report, the Israelis, while targeting political secrets, also devote “a considerable portion of their covert operations to obtaining scientific and technical intelligence.” These operations involved, among other machinations, “attempts to penetrate certain classified defense projects in the United States.”

The penetrations, according to the CIA report, were effected using “deep cover enterprises,” which the report described as “firms and organizations, some specifically created for, or adaptable to, a specific objective.” At the time, the CIA singled out government-subsidized companies such as El Al airlines and Zim, the Israeli shipping firm, as deep cover enterprises. According to Jim Bamford, who cites knowledgeable sources, Verizon’s eavesdropping program is run by a competing Israeli firm called Verint, a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, which was founded by a former Israeli intelligence officer in 1984. Incorporated in New York and Tel Aviv, Comverse is effectively an arm of the Israeli government: 50 percent of its R&D costs are reimbursed by the Israeli Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Labels: Intelligence, Israel, Israel Lobby, USA

Hillary Clinton moves quickly on diplomatic fronts - by Paul Richter

Reporting from Geneva -- If anyone doubted that the "restart" button has been pushed on U.S. diplomacy, look no further than the T-shirt worn by a young gay rights advocate at a question-and-answer session in Belgium last week: I [Heart] Hillary. "I must call on this young man," the new secretary of State said. Palestinians were cheered last week when Clinton criticized Israel's plans to raze 88 houses in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem to make room for an archaeological and historical center. But they noted she was going no further on the issue than the Bush administration had, and that she did not refer to the Israeli presence in the West Bank as an "occupation," as Bush once did.

Labels: Hillary Clinton, Israel, Palestine, US Foreign Policy

Confidential EU report slams Israel's policies in East Jerusalem - by Saed Bannoura

A confidential report prepared by the European Union slammed Israel for its settlement activities in East Jerusalem and the demolishing of Palestinian homes in the city.There are currently about 190,000 Jewish settlers living in East Jerusalem settlements in areas that are supposed to be part of the capital of a future Palestinian state. Besides its policies of demolishing Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, Israel is barring the Palestinians from building new homes, or expanding existing ones.

Labels: EU, Israel, Palestine

Iran signals interest in talks with U.S. following Obama's overtures to Iran (Impact on Israel) - by Warren P.Strobel

Iran gave its first sign Tuesday it's interested in exploring President Barack Obama's offers of dialogue, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saying his country "is ready to hold talks, but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect." It was the most positive response yet by an Iranian leader to Obama's repeated signals that he'll offer a new approach. "The new U.S. government has announced that it wants to create change and follow the path of talks. It's very clear that true changes should be fundamental and not tactical," Ahmadinejad said.

Note EU-Digest: "The recent "rapprochement" between President Barack Obama and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should probably also be seen as a signal to Israeli President Shimon Peres to give Tzipi Livni, the head of the more moderate Kadima party, winner of yesterdays Israeli election, a fair chance to form a moderate Israeli unity government instead of one run by right-wing hardliner Benjamin Netanyahu and ultra-nationalist Avigdor Lieberman, who is battling a corruption investigation again him. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appealed today (Wednesday)to rightist Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu to join a national unity government that Livni would lead at the head of her centrist Kadima party."

Labels: Barack Obama, EU, Iran, Israel, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Shimon Peres, US

Exit polls predict slender win for Centrist Tzipi Livni in Israeli election by Rory McCarthy

Israeli elections tonight produced the tightest of races with early television exit polls putting Tzipi Livni, the centrist foreign minister, narrowly ahead of the rightwing opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu. Polls from three main television stations, broadcast moments after voting closed, all put Livni's Kadima party ahead by two seats, but they also predicted that rightwing parties had fared best overall. Livni was predicted as winning either 29 or 30 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.For months leading up to the election Netanyahu had been comfortably ahead in the polls, but his lead narrowed sharply in the final days. In part the rise of far-right leader Lieberman took votes away from the Likud party, although the right-wing as a whole looked set to dominate.

Note EU-Digest: Only the US Obama Government has the power to "throw water" on the hard-line right wingers in Israel who seem to be poised to form the next Israeli government.

Labels: Elections, Israel, Tzipi Livni

Gaza War May Be Over, but So Is Israeli Political Unity - by Larry Derfner

With Israeli elections coming up February 10, right-wing Likud leader Binyamin Netanyahu remains the favorite, with centrists Tzipi Livni of Kadima and Ehud Barak of Labor battling for second. Netanyahu, being dogged by parties to his right, is playing the nationalist card.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Turkish PM given hero's welcome on his return following his remarks to Peres about Gaza atrocities

Turkey's PM has received a hero's welcome on his return to Istanbul after he stormed out of a debate about Gaza at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Recep Tayyip Erdogan had reacted angrily when he was refused the chance to respond to Israeli President Shimon Peres' defense of the operation. Thousands of people turned out in the city to greet Mr. Erdogan's plane. He told them Mr Peres' language and tone had been unacceptable, so he acted to stand up for Turkish honor. "I only know that I have to protect the honor of Turkey and Turkish people," said Mr Erdogan. "I am not a chief of a tribe. I am the prime minister of Turkey. I have to do what I have to do."

Note EU-Digest: It is obvious to most people that the daily Hamas barrage of rocket fire towards Israel would eventually lead to Israeli retaliation. Mr. Erdogan has also reserved that right of retaliation when Turkey attacked Kurdish terrorists strongholds in Iraq. What is not acceptable is that Israel retaliated with excessive force, leading to incredible destruction and human suffering. All respect for Mr. Erdogan, who had the courage to tell Mr.Peres, who represented Israel (an ally of Turkey) at Davos, what most of their other allies and friends should have told them. There is no way this kind of barbaric warfare conducted by the Israeli's in Gaza can be justified, in particular because of their own experience with these kinds of atrocities in the the past.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Turkey, US

Turkey/Israel - Turkish PM admonishes Israel president over Gaza - "You kill people", Erdogan tells Peres - by JOHN DANISZEWSKI and MATT MOORE

Turkey's prime minister stalked off the stage at the Davos World Economic Forum red-faced Thursday after reproaching Israel's president over the Gaza offensive by saying "You kill people." The packed audience, which included President Barack Obama's close adviser Valerie Jarrett, appeared stunned as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli President Shimon Peres raised their voices and traded accusations. Peres was passionate in his defense of Israel's 23-day offensive against Hamas militants, launched in reaction to eight years of rocket fire aimed at Israeli territory. As he spoke, Peres often turned toward Erdogan, who in his remarks had criticized the Israeli blockade of Gaza, saying it was an "open air prison, isolated from the rest of the world" and referred to the Palestinian death toll of about 1,300, more than half of those civilians.

"You kill people," Erdogan told the 85-year-old Israeli leader. "I remember the children who died on beaches. I remember two former prime ministers who said they felt very happy when they were able to enter Palestine on tanks."

When Erdogan was asked to stop, he angrily stalked off, leaving fellow panelists U.N. Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon and Arab League Secretary Amr Moussa."When it comes to killing, you know it too well," the Turkish leader said. When the moderator tried to cut short Erdogan's remarks, saying it was past time to adjourn for dinner, he answered in frustration, "Don't interrupt me. You are not allowing me to speak. "He then said: "I will not come to Davos again." Ultimately, Erdogan stressed he left not because of a dispute with Peres but because he was not given time to respond to the Israeli leader's remarks. Erdogan also complained that Peres had 25 minutes while he was only given 12 minutes. "I did not target at all in any way the Israeli people, President Peres, or the Jewish people," Erdogan told a news conference afterward. "I am a prime minister, a leader who has specifically expressly stated that anti-Semitism is a crime against humanity," he said.

Labels: Erdogan, Gaza, Israel, Peres, Turkey

EU and Turkey eye troops, solutions for Gaza border - by Angela Carlton

French troops, Turkish monitors, British ships, German tunnel detectors, European radar equipment — officials say all these options are being weighed as they try to cement the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. The key to a solution is finding a way to choke off smuggling through tunnels under the slender border between Gaza and Egypt while opening the aboveground crossings to travel and trade. The eight-mile frontier is at the heart of secretive diplomacy across Europe and the Middle East this week. Dozens of European monitors and experts are ready to deploy immediately, but not until Egypt — and preferably someone on Hamas' side of the border — agree.Beyond the EU, a special Turkish peacekeeping unit outside Ankara is ready to deploy to the border if needed, Turkish officials have said. But Turkey is officially insisting it is only talking for now about sending monitors, not armed peacekeepers. Turkey enjoys, to some extent, the trust of both Israel and Hamas. It has also offered to mediate between Hamas and the moderate Palestinian movement Fatah led by Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas. A Turkish official said there is an "implicit agreement" that the corridors must be reopened for trade and travel for the cease-fire to hold. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of Turkey's discussions.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Turkey

Hamas to Europe: time to talk

The exiled chief of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, said on Wednesday the time has come to lift a ban on contacts with his democratically elected Palestinian government, in a speech aired on Arab satellite televisions. "I tell European nations...It is time for you to deal with Hamas, which has gained legitimacy through struggle," Meshaal said. "For the past three years, they (Israelis) have been trying to get rid of Hamas," he said. "Now it is time to start to talk to Hamas," whose popularity had been further boosted recently due to Israel’s war on Gaza.

Note EU-Digest: Khaled Meshaal also seems to know the quote: "If you don't tickle yourself, nobody else will."

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Halt to Israeli military operations in Gaza

Commenting on the announcement of a halt to Israeli military operations, the British Foreign Secretary said: "There will be huge relief at the announcement by Prime Minister Olmert of the end of Israeli military operations in Gaza. As the Prime Minister said today, too many lives have already been lost. The deaths of over one thousand people stand testament to the scale and duration of the conflict. The voice of the international community has been loud and unequivocal in calling for an immediate, permanent and fully respected ceasefire. It is now imperative that Hamas stops the rocket attacks against Israeli civilians.

Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will travel to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt on Sunday 18 January for an emergency summit on the Gaza crisis. The summit will be hosted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with world leaders such as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also expected to attend. Note EU-Digest: It seems that Hamas, the democratically elected government of Gaza will not be part of the summit at Sharm el Sheikh. If that is the case, the dialog will be one-sided and the chances of a lasting peace nil.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Israel concerned by anti-Semitic attacks in Europe

Israel expressed its concern Monday over a rise in anti-Semitic attacks in Europe since Israel began its military offensive against Hamas militants in Gaza two weeks ago. Since the operation began Dec. 27, several attacks have been reported against Jews and synagogues in France, Sweden and Britain. In the latest, two firebombs were hurled at a synagogue in a suburb north of Paris. No injuries were reported. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said her government is calling on world leaders to condemn all forms of incitement and hatred and to hold to account those responsible.

Labels: EU, Israel

Europe - Empathy for sale - by David Burchell

Medieval Europeans were titillated by reports of dog-headed men and other far-off monstrosities, but chiefly because they provoked interesting thought experiments (what's human and what's not?). Medieval Muslims were so incurious about the Europeans, they called them all Franks, or Frenchmen, and distinguished them by body smell.Global empathy is one of those illegitimate children of the imperial experience whose origins we like to forget. In the days of the British Empire, Australians greeted reports of distant massacres of British soldiery with a new urgency, as if we too were witness to the Indian Mutiny or overrun by African tribesmen at Mafeking. Even today, the same impulse appears to unite the sympathy of pious Muslims everywhere -- towards suffering peoples of their own kind. After the catastrophe of World WarI, however, a new generation of critical intellectuals turned the tables on imperial sympathising, rerouting all that emotional energy towards the victims of European colonialism.

The same complicated moral logic was on evidence in The Netherlands last week when two high-profile Dutch political figures assumed leadership of a demonstration against Israel's invasion of Gaza. Harry van Bommel, a former schoolteacher, serves as Socialist Opposition spokesman on international affairs. Gretta Duisenberg, once a flamboyant socialite, is the socially conscious wife of the former Dutch central bank chief. Each has spoken at great length about the Palestinians' plight. (According to Duisenberg, Israeli rule in Gaza is worse than wartime Nazi rule in Holland.) And each looked thoroughly comfortable in their skins as they led the crowd in chants of that old party tune, "Intifada, intifada, Palestinian state!" Even as, in the background, their fellow demonstrators could clearly be heard singing the more uninhibited political ditty: "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas!" And so here they were together: the warm heart of the global conscience and the icy blood of Hamas, united within the same pulsing breast.

Labels: EU, Hamas, Israel

France halts Hamas broadcasts to Europe

The Palestinian militant group Hamas`s television channel was taken off the air in Europe less than 24 hours after it was added to a satellite network, industry officials said Friday. Hamas announced on Monday that Europeans would be able to see its Al-Aqsa service -- best known in the Middle East for its virulent anti-Israeli content -- via the French firm Eutelsat`s satellites. Al-Aqsa is Hamas` official mouthpiece, and became notorious outside the Palestinian territories for a show in which a man-sized pink rabbit named Assud urged children to embrace martyrdom and threatened to eat Jews. Alerted by industry sources, the French broadcasting regulator CSA this week wrote to Eutelsat and warned that much of Hamas` programming contravenes laws against inciting hatred and violence, the government body said.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Turkish Leader’s Criticism of Israel Raises Eyebrows - by Sabrina Tavernise

When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey excoriated Israel last week, calling its military campaign in Gaza “a dark stain on human history,” on one level it was not altogether surprising. After all, Turkish society is strongly opposed to the military operation, and Mr. Erdogan was reflecting its views. But as a leader who has been trying to raise his profile as an international mediator, it was hardly a stellar performance, especially considering his country is a member of NATO and the United Nations Security Council, not to mention an applicant to the European Union. His comments raised eyebrows among political analysts here and in Europe.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Turkey

Finger Pointing Over Israel and Gaza

Hamas took over in Gaza not in response to Israeli military actions but after Israel unilaterally left Gaza in 2005, a moment that offered hope for a new life for Palestinians. Rather than being taken as a building block to peace, the Palestinians backed a group committed to Israel’s destruction. In other words, Israeli concessions led to greater Hamas extremism.

Note EU-Digest: The pictures coming out of Gaza are terrible and shocking, but most of the blame for this unfortunately goes to Hamas. Only a fanatic self destructive Government would provoke a larger and far better militarily equipped country with a daily barrage of rocket attacks and expect them to sit back and do nothing about it. Just imagine if Canada would be doing this to the US, or Cuba, or Mexico. They would have ceased to exist. Yes, of course something must be done to stop this bloodshed, but it takes two to Tango and Hamas will have to Tango with Israel, otherwise it will prove what many people already believe - that they are a "legitimate" terrorist organization.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

A survey conducted by the Dutch AD Newspaper shows that support in the Netherlands for the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip is crumbling. Twenty-five percent of those interviewed support Israel, while 17 percent side with the Palestinians. A majority of 51 percent agrees that Israel is using disproportionate means in the fight against the Hamas movement, but 62 percent say that the Palestinians would be better off without Hamas. Six in ten of those surveyed refused to take sides, either because they consider the issue too complex, blame both parties for the violence, or reject any form of violence whatsoever. These figures present a clear contrast with the Dutch cabinet's approval - albeit with some reservations - of Israel's action in Gaza.

Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende is the only European government leader not to criticize the level of violence: "After many rocket attacks by Hamas, the time had come where Israel had to say: We are going to react". In a letter to parliament, Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen held Hamas responsible for the large number of civilian casualties because of the presence of Hamas fighters in residential areas.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, The Netherlands

Chavez Expels Israeli Ambassador Over Gaza Conflict, Labeling It "Genocide"

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday expelled Israel's ambassador to the country as he accused the Jewish nation of "genocide" against the Palestinian people. He described the Israeli army as "cowards." This as United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon slammed Israel's shelling of schools run by the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Gaza that killed 30 people and injured dozens more as he repeated his call for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the region. In a statement released by the U.N. office in Manila, Philippines, Ban said, "These attacks by Israeli military forces which endanger U.N. facilities acting as places of refuge are totally unacceptable and must not be repeated. Equally unacceptable are any actions by militants which endanger the Palestinian civilian population."

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Venezuela

Israel Gaza Invasion - Backlash felt in Europe

Concerns grew Tuesday that the conflict in Gaza would spill over in an increasingly violent way into Europe, where attacks were reported in several countries against Jews, synagogues and related targets. In southwestern France, assailants on Monday night rammed a burning car into the gates of a synagogue in Toulouse, but no one was injured. A Jewish congregation in Helsingborg, in southern Sweden, was also attacked Monday night by someone who "broke a window and threw in something that was burning," a police spokesman said. On Sunday, slogans, including "murderers. ... You broke the cease-fire," were daubed on Israel's Embassy in Stockholm.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Basketball game between Turkey, Israel suspended after protests over Gaza

European Basketball Cup (Group D) game between Turk Telekom and Bnei Hasharon of Israel in Ankara was suspended Tuesday due to protests in the arena against the Israeli offensive on Gaza, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. About 30 minutes before the time the game was scheduled to start, Turkish spectators in the stadium started chanting slogans against Israel, said the report, adding that some started throwing rubbish into the basketball field. The police intervened in the uproar and forced the protestors outside of the arena, it said. Because of the chaos, Hasharon players and technical squad went to the changing room and did not return. The referees finally suspended the game and it was not clear when it will be held.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Turkey

50K Palestinians, Jews Marched In Tel Aviv Against Gaza War

While the IDF land forces entered into the Gaza strip and killedat least 30 people, in Tel Aviv over 50 thousand Israeli Jews and Palestinians marched to protest against the war from Rabin Square to the cinemateque.

Note EU-Digest: For anyone who has the capability to watch the Al Jazeera International TV network we recommend this station for anyone who wants to view authentic reports on the shameful massacres that are taking place in Gaza. The Al Jazeera TV network is presently the only TV network presently operating directly out of Gaza.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Iran urges Arabs to act on Gaza

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, has told the Arab League it should take action "quickly" to end the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Speaking on Wednesday as Arab ministers met in Cairo, Ahmadinejad warned that setting up committees and making speeches would not be an adequate response to the offensive that has killed nearly 400 Palestinians. "If the Arab League does not want to do anything today, when does it want to act?" he told a rally in Zahedan in southeast Iran, the Reuters news agency reported.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Israel accused of downplaying food crisis - by Tim Butcher

The director of the World Food Programme operation said she was "furious'' when she learned Israel was claiming warehouses were full of supplies. Christine van Nieuwenhuyse said WPF stocks in Gaza showed a 30 per cent shortfall of dry goods such as flour and a much greater shortfall of 'ready-to-eat' goods which are in dire need in Gaza because of the acute shortage of power and gas for cooking.
Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, speaking during a visit to Paris denied the 1.5 million-strong population of Gaza was suffering a humanitarian crisis. She was responding to calls led by France but supported by the European Union for a ceasefire in Gaza to allow a surge in humanitarian supplies.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

France condemns Israel land offensive in Gaza

France condemned Israel's move to send ground forces into the Gaza Strip on Saturday as well as continued Hamas rocket attacks and urged both Israel and the Palestinian group to accept cease-fire proposals. "France condemns the Israeli ground offensive against Gaza as it condemns the continuation of rocket firing," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "This dangerous military escalation complicates efforts by the international community and in particular the European Union and France, the members of the Quartet and the states in the region to end the fighting, bring immediate aid to civilians and reach a permanent cease-fire," the statement said.

Labels: France, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Iran's security chief meets Hamas, Jihad leaders in Damascus over Gaza

Saeed Jalily, Secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, met here Saturday with exiled Hamas Politburo chief Khaled Meshaal and Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Ramadan Abdullah Shallah over the situation in the Gaza Strip. They discussed "the serious situations in Gaza Strip due to the continuing Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people, and the Arab and Islamic movements needed to stop this aggression and liftthe siege," said Syria's official SANA news agency. According to SANA, Jalily told reporters after the meeting that his visit to Syria is for discussing the serious situations in Gaza and ways to reach an effective Arab and Islamic stance to support the Palestinian people.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Gaza: Israel launches ground assault into Gaza - by Richard Boudreaux

Israeli troops and tanks crossed into the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip this evening, widening a week-old assault aimed at halting the militant Palestinian group's rocket fire into Israel.The ground offensive, launched after a week of punishing airstrikes, is designed to take control of Hamas' rocket-launching areas, the military announced. It said tank, artillery, special operations and intelligence units were taking part.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

EU President Sarkozy Heading to Jerusalem to mediate between Israel and Hamas - by by Aimee Kligman

How lame is the US duck? Lame enough that we are witnessing a first. The President of Europe and France, together with his Foreign Affairs Minister, Bernard Kouchner, are heading to Jerusalem to mediate between the warring factions. This feels uneasy, though I am elated to see that at least one head of state stands behind his words. Everyone who has a voice around the world has been busy pontificating over what should be done, why and where. But the only man willing to put his money where his mouth is - is Nicolas Sarkozy.

Have we arrived at a world where the U.S. is no longer the peace maker, the relations promoter, the center stage power? Will France edge itself closer to Israel and its politics? Let us remember that Sarkozy has very deep Sephardic Jewish roots. Though this has not been emphasized in the English speaking press, it has been a very big deal in French speaking media. Remember that after the U.S., France has the largest size Jewish community.

Labels: EU, Hamas, Israel, Sarkozy

European Commission urges Hamas, Israel to immediately stop attacks

The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), on Tuesday urged Israel and the Palestinian Islamic movement Hamas to immediately halt all military attacks affecting the civilian population. The commission also asked Israel to open up border crossings for humanitarian assistance. "The European Commission is deeply concerned by the situation in Gaza. The lack of access for humanitarian goods and relief workers creates a dramatic situation for thousands of civilians," the Commission said in a statement, adding that it was "extremely concerned" about the plight of civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Editorial Note EU-Digest: Instead of issuing warnings the most effective method would be to force ( not ask) Israel and other Middle Eastern regional powers to meet under the auspices of the UN to discuss all issues at hand, including the nuclear disarmament of Iran and Israel. It should also be made clear to everyone, that negotiating parties who obstruct the UN established guidelines for the meeting will face the possibility of a total boycott and blockade enforced by the US, the EU, China and Russia. To be more precise: belligerent parties who do not agree to the principles of a UN comprehensive peace accord covering the whole Middle Eastern Region will cease to exist as a credible nation. All this will take is for the US, the EU, China and Russia to put aside national political motives in favor of world peace. Anything else is just empty rhetoric.

Labels: China, EU, Hamas, Israel, Russia, US

Neocons alive and well-- Using Present Middle East Conflict To Push For War Against Iran - by Ellen

“Fair and balanced” FOX News offered (chicken)hawk John Bolton as its sole guest to discuss the latest Israeli conflict on last night's (12/29/08) Hannity & Colmes. As Jane Hamsher pointed out in an interesting post, the knee-jerk, pro-Israel American media response is beginning to change. But not on FOX News. In nearly three hours of prime time (I tuned out after On The Record began rehashing the white gal overboard story also discussed on H&C), only Alan Colmes cast doubt on Israel's tactics, though he was more skeptical than critical. Nobody else even went that far. But Bolton didn't just support Israel. As he has whenever the subject of the Middle East comes up, he used it as a rationale for ratcheted up militarism and a strike against Iran.

Bolton said, “every problem in the region that we have now gets worse once Iran gets nuclear weapons. And I'm afraid we are ever closer to that point... I don't think there's anything at this point standing between Iran and nuclear weapons other than the possibility of the use of military force, possibly by the United States, possibly by Israel. I don't see the Bush administration doing it. So it could well come down to Israel.”

Labels: Hamas, Iran, Israel, US

Iranian students signing up to fight Israel

Some 7,000 Iranian students in the city of Isfahan have volunteered to fight for Palestine against Israel while more students are signing up in Tehran, the Fars news agency said on Tuesday. On Sunday, Iran's religious leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, issued a religious decree calling for a jihad against Israel for its air strikes on the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip that started on Saturday leaving around 360 Palestinians dead and over 1,500 wounded. "In response to the supreme leader's orders for a jihad (holy war), students from the bassij militia are going to register . . . to go to fight in the occupied Palestinian territories," Fars cited Alireza Zahedi as saying on Monday.In response to Israeli air strikes, Palestinian militants launched over 80 rockets and mortar shells on southern Israel killing three people with over 35 others injured, some of them seriously.Iran does not officially recognize the state of Israel and finances the militant political faction Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Iran, Israel

EU foreign ministers to meet on Gaza crisis

European Union foreign ministers were set to hold an urgent meeting on Tuesday in Paris on the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip, the French foreign ministry announced. "The ministers will look into how the European Union can help ease the current crisis, along with the efforts of the international community, especially the secretary general of the United Nations," the ministry's statement said. The meeting was set to take place at 1730 GMT Tuesday and be chaired by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy and members of the European Commission were also expected to attend. It was likely to be the last major ministerial meeting before France passes on the rotating six-month EU presidency to the Czech Republic on Thursday.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Israeli Tanks ready to roll into Gaza

For the complete report from the guardian.co.uk click on this link

In the face of Israel's latest onslaught against Hamas in Gaza- Tariq Ali

The assault on Gaza, planned over six months and executed with perfect timing, was designed largely, as Neve Gordon has rightly observed, to help the incumbent parties triumph in the forthcoming Israeli elections. The dead Palestinians are little more than election fodder in a cynical contest between the right and the far right in Israel. Washington and its EU allies, perfectly aware that Gaza was about to be assaulted, as in the case of Lebanon in 2006, sit back and watch. Washington, as is its wont, blames the pro-Hamas Palestinians, with Obama and Bush singing from the same AIPAC hymn sheet. The EU politicians, having observed the build-up, the siege, the collective punishment inflicted on Gaza, the targeting of civilians etc (for all the gory detail, see Harvard scholar Sara Roy's chilling essay in the London Review of Books) were convinced that it was the rocket attacks that had "provoked" Israel but called on both sides to end the violence, with nil effect.

Western enthusiasm for democracy stops when those opposed to its policies are elected to office. The west and Israel tried everything to secure a Fatah victory: Palestinian voters rebuffed the concerted threats and bribes of the "international community" in a campaign that saw Hamas members and other oppositionists routinely detained or assaulted by the IDF, their posters confiscated or destroyed, US and EU funds channelled into the Fatah campaign, and US congressmen announcing that Hamas should not be allowed to run.

Note EU-Digest: A lot of the above might be true, but Hamas certainly is not blameless. It has never recognized Israel as a State, never respected any ceasefire and incessantly fired rockets into Israel.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel

Iran hardliners register volunteers to fight Israel

A group of Iranian hard-line clerics is signing up volunteers to fight in the Gaza Strip in response to Israel's air strikes that have killed at least 300 Palestinians, a news agency reported on Monday. "From Monday the Combatant Clergy Society has activated its website www.rohaniatmobarez.com for a week to register volunteers to fight against the Zionist regime (Israel) in either the military, financial or propaganda fields," the semi-official Fars news agency said.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians in Gaza against Israeli attacks "in any way possible." A religious decree is an official statement by a high-ranking religious leader that commands Muslims to carry out its message. While there is no religious and legal force behind it, Khamenei is respected by many Iranian and non-Iranian Shi'ites.

Labels: Hamas, Iran, Israel

EU Condemns 'Unacceptable' Palestinian Deaths

The European Union's top foreign-policy official on Saturday condemned as "unacceptable" the death of Palestinian civilians in Israeli air-strikes and called for an end to violence. The death toll is now over 270. "The current Israeli strikes are inflicting an unacceptable toll on Palestinian civilians and will only worsen the humanitarian crisis as well as complicate the search for a peaceful solution," EU High Representative Javier Solana said in a statement. "I call for an immediate cessation of military actions on both sides. The EU has repeatedly condemned rocket attacks against Israel," the statement said.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Middle East

Yearender: Marked changes in world's political, economic landscape - by Sun Ruijun and Bao Erwen

The world has undergone remarkable changes this year, but international security situation on the whole remained stable with "peace" and "development" prevailing as the themes of the times. In 2008, the world has continued moving toward multi-polarization, resulting in a distinctive shift of international forces. Globalization is developing in depth and regional cooperation is gathering momentum.The world has been confronted with one hotspot issue after another and non-traditional threats are increasing. The world economic growth took a turn for the worse due to the outbreak of the global financial crisis.

The United States has been acting as the world's only superpower in 2008, but the financial turmoil, which broke out in Wall Street in September, showed its vulnerability.Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) continued to enhance its independence and influence in international affairs. In March, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said their countries share a vision of a "global Europe."

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Middle East

Iran, Arab world react to Gaza bombardment - by Borzou Daragahi

Iran's highest political and religious authority made a provocative religious appeal today to Muslims worldwide, saying "true believers" were "duty-bound to defend" Palestinians suffering under two days of Israeli bombardment in the Gaza Strip. But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's message fell short of a call to arms amid speculation about how Tehran and other allies of Hamas would respond to the ongoing attack on the militant group's facilities in the densely packed coastal enclave. It also did not meet the definition of a fatwa, a religiously binding legal ruling. "All true believers in the world of Islam and Palestinian fighters are duty-bound to defend the defenseless women and children in Gaza Strip and those giving their lives in carrying out such a divine duty are 'martyrs,' " Khamenei said in a statement, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.

Labels: Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Middle East

Anti-Israeli protests across Europe

Protesters turned out across Europe Sunday to demonstrate against Israel's air assault on the Gaza Strip, while European leaders called on Israel and Hamas to end the bloodshed. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said this was a "dangerous moment" and called for an immediate cease-fire by both Israel and Hamas, which controls Gaza. About 700 protesters descended on the Israeli embassy in London's Kensington neighborhood a day after the airstrikes on Gaza began. More than 280 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health official Dr. Moaiya Hassanain.

Labels: EU, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Middle East

European Union criticizes Israel for using disproportionate force against Hamas

The European Union criticized Israel for using disproportionate force against Hamas and called for an immediate end to hostilities. The EU also called upon Israel to reopen borders into the Gaza Strip to fuel and food shipments, which have been disrupted since an economic and military blockade began in 2007. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko called on Israel to end its 'combat activities which have already led to great loss and suffering among the peaceful Palestinian population.'

Labels: EU, Hamas, Israel, Middle East

The Election, Economy, War, and Peace - by Noam Chomsky

Looking at the US political scene today- A good question is why the margin of victory for Obama in the past election was so small, given the circumstances. One possibility is that neither party reflected public opinion at a time when 80% think the country is going in the wrong direction and that the government is run by "a few big interests looking out for themselves," not for the people, and a stunning 94% object that government does not attend to public opinion. As many studies show, both parties are well to the right of the population on many major issues, domestic and international. It could be argued that no party speaking for the public would be viable in a society that is business-run to an unusual extent. Evidence for that is substantial. At a very general level, evidence is provided by the predictive success of political economist Thomas Ferguson’s "investment theory" of politics, which holds that policies tend to reflect the wishes of the powerful blocs that invest every four years to control the state. More specific illustrations are numerous. To mention just one, for 60 years the US has failed to ratify the core principle of international labor law, which guarantees freedom of association.

Note EU-Digest: where we might see a few differences between between the two parties is in how the Democrats will deal with the Middle East. New York Senator Hillary Clinton, intend to revive international arms-control efforts, which have been on hold during the eight years of President George W. Bush's administration. Such initiatives inevitably arouse suspicion and testiness among Israeli officials, who are anxious about the erosion of their country's nuclear deterrent capability. Jim Hoagland, who writes a column on foreign affairs in The Washington Post, wrote that Obama should learn from president John F. Kennedy and call for worldwide nuclear disarmament. Hoagland's columns generally express the consensus of the U.S. foreign affairs establishment. Kennedy was the last American president to have tried to stop the Israeli nuclear project. He threatened that there would be serious ramifications vis-a-vis U.S. support for Israel if the reactor in Dimona was not opened to frequent visits by inspectors.

Labels: Barack Obama, Israel, Nuclear proliferation, Nuclear weapons, US politics

Sandra Samuel and Moshe Holtzberg escape from Chabad House in Mumbai

An EU-Digest editorial on the dramatic events at the Rohr Chabad House in Mumbai

Sandra Samuel and Moshe Holtzberg - The Mumbai Miracle: God lives in all

Last Thursday, as the world watched the horrors unfolding in Mumbai, many of us saw Moshe Holzberg being carried out of the Rohr Chabad House by Sandra Samuel (44), an Indian nanny who had worked at the Jewish community center for years. She had found Moshe crying beside his parents’ bodies, drenched in blood. The parents, his mother Rivkah Holtzberg, 28, was an Israeli citizen, while his father, Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg, 29, had dual American and Israeli citizenship. They had come to Mumbai in August 2003 to operate a home for the Jewish community, where travelers could get a kosher meal, attend Shabbat services, and relax in a library filled with a variety of works, including many books even some by Woody Allen and manuscripts on Jewish philosophy.

Last week their lives on earth abruptly ended, when they were executed in their home by a highly trained, tightly knit, and well-financed, ruthless group of Islamic militants.

When the attack on the Rorh Chabad House began last Wednesday, Sandra Samuel heard explosions and gunshots on an upper floor of the center and locked herself and fellow employee Zaki Hussein in a downstairs utility room. Late Thursday morning, she heard Moshe screaming, ran upstairs, eluded roaming gunmen, even stared some of them down, and found the child beside the bodies of his parents, carried him downstairs, and brought Moshe to safety. Mr. Hussein helped Ms. Samuel conceal Moshe, as the three escaped from Rorh Chabad House.

Sandra Samuel now continues to help care for Moshe Holtzberg in Israel. Her emigration from India was expedited when the Israeli government declared her one of the “Righteous Among the Nations” and issued her an immigration permit. Recipients of this honor, awarded by a special commission headed by a Supreme Court Justice in Israel, include Oskar and Emilie Schindler, Raoul Wallenberg, and Corrie ten Boom. People and groups that receive this title, have risked their lives to save others, many during the Holocaust. Sandra Samuel is the first citizen of India to receive this honor.

As dramatic as this report may sound, it underscores the fact that God does not belong to any religion, but that he lives in all of us. Moshe Holtzberg and Sandra Samuel are a living proof of that, and as difficult as this is to say, also in those militants, who decided not to kill Moshe, after they killed his parents.

Labels: God, India, Israel, Moshe Holtzberg, Mumbai, Religion, Sandra Samuel, Terrorism

Legal fight to overturn Israel's Gaza media ban - by Roy Greenslade

Rory McCarthy wrote last week about Israel's ban on journalists entering the Gaza Strip. He reported that international media companies had sent a letter of protest to Israel's prime minister. Two days ago the Foreign Press Association (FPA) took the matter a step further by appealing to Israel's supreme court to overturn the government's ban. The court petition, which names Gaza's military commander, the defense minister and the interior minister, claims the ban constitutes "a grave and mortal blow against freedom of the press and other basic rights and gives the unpleasant feeling that the state of Israel has something to hide." The Tel Aviv-based FPA represents foreign correspondents working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, and has about 460 members from 32 countries, representing print, TV and radio. "We believe the Israeli government has an obligation to keep the Gaza border open to international journalists," says Steven Gutkin, the FPA's chairman and Jerusalem bureau chief of Associated Press. "The foreign media serve as the world's window into Gaza and it's essential that we be allowed in." Israel's defence ministry says foreign journalists will not be allowed in until Gaza militants stop shooting. But a ministry spokesman, Shlomo Dror, suggested Israel was not happy with press coverage from Gaza. "Where Gaza is concerned, our image will always be bad," he said. "When journalists go in it works against us, and when they don't go in it works against us."

Note EU-Digest: Journalists can be wrong sometimes, but they can not be wrong all the time.

Labels: Freedom of the Press, Gaza, Israel, Palestine

'Israel war on Iran on the radar'

A senior European Union diplomat says the perfect time for Israel to strike Iranian nuclear installations 'is between now and January 20'. "A possible Israeli strike against Iran is not completely off the radar," Turkish paper Hurriyet quoted the diplomat as saying. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Friday that Tel Aviv is 'convinced that Iran continues to try to build a nuclear weapon'.Israel, meanwhile, argues that the use of military force is a legitimate option in halting Iran's nuclear progress. "Israelis would consider a move such as this before Bush and Cheney leave," said the EU diplomat, adding that once Obama takes office, Israel's chances of striking Iran would be off the agenda.

Note EU-Digest: One can only pray and hope this dangerous plan does not materialize. Unfortunately it has a far better chance to succeed than the possibility of Obama breaking loose from the Jewish lobby's terror and giving Israel and the Palestinians an ultimatum: "No more financial aid or political support until Israel dismantles all its settlements and roadblocks, and withdraws to the agreed-upon borders, and you the Palestinians no more support until rocket attacks on Israel cease."

Labels: Barack Obama, EU, Iran, Israel, War

IAEA 'puts Israeli nukes on agenda'

The UN nuclear watchdog has unanimously agreed to put the issue of Israel's nuclear capabilities on the agenda of its annual meeting. After requests by the Non-Aligned Movement and the Arab League, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to put the issue of Israel's nuclear capabilities on the agenda of the 52nd annual meeting of the UN body.

The move was initially met with protests by the US and Canada but the two countries had to back down from their position after they realized that other member states of the IAEA meeting's presidential board would not support their stance, an informed source told Fars News Agency on Monday. Israel is believed to possess the only nuclear arsenal of the Middle East but it has so far refused to allow IAEA inspectors to visit its nuclear sites.

Labels: IAEA, Iran, Israel, Middle East, Nuclear weapons

Sarkozy Says Iran May Provoke Israeli Attack, Causing Disaster - by Francois de Beaupuy

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Iran's nuclear program may provoke an attack by Israel, urging the Islamic republic to accept international inspections. ``Iran is taking a major risk in continuing its process of obtaining nuclear weapons, which we are certain is happening,'' Sarkozy said today in Damascus, Syria. ``One day, whatever the Israeli government is, we can imagine ourselves one morning with an Israel that would have attacked. That would be a disaster.''

Labels: EU, Iran, Israel, Sarkozy

Georgian Minister: Israel Sold Us Out - by Yaniv Berman

Israel's Foreign Ministry recently issued a recommendation to freeze the sale of Israeli security equipment to Georgia, fearing complications with Russia. Israeli officials believe Russia may interpret the sale of Israeli weapons to Georgia as a move that jeopardizes Russia's security. "Weapons deals in the Caucasus can reflect on weapons deals in the Middle East," Dr. Avinoam Idan, an expert on the Caucasus and Central Asia at the Haifa University told The Media Line.

According to Idan, Israel found itself with a difficult dilemma following the eruption of violence in Southern Ossetia. Russia plays a significant role in security issues in the Middle East, which have a direct effect on Israel. Among them is Russia's supply of weapons to Syria and Iran.

"Since 2000 Israel has supplied about $200-million worth of equipment, especially drones. A few former army officers were also training the Georgian army. The French and American involvement was considerably bigger," added Brudny. According to Brudny, Israel’s final decision regarding the supply of weapons to Georgia would depend on the United States. "If the American administration encourages Israel to sell weapons to Georgia, Israel cannot say no. The kinds of weapons Israel sells to Georgia have American components in them, so I suspect the Bush administration definitely wanted Israel to supply weapons to Georgia," Brudny said.

Labels: Georgia, Israel, Russia, US, Weapons Industry

Israel - Buildup to the Next War - by Noah Feldman

The prospect of an Israeli attack on Iran before the next president’s inauguration in January is not just the stuff of airport thrillers. Much of the Israeli military establishment and Israeli public currently believes that a nuclear Iran is an existential threat. This gives Israel a motive for action much stronger than that of the U.S., for whom an Iranian bomb would primarily be a blow to our interests in the gulf region. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or whoever emerges as his successor in September might well be prepared to take risks that would not be worth it for the United States, especially given the vulnerability of our troops in Iraq.

Any Iranian movement against U.S. assets would give President Bush just about the only domestically viable political excuse for bombing Iran that is possible to imagine. Because that would put Iran at war with the United States, not just Israel, Iran might choose to hold back. That likelihood, coupled with President Bush’s visceral support for Israel, might be enough reason for the administration to tolerate an Israeli attack that did not too directly implicate the United States. Given the uncertainty surrounding a potential Obama administration, this autumn may be Israel’s last and best chance to go after Iran’s nuclear capability.In the brave new world of our immersion in Iraq, we have increasingly found ourselves waking up with strange bedfellows. Strangest of these, of course, is Iran itself, with whom we have been quietly consulting over Iraq’s affairs because neither country wants an all-out civil war in that country.

Labels: Iran, Israel, US