The EU's position on the ME conflict is anti-Israel/antisemitic ?

[Roland]

After Peres has joined those charges:

Peres equates European criticism of Israel to Peres equates European criticism of Israel to anti-Semitism (Reuters)

WASHINGTON - Foreign Minister Shimon Peres has equated European criticism of Israel's offensive on Jenin with anti-Semitism, saying he expected to feel lonely at this week's meeting of European and Middle Eastern foreign ministers in Spain.

"I regret the European reaction. ... Where in Europe, at the beginning, anti-Semitism was against the individual Jewish person, today I am afraid there is anti-Semitism against the Jewish state," he told American supporters of Israel.

"Maybe there are many European politicians who represent the future of Europe. We Jewish people cannot forget the past of Europe, and we would expect the Europeans to remember what we didn't forget and to judge us in a real and balanced way, as they should," he added.

So there is this perception of european policy bias to european antisemitic policy in Israel and the US at least. But on what is it based ? I'm genuinely interested in the sources of this perception, so it would be nice if people could keep their idiotic trolls outta here.

[Roland]

A couple of official EU statements in the original text:

Statement by the EU Presidency concerning the terrorist attacks in Jerusalem and Haifa Dec 2nd 2001

1. The Presidency of the European Union expresses its greatest revulsion and its firm condemnation of the terrorist attacks perpetrated in Jerusalem and in Haifa. It offers its most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the Israeli government.

2. The Presidency refers to the declaration of 13 August, in which the European Union totally rejects terrorist acts, particularly those acts which are targeted at innocent civilians.

3. The Presidency calls upon the Palestinian Authority to do everything in its power to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of these awful acts and to prevent that such acts be repeated. Its encourages the parties to work without delay and resolutely towards the resumption of an effective security co-operation with a view to breaking the cycle of violence.

4. The Presidency affirms the firm intention of the International Community not to allow that extremism and terrorism destroy the current diplomatic efforts aiming to relaunch the political process in the Middle East.

Statement by the EU Presidency on the deteriorating situation in the Middle East (Dec 4th 2001)

1. The Presidency is deeply concerned about the worsening crisis in the Middle East and the risks of further escalation.
2. The Presidency is convinced that the Palestinian issue cannot be resolved in any satisfactory or permanent way through violence. Terrorism must be condemned unreservedly. The Palestinian Authority must convincingly and relentlessly pursue its efforts to stamp out terrorism.
3. The Presidency is of the opinion that destabilising the Palestinian Authority would not help stop the cycle of violence. On the contrary, the Palestinian Authority should be helped to assume all of its responsibilities under the agreements it has signed.
4. Only by resuming the political dialogue will it be possible to emerge from the current crisis. It is absolutely vital that the parties unconditionally and urgently resume serious, efficient talks on security issues with a view to quickly initiating a political process as well as negotiations on inter alia the timetable and means for creating a Palestinian state.

JAVIER SOLANA, EU HIGH REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE CFSP
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 9 APRIL 2002
1. Today we are faced with a situation in the Middle East that is in equal parts dramatic, tragic and dangerous. We must confront the stark reality:
That we have now reached the threshold of the unacceptable;
That these events will lead nowhere but further misery and despair;
And that consequently we must act on every front, not just to solve the immediate crisis, but also to remove the causes of crisis.
2. So that everyone understands me: let no one doubt that I condemn utterly and without reserve all terrorist acts, none more so than the recent spate of suicide bombings in Israel. I have personally; both in political and private life, been sufficiently familiar with terrorism and its bloody aftermath to be absolutely clear on this point.
3. But the military response that we are witnessing in the occupied territories is intolerable and must be halted immediately. We are all aware of the immense suffering of the civilian population. To deny whole populations access to water and electricity is not justifiable by security considerations. There are violations of humanitarian and military law that cannot go uncommented.
4. The Government of Israel has the right - indeed has the duty - to protect its citizens. But what we are witnessing will not serve that end. For this is not an anti-terrorist operation - it is perilously close to war.
5. We have two very clear Security Council Resolutions. They do not lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. They are crystal clear and must be applied now. The Israeli military operation must be halted, not in stages, not town by town. It must stop and stop immediately.

Declaration by the Presidency of the European Union on Jenin (Madrid, 19 April 2002)

Deeply shocked by the extremely alarming reports on the situation in the refugee camp in Jenin, which refer to a very high number of deaths and wounded people and massive destruction as a consequence of the operations launched by the Israel Defence Force, the Presidency of the European Union demands that the work of humanitarian organizations and agencies and of the rescue teams be allowed to be carried out without obstacles nor hindrances.

The Presidency of the European Union deems essential the establishment of the facts and requests an impartial international investigation on the events in the refugee camp of Jenin.

[Az]

More pro-arab than anti-Israel if you ask me.

that is , the main establishment acts to straighten the relationship with arab countries.


I hope you don't think that European governments actually care about what's going on here, because realpolitik is the only law.

[Solly]

It's just a handy way to deflect criticism of Israeli policies.

[Saint Marcus]

someone criticises Israel, Israelis cry: anti-semitism!

bull****

[Goingonit]

I said it before and I'll say it again: It's hard to be objective when you fund one side. This eliminates pretty much the entire world.

[Roland]

Dalgetti:

"More pro-arab than anti-Israel if you ask me.
that is , the main establishment acts to straighten the relationship with arab countries."

On what do you base that ?

[Bereta_Eder]

Anti-semitism my ass.

Then in WW2 the Allies were Anti-germanitic. ahahahahah

[Ecthy]

he said "no trolls"

[Bereta_Eder]

[Ecthy]

we'll have to stay out of this

[Roland]

Yes, please.

[Bereta_Eder]

Ok

To the point then:
My opinion is that there is a clear US interest in supporting Israel in the region no matter what. The suicide attacks make this a lot easier.

The public opinion in the US is formulated around their national interests. (as elsewhere).

Israel's suffering get extreme coverage there. Palestinian suffering and occupation gets close to zero.

So the americans have problems understanding why Europe supports Palestinians. US think tanks have come up with an "easy" explanation: anti-semitism.
There, think anti-semitism and don't you go torture your pretty head

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Roland
A couple of official EU statements in the original text:

Some of which look like they are actively trying to deny the reality in front of thier faces.

[Ecthy]

such as?