MANFRED GERSTENFELD asks the question Guess who Europe’s subsidizing?
The European Union and its member countries have been subsidizing various opponents of Israel for many years. A study, just published by the Dutch Center for Documentation and Information on Israel contains perhaps the most detailed investigation of one such case.
A group called United Civilians for Peace is a joint venture of five Dutch NGOs. Fifty to 90% of their budgets are funded by the Dutch government and the European Union. A sixth partner left UCP in view of its extreme anti-Israeli activities.
Journalist Joost de Haas, writing in the Dutch Telegraaf summed up the 50-plus page report by the Dutch Center for Documentation saying: “A peace organization financed with taxpayers money is guided by the Palestinian terror organization Hamas and supports the Iranian atom bomb.”
The EU and the Dutch government thus indirectly finance Dutch opponents of Israel.
This story is the tip of a European iceberg of financial support for anti-Israeli bodies.
Last night (Oct. 30) on PBS there was a special on the evacuation of Gush Katif. It idolized the soldiers who did the dirt, showing that they obeyed “the law.” Part of the show presented the preparation that the soldiers had to engage in in order to be ready for the trial. They were exposed to precisely the slogans and emotions that they would face, so that they should not flinch in the face of such feelings and understandings. The bitter truth that was revealed by this procedure was that the veracity of the arguments and the clarity of the emotions were to be ignored. The truth was irrelevant in the face of “the law.” It was the perfect storm for merchants of disengagement. “Yes we will expel you in spite of the power of your arguments, in spite of the predictions that nothing would be gained by expelling you.” “Yes, we will expel you in spite of the pain we cause you.” “Yes, we expel you for the greater good of Israel’s future.” Just like Goebbels’ understanding that lies would be accepted as truth if stated loudly and emotionally, Olmert and company have learned that truth, when stated by low status, ordinary citizens, can safely be ignored. Cogency and clarity of thought matters not a wit. What a sad commentary on the human condition, and in particular the level of Israeli analysis of Jewish survival issues.
“I’m shocked, shocked to discover that gambling is going on here!” Capt Renault (Claude Rains) CASABLANCA, 1942.
Kol tuv,
Force Feeding Israel the Poison of Muslim Jew Hatred
This story is same old, same old.
There is much to condemn in the continuing staunch support for Palestinians and efforts to undermine Israel coming out of Europe.
Looking at what the Bush administration is currently doing as regards the Israelis and Palestinians raises more immediate concerns.
Apart from forcing the Annaopolis Peace Conference on Israel of which much has been written, Bush is now asking Congress for another 400 million dollars in aid to give to the Palestinians The obvious, if not stated purpose is to shore up PA/Fatah President Mahmoud Abbas and the PA Prime Minister, Salaam Fayad.
In an Ocotber 25th, 2007 JP article, Bush seeks large aid increase to PA at:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1192380645372
The report claims that Congress is expected to be more supportive of this request for Palestinian aid and lays out how and why the funds are intended to be allocated:
The reports Guess Who Europe Is Subsidizing and this JP article, Bush seeks large aid increase to PA should be read in conjunction with Barry Rubin’s JP October 30th, 2007 article The Region: Rules of the game, Palestinian-style at the following site:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1192380695120&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Arab and Palestinian intractable Jew hatred is for Israel a lethal poison. The West knows this all too well as do Israelis.
Nonetheless, to further their own interests in the Middle East, the West has been forcing Israel to injest this poison in small doses, sugar coated with promises of peace. All the Israelis can do is hope they can find an antidote before the poison of Jew hatred kills them.
The Israelis are in the vice grip of powers much greater then theirs, so one can at least understand why Israelis and their leaders are unable to resist those powers.
Diaspora Jews also know that Muslim Jew hatred is deadly for them as well. So just why have Jews and jewish leaderhsip not banded together in a common cause to at least try to stay the hand of these Western powers that are aiding the Arabs and Palestinians to force feed Israel with the poison of Jew hatred?
… Meanwhile the Bearded Barbarian has dinner with the Queen…
Somewhat (but only somewhat) off topic: I dunno why, but seeing the pictures of the BB with the Queen immediately brought to mind (ironically) the song, “If I were a rich man.”