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| Europe | |
| Carrot And Stick: The Real Threat To Israel | |
| 2014-02-02 | |
[Ynet] If peace talks fail, EU is threatening to impose sanctions on Israel similar to those used against South Africa during apartheid regime
I was in Vietnam, you knowKerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat,conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... arrived at the Munich Security Conference with good news and bad news: The good news is that the United States is not punishing Defense Minister Ya'alon for calling him "messianic." The bad news is that it won't help us if the world decides that we are to blame for the failure of the negotiations with the Paleostinians and responds with an aggressive boycott. The Munich Security Conference convenes every year for the past 50 years, bringing together hundreds of leaders from around the world who discuss policy and security issues in open and closed forum. In recent years it is considered one of the most important diplomatic and security events in the world, because among other things it provides a rare opportunity for leaders from enemy countries to consult secretly in the corridor of the hotel it takes place in. Israel sent to the conference, which opened over the weekend, a delegation including Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and the national security advisor at the Prime Minister's Office, Yossi Cohen. They were joined in Munich by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former National Security Advisor Dr. Uzi Arad and many from the intelligence community. Contrary to estimates voiced about two weeks ago, after Ya'alon harshly attacked Kerry and claimed that he was "obsessive and messianic," the Americans are not punishing him. Why on Saturday he met for a long conversation in Munich with US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Ya'alon's associates said after the meeting that "the interests and cooperation between the American defense establishment and the Israeli one are immeasurable, and there was no room for any fear in regards to the continuation of the tight relations between Bogie and Chuck. They have a lot in common: Both share a sharp language, don't fudge or conceal their opinions." Bad news from Munich Other fascinating meetings were held as part of the conference between National Security Advisor Yossi Cohen and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who discussed the Iranian issue; between a senior Israeli defense establishment official and a prince from the Jordanian royal family, who sought to guarantee that Israel would maintain Jordan's interests in any agreement with the Paleostinians; and between an Israeli official and Fred Hoff, who is in charge of the Syrian issue in the American administration, who revealed to his colleague that if the Druze in the Golan Heights preferred to stay under Israeli illusory sovereignty -- there was chance that in a future agreement the Golan would be able to remain ours. But that's it for the good news from Munich. Let's move on to the bad news: Senior European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... officials said they had agreed to freeze the proposal to boycott products from the settlements for now, in order to allow Kerry to try to an Israeli and Paleostinian consent for the agreement on principles, but -- and it's a very important but -- if the Israeli side is blamed for the talk's failure, the EU will renew the initiative with all its energy. If that were not enough, according to EU officials there is a much more acute initiative on the table: Imposing sanctions on Israel, similar to the sanctions the international community imposed on South Africa during the apartheid regime, no less. Those officials stress that they will use the "carrot and stick" method against Israel: If the talks succeed, it will gain the status if an EU member from outside Europe, with all the economic advantages involved (ministers and princes from Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... also promised normalization in the relations immediately after an agreement is signed with the Paleostinians). But if the talks fail and Israel is perceived as responsible -- it will turn into a leprous country which everyone stays away from. According to Israelis participating in the conference, we have already lost this war, and we will be blamed in any event, as the Paleostinians are considered the victim side, the underdog. Even if that's not exactly the situation and there is a lot of hypocrisy in the European stance, we should start internalizing this situation and that it's better to be wise than to be right. The outcome will likely be that Kerry will fail in completing the permanent agreement, but he will leave behind an outline which most Israelis find unacceptable -- a return to the 1967 borders and east Jerusalem as the capital of the Paleostinian state, in return for vague promises about security arrangements. If Israel refuses, it will pay in hard currency. In recent days, former US officials estimated that Kerry's chances of succeeding were "around 10%." Tzipi Livni is unimpressed by the numbers: "It's not a matter of percentages," she says. "Either there will be an agreement or there won't be." | |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #4 Works for me, Frank. ;-p |
| Posted by: Barbara 2014-02-02 13:54 |
| #3 perhaps Israel could impose an "arrogant asshole tariff" on gas/oil exports to the EU? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2014-02-02 13:34 |
| #2 "if the world decides that we are to blame Fixed |
| Posted by: Barbara 2014-02-02 12:23 |
| #1 The bad news is that it won't help us if the world decides that we are to blame for the failure of the negotiations with the Paleostinians and responds with an aggressive boycott. I'm trembling, I'm trembling. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2014-02-02 11:35 |