Now that MP Geert Wilder isn't distracted by that court case, things are getting more interesting in Dutch politics.
BERLIN -- A panel in the Dutch parliament earlier this month titled "To discuss the activity of NGOs in Israel and Palestine" has generated a heated debate among lawmakers and the heads of major Dutch NGOs about the legitimacy of boycotts targeting Israel and advocacy for a "one-state solution" for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Jerusalem Post obtained a transcript of the panel from an observer at the June 15 session in Holland's parliament.
According to the transcript, leading Dutch humanitarian relief organizations defended boycott, divestment and sanctions actions against Israel, prompting Johan Driesen, from the Party for Freedom (PVV),
The PVV is Geert Wilder's party. At the beginning, he was the only member. Now they are the power brokers of the coalition government, and can dictate terms.
to say, "It was the first time I sat down to talk with the directors of the aid groups and I found what they said not only surprising, but disgusting and I think the Dutch government should cut funding to organizations promoting
Rene Grotenhuis, director n for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid), said e debate that "discussion over boycott of Israel
Henk Jan Ormel, from the Dutch emocratic Appeal party, said he was "very surprised" to hear from the Interchurch Organization for Development Cooperation (ICCO) elieves that "the two-state solution is not the basic assumption
In response to a query asking why ICCsupports the website Electronic Intifada, Director Marinus Verweij termed it ted news source used by newspapers
There is a difference between and used.
The Dutch government unneled more than 120 million euros into ICCO in 2009, which has doled ), tol the Post on Wednesday that "The directors of these organizations spend the Dutch taxpayer's money contrary to the Dutch policy to strengthen the bond with Israel." Naftaniel added that this is an " unacceptable result: The Netherlands invests simultaneously in Israel and in boycotting Israel."
He continued, "The Dutch aid organizations are seeing their budgets cut because of this. The real victims here will not be the directors with their huge salaries, but Palestinians and people in Africa in need of assistance."
Professor Gerald Steinberg, the head of NGO Monitor, told the Post on Thursday, "Until recently, most Dutch legislators and officials had little information on how NGOs involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict utilize Dutch funding.
"Some political advocacy NGOs abusing the rhetoric of human rights have significant impacts, but there are no mechanisms to hold NGOs accountable for their activities. For example, Dutch funding for ICCO goes to groups such as Badil, Electronic Intifada, and CWP [Coalition of Women for Peace]. They promote pro- BDS and similar agendas which are in direct contradiction to Dutch government policy. An independent and detailed review of all NGO funding -- both direct and indirect -- is long overdue."
Driesen asked Oxfam Novib at the panel why the charity provided funds to the Dutch NGO "Stop de Bezeting" (Stop the Occupation). He noted that the group's founder, Greta Duisenberg, had participated in demonstrations calling for Jews to be gassed,
Slightly beyond the Pale, that.
and had declared "Intifada, Intifada!" The Dutch foreign ministry earmarked 131m. euros in 2009 for Oxfam Novib, which sponsors projects in developing countries.
Oxfam Novib's Director, Farah Karimi, declined to specifically address its financial aid for "Stop de Bezeting."
"The business we have come to discuss is of extreme importance to you and your party, and I find it a shame to sit and speak about the behavior of Greta Duisenberg," said Karimi. CIDI noted in a report last month that over the past three years the Dutch government has allocated at least 10m. euros to groups dedicated to promoting a boycott of Israel. In response to CIDI's report, Rosenthal told CIDI he will "intervene to block funding to groups promoting the BDS campaign."
There'sa new sheriff in town, and he's got no patience for the traditional nonsense.
[Iran Press TV] Billionaire George Soros says Europe's debt crisis has brought the eurozone to the brink of an "economic collapse" and inevitably some of its members will leave the union.
"There's no arrangement for any countries leaving the euro, which in current circumstances is probably inevitable," Soros said at a panel discussion in Vienna, Austria on Sunday, Bloomberg reported.
He added, "We are on the verge of an economic collapse which starts, let's say, in Greece, but it could easily spread. The financial system remains extremely vulnerable."
"I think most of us actually agree that Europe's crisis is actually centered around the euro," the 80-year-old investor added.
"It's a kind of financial crisis that is really developing. It's foreseen. Most people realize it. It's still developing. The authorities are actually engaged in buying time. And yet time is working against them," he said.
The comments come as Greek politicians are debating a new round of austerity measures tied to the country's bailout.
A vote is expected on Wednesday amid widespread protests against plans to further slash the public sector and hike taxes.
Greece was the 12th country to adopt the shared currency in 2001, while Estonia is the newest member of the euro region, joining in January 2011.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
06/28/2011 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11138 views]
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#1
So what's George doing, other than talking, to bring about this collapse?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/28/2011 6:33 Comments ||
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#2
Geroge is doing what he does best. Making money from politicians spending OPM to try to save their own hide.
#3
Stable situations are boring for those who want to make a fast buck.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
06/28/2011 18:11 Comments ||
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#4
Just why is Schwartz György still sucking oxygen anyway? He must have enemies everywhere, surely some are powerful enough to reach him.
Posted by: Secret Asian Man ||
06/28/2011 18:53 Comments ||
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#5
CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > EUROPEANS LOOK AT CHINA TO SAVE THEIR ECONOMIES | [Telegraph.UK] ENTER THE DRAGON TO SAVE THE EURO. IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF CHINA TO HELP RESOLVE THE [various]EUROZONE DEBT CRISES, BUT CHINESE PRESIDENT WEN JIABAO, WHO IS VISITING BRITAIN + CONTINENTAL EUROPE, WILL WANT A SHARE OF THE WEST'S BUYING POWER IN RETURN.
* Also from SAME > CHINESE PREMIER WEN JIABAO PROMISED TO HELP STRUGGLING EUROPEAN ECONOMIES BY BUYING MILYUHNS IN DEBT BONDS.
UK = Beijing's promotion + protection of FREE SPEECH in China [however imperfect?] is its BEST DEFENSE FOR ECON + DOMESTIC STABILITY.
* WAFF > GREEK ARMY THREATENS COUP! THE JUNTA IS BACK. | GREEK ARMY THREATENS MILITARY COUP SPARKING FEARS OF MILITARY UPRISINGS + CIVIL WARS ACROSS ALL OF EUROPE | .... MILITARY OFFICERS + POLICE FORCES ARE NOW JOINING THE PROTESTS.
* SAME > IFF THE BUDGET IS NOT APPROVED, THE GREEK MILITARY WILL TAKE ACTION!?
* TOPIX > FEARS OF MILITARY, POPULAR REVOLT MAR GREECE AUSTERITY VOTE.
versus
* NEWSMAX > REPORT PREDICTS CHAOS IFF US PRIORITIZES [Debts']PAYMENTS, presuming that Wahington, DC fails to raise US DEBT LIMIT CEILING BY AUGUST 2, 2011. The US Treasury Dept. may fail to meet 40-45% of its monthly 80.0 MILYUHN types of payments in outstanding obligations it must make per month.
ARTIC = Between 08/3, 2011 + 08/31/2011, the US Treas will have a budget shortfall/deficit of US$135.0Bilyuhn it will be seriously struggling to meet unless the US Congress raises the curren debt ceiling???
[Al Jazeera] French banks have reached an outline agreement to roll over holdings of maturing Greek bonds as part of a wider European plan to avoid sovereign default.
Nicolas Sarkozy, ...23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. Sarkozy is married to singer-songwriter Carla Bruni, who has a really nice birthday suit... the French president, said in Gay Paree on Monday that the banks would be offered 30-year Greek bonds with a coupon equivalent to the euro zone's lending rate to Greece, plus a premium based on the financially troubled nation's future economic growth rate.
"We concluded that by stretching out the loans over 30 years, putting [interest rates] at the level of European loans, plus a premium indexed to future Greek growth, that would be a system that each country could find attractive," Sarkozy said.
Banking sources confirmed the agreement was part of a deal under which banks would reinvest 70 per cent of the proceeds when Greek bonds fall due. Of that amount, 50 per cent would go into the new 30-year bonds and 20 per cent would be reinvested in a zero-coupon guaranteed fund based on high-quality securities.
The news came as international bankers met euro zone policymakers in the Italian capital, Rome, to discuss how the private sector can share the burden of a second rescue programme for Greece.
Euro zone sources said EU officials were discussing the French idea with international bankers and the Institute of International Finance (IIF).
According to them, Charles Dallara, the managing director of IIF, met Vittorio Grilli, director general at Italia's treasury and chairman of the euro zone's Economic and Financial Committee (EFC), to discuss Greece's struggle to avoid default.
Continued on Page 47
Posted by: Fred ||
06/28/2011 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[11131 views]
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#1
Reminds me of Fannie/Freddy repacking loans for the US housing market. I trusthope pray the French learned something from that disaster.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/28/2011 6:31 Comments ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
According to the transcript, leading Dutch humanitarian relief organizations defended boycott, divestment and sanctions actions against Israel, prompting Johan Driesen, from the Party for Freedom (PVV),
Driesen asked Oxfam Novib at the panel why the charity provided funds to the Dutch NGO "Stop de Bezeting" (Stop the Occupation). He noted that the group's founder, Greta Duisenberg, had participated in demonstrations calling for Jews to be gassed, 
