Noting the “ongoing deterioration of the situation on the ground” as Israel resumes settlement expansion, a group of former EU leaders last Friday called on the EU to take concrete action, with “consequences,” to force Israel back to the negotiating table. Among their demands: laying out a final plan, with a clear time frame, to end hostilities; reaffirming the EU’s position that it will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 boundaries, and refusing to warm ties with the country until settlements are frozen.
One might ask, how much leverage does the EU really have over Israel at this point? The letter discusses banning the sale of products produced in the Occupied Territories. That’s something, but it’s not much. [Read the full letter in PDF here.]
We do know that Israel now badly wants better relations with Europe. But only on its terms. Two weeks ago, Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman announced an effort to recruit 1,000 citizens from 10 European countries to serve as advocates for Israel and gain wider EU sympathy for its policies. These individuals will be tasked with promoting Israel at public meetings and writing articles or letters in support of its policies to the press. The countries targeted are not identified, but the Guardian reports that Israel will also launch a more conventional PR campaign in the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy.
So the PR project is designed to counter precisely the harder stance advocated for by the EU dignitaries. Given the recent failure of the US to advance peace talks despite successfully exacting a short-term settlement freeze, neither Israel’s diplomatic push nor any EU effort is likely to lead very far.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
