{"id":139,"date":"2012-09-11T13:21:00","date_gmt":"2012-09-11T11:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/?p=139"},"modified":"2021-01-14T21:13:23","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T20:13:23","slug":"the-euromess-and-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/the-euromess-and-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Euromess and Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><\/p>\n<p>Many European policies are being reconsidered. Those pertaining to the Middle East and Israel should be no exception.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><style type=&quot;text\/css&quot;>\n<!--\n \/* Font Definitions *\/\n@font-face\n\t{font-family:Cambria;\n\tpanose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;\n\tmso-font-charset:0;\n\tmso-generic-font-family:auto;\n\tmso-font-pitch:variable;\n\tmso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}\n \/* Style Definitions *\/\np.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal\n\t{mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;;\n\tmargin:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\np.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph\n\t{margin-top:0cm;\n\tmargin-right:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:0cm;\n\tmargin-left:36.0pt;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-add-space:auto;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\np.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst\n\t{mso-style-type:export-only;\n\tmargin-top:0cm;\n\tmargin-right:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:0cm;\n\tmargin-left:36.0pt;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-add-space:auto;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\np.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle\n\t{mso-style-type:export-only;\n\tmargin-top:0cm;\n\tmargin-right:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:0cm;\n\tmargin-left:36.0pt;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-add-space:auto;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\np.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast\n\t{mso-style-type:export-only;\n\tmargin-top:0cm;\n\tmargin-right:0cm;\n\tmargin-bottom:0cm;\n\tmargin-left:36.0pt;\n\tmargin-bottom:.0001pt;\n\tmso-add-space:auto;\n\tmso-pagination:widow-orphan;\n\tfont-size:12.0pt;\n\tfont-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;\n\tmso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;\n\tmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\n\tmso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;\n\tmso-fareast-language:EN-US;}\n@page Section1\n\t{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;\n\tmargin:70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt 70.85pt;\n\tmso-header-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-footer-margin:36.0pt;\n\tmso-paper-source:0;}\ndiv.Section1\n\t{page:Section1;}\n \/* List Definitions *\/\n@list l0\n\t{mso-list-id:1553075294;\n\tmso-list-type:hybrid;\n\tmso-list-template-ids:-83983774 1283472022 67895321 67895323 67895311 67895321 67895323 67895311 67895321 67895323;}\n@list l0:level1\n\t{mso-level-tab-stop:none;\n\tmso-level-number-position:left;\n\tmargin-left:46.35pt;\n\ttext-indent:-18.0pt;}\nol\n\t{margin-bottom:0cm;}\nul\n\t{margin-bottom:0cm;}\n-->\n<\/style>\n<\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>I submitted the following remarks to the European-Israeli Dialogue (EID) which took place in Berlin on September 2011&nbsp;:<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:\nauto;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>1.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Over the past four years, Europe has realized how frail and unfunctional it is in many fields, including what hitherto looked as its major achievement&nbsp;: economics, finance and the single currency. It has accordingly engaged in a major reassessment of its former policies and a wide effort to redefine its options regarding the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:\nauto&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:\nauto;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraphCxSpLast&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>2.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>The two fields where Europe has not undertaken any serious reexamination in spite of growing difficulties are the demographic and immigration issues on the one hand, and international relations and defence\/security matters on the other hand. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto;\ntext-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>3.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Demographic and immigration issues are affecting European politics in many ways, from a growing non-European and more specifically Islamic Middle Eastern and African leverage on European elections and political debates to a surge of extreme xenophobic or racist parties all over the continent. In a frightening development, Islamic Middle Eastern and African immigration first contributed to a reawakening of crude antisemitism in Europe, including among the ethnic European population&nbsp;; and then elicited a neoracist reaction that ironically targets both Islam and Judaism.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto;\ntext-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>4.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Regarding defence\/security matters, Europe has been largely passive in front of at least four threats&nbsp;: Russia&rsquo;s return as an authoritarian and imperialistic power&nbsp;; the so-called Arab Spring and its outcome, Islamist Winter&nbsp;; the rogue regime in Iran&nbsp;; the rise a neo-Ottoman and semi-Islamist Turkey.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto;\ntext-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>5.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Instead, Europe clings to mantras from a previous period, like the importance of exacting &lsquo;concessions&rsquo; from Israel, including &lsquo;a return to the 1967 international borders&rsquo;, in order to settle the Israeli-Palestinian issue.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto;\ntext-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>6.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>Clearly, it is time to address these various issues in a more realistic way and to set a more relevant order of priorities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:46.35pt;mso-add-space:auto;\ntext-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1&quot; class=&quot;MsoListParagraph&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;\nmso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;><span style=&quot;mso-list:Ignore&quot;>7.<span style=&quot;font:7.0pt &quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>It should be remembered that Euro-Israeli relations are in fact no so much about the relations between the European Union or the European countries with the State of Israel than about the global relationship between Europe and the Jewish people, and Europe identity as a Judaeo-Christian civilization.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=&quot;margin-left:1.0cm&quot; class=&quot;MsoNormal&quot;><strong style=&quot;mso-bidi-font-weight:\nnormal&quot;><span style=&quot;font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;&quot;>&copy; Michel Gurfinkiel, 2012<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n<p>Many European policies are being reconsidered. Those pertaining to the Middle East and Israel should be no exception.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/en\/the-euromess-and-israel\/\">&nbsp;&raquo;&nbsp;Read more about: The Euromess and Israel &nbsp;&raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[655],"tags":[651],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=139"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1619,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/139\/revisions\/1619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michelgurfinkiel.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}