From Haaretz, again
There appears to be some suspense brewing in Israel over a "secret" report recently delivered to EU headquarters in Brussels that thrusts Israel's domestic inequality issues with respect to its Palestinian Israeli citizens as a "core issue" right up there with the Occupation . Unprecedented in its scope the classified working paper, produced by European embassies in Israel, deals with Israel's internal issues surrounding its Palestinian Israeli population.
The report originally included suggestions for actions the EU should take, but due to objections from several countries, the report was then "watered down" and these actions were removed and it has now been dubbed a "food for thought" document.
According to Haaretz this has been taking place for over a year, "behind the back of the Israeli government", whatever that means. Excuse my manners, but I wasn't aware that embassies were required to filter their reports through their host countries.
The contents of the 27-page report were kept under wraps, and a number of European diplomats contacted by Haaretz over the past two weeks refused to disclose any details. Foreign Ministry officials said they had heard about it unofficially from some European diplomats a few weeks ago, but to date no Israeli official has been able to obtain a copy.
It is the nature and handling of this report that makes it unusual. Originally, before it was stripped, it advised the EU file an official protest every time a bill discriminating against Arabs passes a second reading in the Knesset, and that the EU ensure that all Arab towns have completed urban plans, "with each member state potentially 'adopting' a municipality to this end."
The document suggests that the EU discuss Jewish-Arab relations with the Israeli government, while stressing the government's obligation to bridge the gaps between the Jewish majority and Arab minority.
"We should emphasize that addressing inequality within Israel is integral to Israel's long-term stability," the document says.
The document also relates to the demand made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
"We do not believe that recognition of Israel as a Jewish State should detract in any way from the vision of equality for all its citizens enshrined in its founding documents," the report says.
"It is in the interests of all Israelis to demonstrate that Israel is not only Jewish and democratic, but tolerant and inclusive, and that these are patriotic values. We believe in common with most Israelis that Israeli nationality is an inclusive concept which can accommodate equally those of other faiths and ethnic origins."
I wonder what else got stripped beside protesting every time a bill discriminating against Arabs passes a second reading in the Knesset. According to this report its purpose was to debate these issues at a forum with EU foreign ministers and had it not been scrapped, I wonder how many other racist bills would be allowed their second reading uncontested by these embassies while the EU was debating this report. But that makes little sense if it was once an action plan and now it isn't. If its purpose is for mere debate what would be the point of drafting up an action plan? And what's with this 'recognition as a Jewish state' thrown in? How does this notion of recognition accommodate equally those of other faiths and ethnic origins ?
This was allegedly initiated by the UK, whose ambassador to Israel just happens to be Matthew Gould, of the Fox-Gould-Werritty triangle. Hmmm. If the British government were so into promoting equality in Israel why didn't they pipe up around the time of the J14 protests last summer (or before this latest round of draconian legislation was finalized). Curious minds want to know.
Excuse me for thinking this might be part of a grand strategy to clean up Israel's image which has been on a downhill trajectory for as long as I can remember. Let's see how Netanyahu responds. Something's in the works and it smells a little too fishy to me, or maybe that's just the stench of apartheid I can't get out of my reality. Nothing like a little "secrecy" to get the ball rolling but it sounds a day late and a dollar short to me. A year? Things move slow in the holy land, except for the settlements that is, they are moving awfully fast. So step up to the plate guys, don't dilly dally for another year deciding which way the wind blows.
I wonder who is about to be Goldstone’d…
yeah, i’m not clear what this is all about. i imaging the beans are going to get spilled about this shortly. btw, this was the ‘most cited’ news article about israel on google last night. hmm
The EU Commission put any upgrades in EU-Israel relations on hold until Israel makes progress in the area of human rights in the OPT and in Israel. That policy actually dates back prior to the Goldstone report. Cooperation with the Gaza Fact Finding Mission actually became an issue, e.g.
*link to btselem.org
*link to euromedrights.org
Here is a link to last years EU Commission report: link to ec.europa.eu
P.S. Here is a midyear report link to ec.europa.eu
There was no significant progress towards a comprehensive settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Following the Israeli government’s decision to allow the ten-month moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank to expire in September, direct negotiations between the two sides came to a halt. On expiry of the moratorium, settlement activity resumed. The demolition of houses in the West Bank, particularly in East Jerusalem, continued during the reporting period. Although Israel did take steps to ease restriction on movement in the West Bank, further efforts are needed. The Israeli government’s June decision to ease the blockade on the Gaza Strip brought about some improvements as regards imports of goods. However, the government’s decision in December 2010 to allow some additional exports in the future has not yet been enforced. The overall social and economic situation in the Gaza Strip has not substantially improved. Rockets and mortar shells continued to be fired from Gaza, and arms smuggling persisted; Gilad Shalit, the Israeli
soldier abducted by Hamas, remained in captivity.
Against this background and in line with its decision of June 2009, the EU did not resume the process of upgrading relations in 2010. At the Association Council the EU agreed to explore further with Israel any opportunities still offered by the 2005 ENP Action Plan – which remains the reference document of EU-Israel bilateral relations – and pursue technical talks to identify areas for potential cooperation in the future. The validity of the Action Plan has been extended by mutual consent until June 2011.
As regards the domestic situation with regard to human rights, pressure on civil society organisations, including from government members, has increased, leading to a deterioration in their working environment. Furthermore, the economic and social situation of the Arab minority, including the Bedouin community, and its full integration into Israeli’s society and protection of its rights, need to be addressed more effectively. Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and its policies vis-à-vis Gaza have continued to have serious repercussions on the freedom and individual rights of the Palestinian population (for further details see the Progress Report on the Occupied Palestinian Territory).
Incoming EU president: Europe to block deals with Israel until peace process moves forward link to haaretz.com
Well for a secret report it’s not very secret, the Israelis have all the details of the report. LOL
My guess would be US zionist Ambassador, Shapiro, got wind of what the other embassies were doing and passed it on to the US and Israel and the US did some watering down on the EU countries involved.
The Israelis will see it as more delegitimization of Israel naturally. The thing about reports like this is there is never any actual action on them. But some debate is better than nothing.
Looks to me like some powers, the EU and maybe others, could be using the non lethal drip,drip,drip on the forehead form of water torture on Israel in hopes of
forcing them to change since no other appeals, even Israeli self interest appeals have not worked.
I don’t want to assume anything but Hillary’s recent comments on Israel’s women’s rights and others comments, could if one wants to be optimistic or conspiratorial, add up to a organized drip,drip,drip campaign on Israel.
“IF” there were a drip campaign on Israel it could eventually wear it down to a nub and exhaust their excuses/defenses.
Then again it could make them even more intractable and aggressive. Depends on how smart Israel is which to date is not very.
RE: “EU considers making inequality of Israeli Palestinians a ‘core issue’ ”
FOR INSTANCE: Palestinian envoy’s wife ‘forced back to Jerusalem during cancer treatment’, by Julian Borger, Guardian.co.uk, 12/16/11
ENTIRE ARTICLE – link to guardian.co.uk
Here annie, you or Phil do something with this…..it’s very interesting.
There are some points in this, although some is hypocritical.
Like the Repubs ‘using ‘ the holocuast..as if the Israel and the zios don’t.
But I think it shows how worried the Israel crowd is that Israel is getting so much public exposure in this campaign season.
link to haaretz.com
Top Holocaust scholar blasts ‘Holocaust-abuse’ by U.S., Israeli politicians
Deborah Lipstadt lambasts ‘unhealthy and embarrassing’ pandering of Republican presidential candidates; says U.S. envoy Gutman’s comments on Muslim anti-Semitism were ‘stupid.’
(excerpts)
Renowned Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt says that American and Israeli politicians who invoke the Holocaust for contemporary political purposes are engaging in “Holocaust abuse”, which is similar to “soft-core denial” of the Holocaust.
“I think it is dangerous, just plain dangerous. It’s a distortion of what Israel is all about, what Zionism is all about,” said Lipstadt,
“When you take these terrible moments in our history, and you use it for contemporary purposes, in order to fulfill your political objectives, you mangle history, you trample on it,” she said.
“This is the kind of thing that scares me,” she said. “Jews have always been neurotic – I mean everyone’s neurotic, we just recognize it more – but we’ve raised our neuroses to a level that’s not healthy. We should eschew hysteria, but we don’t. Hysteria is never useful.”
What are the Euros going to do?
Apartheid in the holy land is going to bring down Israel in the end.
Could be sooner than the Ziobots think. I don’t expect the EU to get involved however.
Could be even sooner in several other Middle Eastern countries. Israel is a young democracy and the Arab minority enjoys far more civil rights, medical care and social welfare than the masses in surrounding states. When the latter will ever reach the standards of Israel, that would mean a huge improvement in life of the Arab people – and not only for them.
Moreover, it’s quite pathetic that the EU seeks to interfere in the internal affairs of Israel, while the suburbs of their cities are becoming true ghettos for the foreign immigrants, often North Africans, with no future prospects and no rights. I think here applies the saying that you should sweep first before your own door, before you sweep the doorsteps of your (far) neighbors …..
Moreover, it’s quite pathetic that the EU seeks to interfere in the internal affairs of Israel
do you feel the same way about the US? that we shouldn’t interfere?
and what do you think of this:
Israel is a young democracy
what other democracy’s do you know of who rule over millions of people with no representation?
can you think of any others besides israel?
>> Israel is a young democracy and the Arab minority enjoys far more civil rights, medical care and social welfare than the masses in surrounding states.
“Israel: We may not be as good as the best but, hey, at least we’re not as bad as the worst!” (c)
>> When the latter will ever reach the standards of Israel …
No doubt they’re all doing their best to become militarized, religion-supremacist, colonialist states.
Jonah
It’s quite pathetic that Israel benefits from preferential terms of trade woith the EU while failing to observe the treaties it has signed with the countries of the EU. And Europe still pays for the results of Israeli autism towards the Palestinians. Every time that Israel trashes Gaza Europe pays. Worth remembering when the money stops, habibi. We all have to learn how to operate with less money.
Moreover, it’s quite pathetic that the EU seeks to interfere in the internal affairs of Israel, while the suburbs of their cities are becoming true ghettos for the foreign immigrants, often North Africans, with no future prospects and no rights.
Israel went to the EU, essentially asking for a handout and access to markets and political cooperation. Under the terms of the 2005 EU-Israel Association Agreement compliance with international human rights agreements is a fundamental part of the relationship.
BTW, the EU has a standard policy of enforcing international human rights treaties that are part of the acquis communautaire as part of any industrial or commercial relationship.
link to eurofound.europa.eu
The EU?? A budding tyranny itself wants to protect human rights??
Hitler says that he is better than Stalin ,because Stalin kills mostly his own people and Hilter mostly non-Germans???
BTW, all the birds in Europe are singing that there may be an overthrow of the German popular president, Christian Wulff , and replacing him with a very shady guy (Finance minister) Wolfgang Schauble.
Great poster titled:”Our Big European family’”:))
link to prawica.net
I wouldn’t read too much into it. Europe, which is little more than a cartographical arrangement of borders, is forever seeking political importance through ‘conjoint’ activities of various uselessness. That said, there is an awakening of the peoples of Europe to the behaviour of Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinians, particularly those in Gaza, and that is of political significance to both individual nations and the EU generally, the more so considering the growing influence of Arab immigrants in present and future elections. European democracy may not be a perfectly oiled machine but it runs better than many and the last thing any European government wants is manifestation against Israel breaking out in the streets, so it makes sense to adopt some kind of public face of humanitarian and democratic sensibility to allay or divert any such threat in good time. We have, after all, seen efforts to arrest Israeli’s for war crimes, efforts that obliged the UK government to change the law in order to protect them; a law deemed perfectly acceptable for the arrest of Pinochet but quite unsuited to the likes of La Livni. Nonetheless, it is a good thing it was thought necessary.
As a minority, whether in the occupied West Bank, in Gaza, inside Israel, in refugee camps, or in the diaspora, Palestinians do not have national rights.
In Israel proper, the government does not recognize the Palestinian citizens of the state as a national minority the way the United States recognizes Native Americans, for example.
Palestinian scholars and a few Israeli scholars have debated this problem for years now. Out of the lack of national rights, the Future Vision was born. Drafted by The National Committee for the Heads of the Arab Local Authorities in Israel the Future Vision stipulates this minority’s national status and its legal aspirations for the future.
Link to PDF: link to adalah.org
In addition, international law and the UN charter recognize the status of national minorities. In other words, a minority that defines itself as a national collective has the inalienable right to certain protections and its nationality recognized by the government and state in which they live.
Israel, does not recognize the Palestinian citizens of the state as a collective, as a national minority. The state may afford them individual rights, but they do not enjoy any collective rights.
So this latest initiative by EU states has been a long time overdue.