EU's Solana meets Hezbullah legislator in Beirut
European foreign policy chief Javier Solana met with Hezbullah legislator Hussein Hajj Hassan in Beirut on Saturday in what is being described as a 'goodwill gesture' from the European Union to Hezbullah. "This is unprecedented and demands clarification," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said of the meeting between EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Hizbullah lawmaker Hussein Hajj Hassan.Well, yes. But it's not going to happen unless the Israeli government starts to be proactive.
The meeting marked the first time a senior EU diplomat met with the Iranian-backed terror organization.
Palmor pointed to a 2005 European Parliament resolution that noted that "clear evidence exists of terrorist activities by Hizbullah" and calls on the EU Council to "take all necessary steps to curtail them."
That resolution passed 473-33 in the parliament, but was not binding on EU policymakers.
"The European Parliament has already ruled that Hizbullah is a terror organization," said Palmor. "It would be appropriate for the [EU] Commission to listen to the parliament on this issue."
First, Solana is on a tour that includes "talks on attempts to revive Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations." It's long past time to declare Solana persona non grata. They shouldn't even let him into the country. Let's see whom he can talk to about 'reviving Israeli-'Palestinian' peace negotiations' if he can't even come into Israel.
Second, first thing Sunday morning, the foreign ministry should call up every EU ambassador in Israel and tell him that he has until 10:00 am to get his sorry rear end to the foreign ministry. Then Avigdor Lieberman should read them all the riot act. The next European country that meets with Hezbullah or Hamas on any official level will be excluded from all participation in any 'peace talks.' And the second time it happens, they can take their ambassador home for three months.
That's the only way these people are ever going to get it.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:21 AM
3 Comments:
Europe has nothing to teach Israel and Israel should take steps to downgrade its relations with the EU. No more business as usual with Europe.
Well said, Carl.
Of course, Solana should have been declared persona non grata at least 10 years ago, so I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen now. As Caroline Glick pointed out so well in her June 12 article in the Jerusalem Post, "Obama's High Commissioner" (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1244371077760&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull), Netanyahu has his hands full dealing with a hostile White House.
Carl,
While I completely agree with your idea, Israel should also turn this weakness into it's strength. Well very simple, if the EU is going to meet Hizb'allah as part of the Lebanese Government, then we should declare that these meetings create a recognition that Hizb'allah is Lebanon and Lebanon is Hizb'allah.
That by meeting these members of Hizb'allah they have officially ended Israels "state within a state" policy view of Hizb'allah. And henceforth, any action, and I mean ANY ACTION from Hizb'allah will be viewed as something done with the full consent of the Lebanese Government and Hizb'allah is simply an extension of it's military. And the destruction we will reap upon Lebanon due to the next provocation can also now be blamed on the EU, for helping to implant Hizb'allah into the government.
However, we should also do as what you said, because it's important to remember what Solana said, "The list of terrorists is different for every country"... we should put Spain's Government on ours...
Post a Comment
<< Home