Change! 'Further withdrawal of traditional British support for Israel'
This one seems to have escaped the media this week - at least here in Israel.Queen Elizabeth visited Abu Dhabi this week and is heading to Oman from there. We knew that much already. What we may not have known is the context for this visit: An abandonment of what little support for Israel that Britain maintained and a hard shift to toeing the Arab line (Hat Tip: Russel H).
British foreign policy will change to reflect Arab concerns over the Middle East peace process as part of the Coalition's efforts to seal a strategic agreement with the Gulf during the Queen's visit to the region.If you're all getting the impression that the only one left on our side is God, that's probably the impression you're supposed to be getting. Isn't it great when every country thinks it's a superpower? Aren't you glad that President Obama did away with the idea of American exceptionalism?
Whitehall officials said Foreign Secretary William Hague's decision to reach out to Gulf states in an effort to secure better diplomatic and trade ties meant Britain had to "take on board" Arab foreign policy goals.
Requesting better ties would be a two-way street, not just plea for more defence contracts and exports, they said.
"It will be a six lane highway with movement in both directions," said one diplomat. "We have to respond to what Gulf States want. If we want a long-term partnership on foreign policy, then changes in our stance have to be part of it."
The Queen arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, at the start of a five-day visit that will also take in Oman.
...
Officials in both Abu Dhabi and London make no bones about stressing the significance of the defence relationship as the West and its regional allies gear up to a possible confrontation with Iran.
That may mean yet further withdrawal of traditional British support for Israel, with criticism of its government already more marked under Mr Hague than it was under New Labour government.
In another indication of the Foreign Office's new sensitivity to Arab opinion, officials admitted to The Daily Telegraph that policies on the Israel-Lebanon war of 2006, Israel's invasion of Gaza in 2008-9, and its occupation of the West Bank and settlements policy were "motivators" for the Islamic radicalism that they confronted daily in the Gulf.
Here's a video of the Queen visiting a mosque in Abu Dhabi, dressed in a hijab and acting like a submissive dhimmi.
Let's go to the videotape.
It sounds like the royal wedding isn't the only change taking place in London these days. What could go wrong?
UPDATE 2:08 PM
British columnist Melanie Phillips discusses this story in her Friday column.
Really, Britain is displaying the geopolitical equivalent of an auto-immune disease – attacking its friends while embracing its destroyers. One could say that it was ever thus; with the rare exception of Christian Zionist leaders such as Arthur Balfour, Britain has always sided with the Arabs believing that its national interest has always lain with them rather than with the Jews. What’s so unforgiveable is that this is now happening against the backdrop of a global campaign to delegitimise Israel in order to soften up the world for its destruction. In other words, it’s the 1930s all over again; for Britain, history is being repeated not as farce but as tragedy.Read the whole thing.
For sure, there’s another side to this: Britain and Israel remain close allies in the intelligence sphere. But Israel should surely now regard Britain rather as it presumably regards Saudi Arabia – as a hostile entity with which it sometimes has to do business.
Labels: Queen Elizabeth, Sheikh Khalifa, United Arab Emirates, William Hague
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:57 AM
6 Comments:
The only country the Queen won't visit is Israel.
Screw the British. Israel has gotten just well without them ever since the end of the Mandate in the late 1940s.
Go to h*ll UK! The waters up to your ankles and you don't even have an ark!
That the nations of the international community comprise a brothel whose participants sell themselves to the highest bidders is perhaps to be expected, but since when did zonot abandon cheerful adaptation of circumstance to necessity for all this politically correct Islamo-drech sermonizing? The insufferable soundtrack of dhimmidom in the age of Obama.
actually, the UK has been pro-Arab, pro-Muslim since about 1920, both in London and in the mandatory govt in Jerusalem. The pro-Arab, pro-Muslim policy involved all countries and regions where there were conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims. That is, the UK favored Turkey over Greeks and Armenians in the early 1920s, Arabs over Kurds in Iraq [although Kurds are also Muslim], Arab Muslims over non-Arab, non-Muslim Assyrians and Jews in Iraq, Muslims over Copts in Egypt, Muslims over Hindus in India [before independence], etc. One problem is that the USA is now following the old British policy.
well, there was the Suez Operation in '56.
Wasn't Maggie good on Israel? ""Israel must never be expected to jeopardize her security: if she was ever foolish enough to do so, and then suffered for it, the backlash against both honest brokers and Palestinians would be immense - 'land for peace' must also bring peace." and Tony Blair is not a squish, is he?
Very nice! Look up everybody now a global campaign to delegitimise Israel in order to soften up the world for its destruction.Makelaar Den Haag
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