Israel Matzav

Non-existent 'state' sends 'ambasador' to European country

Incoming Chairwoman of the House Foreign Relations Committee Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fl) has blasted Brazil for its severely misguided and regrettable decision to recognize the imaginary state of 'Palestine.'

Brazil's decision "is regrettable and will only serve to undermine peace and security in the Middle East," charged Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ros-Lehtinen, set to chair the panel come January, said "responsible nations" would wait to take such a step until Palestinians return to direct talks with Israel and recognize its "right to exist as a Jewish state."

Congressman Elliot Engel (D-NY) also blasted Brazil.

Brazil's decision also drew fire from Democratic Representative Eliot Engel, who said it "is severely misguided and represents a last gasp by a Lula-led foreign policy which was already substantially off track."

Engel tied the move to Lula's "coddling" of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and warned that Brazil "wants to establish itself as a voice in the world, but is making the wrong choices as it tries to do so."

"One can only hope that the new leadership coming into Brazil will change course and understand that this is not the way to gain favor as an emerging power or to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council."

Engel is co-chairman of the Brazil caucus in Congress.

I wonder if either of them is aware that another US ally received an 'ambassador' from the imaginary state of 'Palestine' on Friday.

French president Nikolas Sarkozy received credentials for the first Palestinian ambassador to France Hayil Al-Fahoum on Friday, following an upgrade to the status of the Palestinian mission in Paris in June.

In a summer move seen to support Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plan to establish a Palestinian state by 2012, Paris moved to change the status of the Palestinian general commission to a Palestine Mission.

Arab diplomatic sources said Sarkozy, when he accepted the credentials, stated the necessity of continuing the peace process in the Middle East, and applauded President Mahmoud Abbas' vision during the progress of the talks. He urged all sides to continue with the goal of establishing a viable Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in safety and security.

Al-Fahoum was previously the Palestinian representative in Germany and appointed the commissioner to the PLO office in Paris in 2010.

What could go wrong?

Labels: France, Hayil al-Fahoum, Nicolai Sarkozy, Palestine

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:12 AM