Israeli Arabs and Israeli Jews holding national flags (photo: Reuters)
A classified working paper produced by the European Union (EU), parts of which were obtained by Haaretz , suggests that the EU should consider Israel’s treatment of its Arab population a “core issue, not second tier to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
European diplomats involved in drafting the paper admitted that certain EU countries objected to some of its content. The Czech Republic, Poland, and the Netherlands opposed a number of the paper’s conclusions, including the suggestion that the EU file an official complaint every time the Israeli parliament passes a second reading of a bill which is seen as discriminatory against Israeli-Arabs.
The hypocrisy of the EU’s admonishment of Israel’s supposed discrimination against its Arab population is astonishing. Are they forgetting about the 2,000-year history of discrimination, persecution, and attempted annihilation of Europe’s minority Jewish population? And what about the EU’s own discriminatory practices against Europe’s Muslim population?
In a controversial referendum in 2009, out of concern about the rise of Islam’s influence in Europe, the Swiss voted to ban the construction of minarets (towers on mosques) in their country. Earlier this year, France became the first European country to enforce a ban on burqas. In France, a Muslim woman wearing a burqa in public could face a fine of 150 euros (nearly $200). Other EU countries considering a burqa ban include Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, and Great Britain. And in 2010, the British parliament nixed plans to build Europe’s largest mosque, citing its size and location as the reason.
Interestingly, there are no burqa bans in Israel, and Israel has no policy of banning the construction of minarets. In the Jewish state, Arabs have the right to vote and elect leaders to the Knesset (Israeli parliament). Israeli-Arabs have their own political parties. Arabs have their own newspapers and enjoy full rights of citizenship, which include freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and of course, freedom of religion.
Before the EU embarks on a campaign to delegitimize Israel as a democratic state because of its supposed mistreatment of its Israeli-Arab population, it should note that Arabs enjoy more religious freedoms in the Jewish state than they do in Europe.
A study conducted by Harvard University in 2008 found that 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world. This inconvenient truth exposes Europe’s championing of Israeli-Arab rights as an exercise rooted in propaganda. Given the fact that most Israeli-Arabs are happy living in Israel, and that they enjoy the same rights as any citizen of the Jewish state while minorities in nearly all Arab countries are oppressed, why is the EU expending its resources to vilify the only democracy in the Middle East?
What do you think?
7:09 pm
I wonder why the EU doesn’t come out more strongly against Syria. Let’s see the EU do something there. I bet nothing, why, maybe because Syria will shoot EU planes out of the sky. It’s easy to pick and choose when your cowards.
12:16 am
“why is the EU expending its resources to vilify the only democracy in the Middle East?”
Because MOST politicians are cowards. It is easier to lay the blame on the guy that ISN’T threatening to blow you up; conversely, it is better in their minds to appease the one that IS. Sadly, the Churchill’s and the Reagans are few and far between. We need to pray for strong, moral and courageous replacements for leaders in the EU- as well as B. Hussein Obama. Shalom.
7:46 pm
prophecy will be fulfilled—how many read the scriptures ?
5:24 pm
Right ON Melanie ! According to scripture,this world is SO CLOSE to wrapping up,and so many Christians cannot see that fact.
God bless you Lady.
2:05 pm
It’s easy to be anti-Israel when you are sitting in your comfortable Euro country when you don’t fear a rocket coming tonight to blow you all to pieces.