At a dinner that took place several years ago, attended by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the president of one of the South American countries, the latter raised the possibility that his country would recognize a Palestinian state. When asked by the president for his opinion, Kissinger responded with a question: “What for?”
This week the Norwegian foreign minister gave an answer to Kissinger’s question in response to the decision Norway made, together with Spain and Ireland, to recognize a Palestinian state. According to the foreign minister, the decision was influenced by the nature of the current government in Israel, its policy on the Palestinian issue, and its support for the establishment of new settlements. The three countries are leading the Western countries in the current wave of recognition. Slovenia, Malta, and likely Belgium are expected to follow. It is assumed that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission will continue his tireless efforts to achieve an EU-wide decision on the issue. As of today, given the position of Germany, Hungary, and Austria, the chances of this are not high.
As expected, an angry Israeli reaction was not long in coming. Besides returning the Israeli ambassadors for consultations, the foreign minister summoned the ambassadors of the three countries for a reprimand. He added that Israel will not be complacent against those who, according to him, undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security. The minister stated that the step taken by the three countries is a reward not only for terrorism but also for Hamas and Iran. And if this response is not enough, the minister of finance gave an appropriate “Zionist answer” when he informed the prime minister of his intention to stop the transfer of tax money to the Palestinian Authority and, at the same time, expand construction in the settlements.
Instead of entering into a political dialogue with the European Union (after Israel formulates a political strategy regarding “the day after” that will also include a Palestinian component), and try to harness it for the effort of creating a terror-free reality in Gaza and assisting in the reconstruction efforts, and at the same time aiding in the formation of a regional anti-Iranian coalition, the ministers of foreign affairs and finance choose (apparently with the tacit approval of the prime minister) to threaten those countries (meaningless threats) and “give them the finger” in the form of continued expansion of settlements and measures designed to eliminate the Palestinian Authority. Our chances of succeeding with this approach are doomed to fail.
At a dinner that took place several years ago, attended by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and the president of one of the South American countries, the latter raised the possibility that his country would recognize a Palestinian state. When asked by the president for his opinion, Kissinger responded with a question: “What for?”
This week the Norwegian foreign minister gave an answer to Kissinger’s question in response to the decision Norway made, together with Spain and Ireland, to recognize a Palestinian state. According to the foreign minister, the decision was influenced by the nature of the current government in Israel, its policy on the Palestinian issue, and its support for the establishment of new settlements. The three countries are leading the Western countries in the current wave of recognition. Slovenia, Malta, and likely Belgium are expected to follow. It is assumed that the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Commission will continue his tireless efforts to achieve an EU-wide decision on the issue. As of today, given the position of Germany, Hungary, and Austria, the chances of this are not high.
As expected, an angry Israeli reaction was not long in coming. Besides returning the Israeli ambassadors for consultations, the foreign minister summoned the ambassadors of the three countries for a reprimand. He added that Israel will not be complacent against those who, according to him, undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security. The minister stated that the step taken by the three countries is a reward not only for terrorism but also for Hamas and Iran. And if this response is not enough, the minister of finance gave an appropriate “Zionist answer” when he informed the prime minister of his intention to stop the transfer of tax money to the Palestinian Authority and, at the same time, expand construction in the settlements.
Instead of entering into a political dialogue with the European Union (after Israel formulates a political strategy regarding “the day after” that will also include a Palestinian component), and try to harness it for the effort of creating a terror-free reality in Gaza and assisting in the reconstruction efforts, and at the same time aiding in the formation of a regional anti-Iranian coalition, the ministers of foreign affairs and finance choose (apparently with the tacit approval of the prime minister) to threaten those countries (meaningless threats) and “give them the finger” in the form of continued expansion of settlements and measures designed to eliminate the Palestinian Authority. Our chances of succeeding with this approach are doomed to fail.