Posted on 12/03/2012 8:06:57 AM PST by Former Fetus
Britain and France have summoned their Israeli ambassadors to protest Israel's decision to authorize housing construction in the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem.
The ambassadors were summoned Monday amid reports that the two countries would recall their envoys in Israel for consultations.
Sweden also has summoned its Israel ambassador, according to reports.
"We deplore the recent Israeli government decision to build 3,000 new housing units and unfreeze development in the E1 block," the British Foreign Office said in a statement, threatening a "strong reaction" if construction goes ahead. "This threatens the viability of the two-state solution."
The E1 corridor, which connects Jerusalem to the large Maaleh Adumim settlement, is a piece of land that the Palestinians say is necessary to keep the borders of their as yet-established Palestinian state contiguous.
Unnamed European Union officials reportedly denied reports that the United Kingdom may cancel trade agreements with Israel, and France's Foreign Ministry said it would not recall its ambassador to Israel.
The EU officials are quoted as telling The Marker, an Israeli financial daily, on Monday that the UK has no independent trade agreements with Israel, and that its trade with Israel is anchored in the European Union's trade agreement with Israel. The UK has not made any request to change the European Union's trade agreement, the officials added.
A statement by the French Embassy in Tel Aviv on Monday denied reports by Haaretz that France is considering recalling its Israeli ambassador due to Israel's announcement, a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
"France has other means to express its protest," the French Embassy in Tel Aviv wrote in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at the weekly Cabinet meeting that Israel will continue to build in Jerusalem "and in all the places that are on the map of Israel's strategic interests."
The authorization for the housing planning reportedly was made by the nine-member security Cabinet on the evening of Nov. 29 in the hours after the United Nations General Assembly approved enhanced observer statehood status for the Palestinians.
The approval also has been condemned by the United States and the United Nations, in addition to other European countries.
If Israel is meeching and half-hearted, of course these nation-scoundrels will beat them up. If instead, Israel greets their interference by declaring that they are *causing* Israel to do even more, then it will turn the tables on the Euros.
Yeah, they'll waive their usual white flag and do a strongly worded letter. How can anyone take these people seriously?
Is France threatening Israel because of the pressure exerted by its (France’s) huge muslim population?
Rant
Europe. I’m sick to death of Europe. They love to call us bigots. Yet, how many Prime Ministers and MPs in Europe have been black or Jewish or Asian? How often have you seen a black German? Oh, that’s right. Blacks can’t be citizens of Germany. Only people of German descent can be citizens. When’s the last time you saw a jewish official from France. Eff Europe. Eff France. They think they are the zoning authority for Israel? Never forget Dreyfus. They’ve never changed. The average frenchman during WWII was an even more effective persecuter of jews than the average German.
No matter what Israel does those filthy European anti-semites are gonna complain. They apparently want the jews slaughtered too, no matter their fancy suits and pretenses. Evil today clucks it’s tongue and wears
a fancy suit while sitting at a conference table speaking softly. Eff Europe.
/rant
“This threatens the viability of the two-state solution.”
What “two states”?????
Israel has been a recognized sovereign country...Palestine has NEVER, in history, been recognized as a sovereign state..
NEVER...........
A question for the British, French and Swedish hypocrites, and I hope they have lurkers here:
Did you immediately summon the representative from Hamas or from the Palestinian authority as soon as the latest barrage of missiles started flying from Gaza into Israel, and did you make a public display/annoucement of it??
Burning cars has a wonderful quality of clearing one’s mind and getting one’s priorities straight. /Sarkozy
We had Benjamin Disraeli as PM as far back as 1874. We have plenty of non-white MPs, but Britain (and in Europe generally) non-white communities have only really existed in significant numbers since the 1950s, outside the port cities. Nevertheless, Britain did have a few black mayors during the early 1900s.
How often have you seen a black German? Oh, thats right. Blacks cant be citizens of Germany. Only people of German descent can be citizens.
This is just not true. Adolf Hitler left office in Germany quite some time ago now.
Whens the last time you saw a jewish official from France. Eff Europe. Eff France. They think they are the zoning authority for Israel? Never forget Dreyfus. Theyve never changed. The average frenchman during WWII was an even more effective persecuter of jews than the average German."
Pierre Mendes France and Leon Blum were both Jewish and Prime Ministers of France in the 1950s and 1930s/40s respectively, others have been senior cabinet-level politicians. No bad considering they make up only 3.6% of the population.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.