Posted on 06/07/2005 11:58:31 AM PDT by Libertarian Jim
Israel need not pay much attention to Europe, which is using its Middle East policy to separate itself from the US, has a tendency toward appeasement and is largely pro-Palestinian, former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar told The Jerusalem Post Monday.
"Europe likes appeasement very much; this is one of the most important differences between us and the States," Aznar said in an interview on the Bar-Ilan University campus. "Europeans don't like any problems. They prefer appeasement."
The strongly pro-American Aznar, who bucked public sentiment in Spain and backed US President George W. Bush's war in Iraq, served as prime minister from 1996-2004. He is currently in the country for Bar-Ilan's jubilee celebration, at which he will receive an honorary doctorate on Tuesday.
Aznar said Europe had no chance of independently impacting on the situation in the Middle East and would be wise to work closely with the US. "Do we Europeans have the capacity to change the situation and influence this area? The answer is no," he said.
Aznar said that European policy was "not favorable to Israel," and that different political leaders in Europe used the Middle East question as a way to establish a different identity from the US.
"In Europe, Israel is not very popular, not only this government, all governments," he said. "Most Europeans support the Palestinian cause. Europeans sincerely wish for a peace agreement and support the peace process, but the reality is that the peace process is closed. At this moment I think that Europe should work closely with the States, because that is the only opportunity to change the region."
Asked if Israel should, as a result, pay attention to the US, but not necessarily to Europe, Aznar succinctly replied: "Certainly." He said that the French and Dutch rejection of the EU constitution last week provided the EU a good opportunity to reform its polices and move away from the isolationist, anti-Americanism that he said defined much of its foreign policy.
Oops! Mis-spelled him name in the title. My bad.
That's a man right there. I wish he could get another crack at running that mixed up country...
I second that motion!
I wonder if the Spaniards are suffering any 'buyer's remorse', ye? (little shoe)
They seem to be a country split down the middle. Hopefully the socialist government will be a passing fad.
ummmmm...his party the PP urged us to vote "Yes" to the European Constitution. (not that that has any relation to the Israel situation)
I wonder if he'd be interested in being a U.S. Senator from the state of New York?
But Isn't he better than Mr Bean ?
True...it's rare for European center-right politicians to be as democratic-laissez-faire as American Republicans, but he's about as good as it gets.
One way Europe could affect the Middle East is to stop sending money to Palestinians.
Or giving state funerals to criminal terrorists such as that pig Arafat.
Maybe the French could finish that investigation of Suha Arafat's financial transactions.
It's almost unbelieveable Spain can go from him to Zappy, but then we went from Clinton to Bush. Countries can shift pretty dramatically in short periods.
Until they come to their senses (if ever) Aznar is always welcome here. I do love how he is out knocking the EU and Zappy though. LOL
Yeah, I don't like it when the Clinton's do it to Bush but it's slightly different in this instance. Zappy won because Spain caved to terrorists. He's fair game.
Buyers remorse?
I think so.
A few days ago 850 000 people demonstrated in Madrid against Zappatero who they claimed is too soft on the ETA terrorists.
It's great advice. I already do ignore Europe, and I'm extremely happy about it. The only good thing to come out of Europe were the ships taking our ancestors away from that useless continent.
Well, that's good news, anyway!
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