June 15, 2012, 7:04 AM
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With her unbridled hostility towards Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton provides us with an abject lesson in what happens when a government places its emotional aspirations above its national interests.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, many of Israel's elite have aspired to be embraced by Europe. In recent years, nearly every government has voiced the hope of one day seeing Israel join the EU.
To a significant degree, Israel's decision to recognize the PLO in 1993 and negotiate with Yasser Arafat and his deputies was an attempt by Israel's political class to win acceptance from the likes of Ashton and her continental comrades. For years the EU had criticized Israel for refusing to recognize the PLO.
Until 1993, Israel's leaders defied Europe because they could tell the difference between a national interest and an emotional aspiration and preferred the former over the latter. And now, Israel's reward for preferring European love to our national interest and embracing our sworn enemy is Catherine Ashton.
To put it mildly, Ashton is not a friend of Israel. Indeed, she is so ill-disposed against Israel that she seems unable to focus for long on anything other than bashing it. Her obsession was prominently displayed in March when she was unable to give an unqualified condemnation of the massacre of French Jewish children by a French Muslim. Ashton simply had to use her condemnation as yet another opportunity to bash Israel.
Her preoccupation with Israel was again on display on Tuesday. During a boilerplate, vacuous speech about President Bashar Assad's slaughter of his fellow Syrians, apropos of nothing the baroness launched into an unhinged, impassioned, and deeply dishonest frontal assault against Israel.
The woman US President Barack Obama has empowered to lead the West's negotiations with Iran regarding its illicit nuclear weapons program stood at the podium in the European Parliament and threw an anti-Israel temper tantrum.
The same woman who couldn't be bothered to finish her speech about Assad's massacre of children, the same woman who is so excited about her Iranian negotiating partners' body language that she doesn't think it is necessary to give them an ultimatum about ending their quest for a nuclear bomb, seemed to lack a sufficiently harsh vocabulary to express her revulsion with Jewish "settlers."
As she put it, "We are also seriously concerned by recent and increasing incidents of settler violence which we all condemn."
It's not clear what "recent and increasing incidents of settler violence" she was referring to. But in all likelihood, she didn't have a specific incident in mind. She probably just figured that those sneaky Jews are always up to no good.
ASIDE FROM condemning imaginary Israeli crimes more emphatically than real Syrian crimes, Ashton's speech involved a presentation of the EU's policy on Israel and the Palestinians.
That policy is based on three premises: The EU falsely claims that all Israeli communities beyond the 1949 armistice lines are illegal.
It rejects Israel's legal right to assert its authority over Area C - the area of Judea and Samaria that is empty of Palestinian population centers.
And it will only soften its anti-Israel positions if the Palestinians do so first.
Aside from its jaw-dropping animosity towards Israel, what is notable about the EU's position is that it is actually far more hostile to Israel than the Palestinians' position towards Israel as that position was revealed in the agreements that the Palestinians signed with Israel in the past. In those agreements, the Palestinians accepted continued sole Israeli control over Area C. They did not require Israel to end the construction of Jewish communities outside the 1949 armistice lines. The peace process ended when the Palestinians moved closer to the EU's position.
The EU's antipathy towards Israel as personified in Ashton's behavior teaches us two important lessons. First, it is often hard to tell our friends from our foes. Israelis - particularly those born to families that emigrated from Europe - have traditionally viewed Europe as the last word in enlightened democracy and sophistication and style. We wanted to be like them. We wanted to be accepted by them.
Indeed we were so swept away by the thought that they might one day love us back that we adopted policies that were inimical to our national interest and so weakened us tremendously.
It never occurred to us that the fact that Europe insisted that we adopt policies that undercut our national survival meant that the Europeans wished us ill.
They seemed so nice.
The second thing we learn from Ashton's anti-Israel mania is that when we engage in foreign policy, we need to base our judgments about our ability to influence the behavior of our foreign counterparts on a sober-minded assessment of two separate things: our interlocutor's ideology and his interests. In Ashton's case, both parameters make clear that there is no way to win her over to Israel's side. She is ideologically opposed to Israel. And the citizens of Europe are becoming more and more hostile to Israel and to Jews.
These twin parameters for judging foreign leaders and representatives came to mind on Wednesday with the publication of State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss's critical report on the government's handling of the Turkish-government supported, pro-Hamas flotilla in May 2010. Perhaps the most remarkable revelation in the report is that up until a week before the flotilla set sail, led by the infamous Mavi Marmara, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was under the impression that he had reached a deal with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Netanyahu believed that through third parties, including the US government and then-Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, he had convinced Erdogan to cancel the flotilla. He had a deal.
The fact that Netanyahu thought he had a deal with Erdogan is startling and unnerving. It means that Netanyahu was willing to ignore the basic facts of Erdogan's nature and the way that Erdogan perceives his interests, in favor of a fiction.
By May 2010 it was abundantly clear that Erdogan was not a friend of Israel. He had been in power for eight years. He had already ended Turkey's strategic alliance with Israel. In 2006, Erdogan was the first major international leader and NATO member to host Hamas terror chief Ismail Haniyeh. His embrace of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood made clear that he was Israel's enemy. It is a simple fact that you cannot be allied with Israel and with the Muslim Brotherhood at the same time. The same year he allowed Iran to use Turkish territory to transfer weaponry to Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War.
In 2008, Erdogan openly sided with Hamas against Israel in Operation Cast Lead. In 2009, he called President Shimon Peres a murderer to his face.
By the time the flotilla was organized, Erdogan had used Turkey's position as a NATO member to effectively end the US-led alliance's cooperative relationship with Israel, by refusing to participate in military exercises with Israel.
THE NATURE OF the flotilla organizers was also known in the months ahead of its departure for Gaza. The IHH's ties to al-Qaida had been documented. Netanyahu's staff knew that the IHH was so extreme that the previous Turkish government had barred its operatives from participating in humanitarian relief efforts after the devastating 1999 earthquake. They feared the group would use its relief efforts to radicalize the local population.
In and of itself, the fact that Erdogan was openly supporting IHH's leading role in the flotilla told Israel everything it needed to know about the Turkish leader's intentions. And yet, up until a week before the flotilla set sail, Netanyahu was operating under the impression that he had struck a deal with Erdogan.
It is likely that Netanyahu was led to believe that a deal had been crafted by the Americans.
Obama is not the only American leader that has been seduced into believing that Erdogan and his Islamist AKP Party are trustworthy strategic partners for the US. Many key members of Congress share this delusional view.
According to a senior congressional source, Turkey's success in winning over the US Congress is the result of a massive Turkish lobbying effort. Through two or three front groups, the Turkish government has become one of the most active lobbying bodies in Washington. It brings US lawmakers and their aides on luxury trips to Turkey and hosts glittering, glamorous receptions and parties in Washington on a regular basis. And these efforts have paid off.
Turkey's bellicosity towards Israel as well as Greece and Cyprus has caused it no harm in Washington. Its request to purchase a hundred F-35 Joint Strike Fighters faced little serious opposition. The US continues to bow to its demands to disinvite Israel from international forum after international forum - most recently the upcoming US-hosted counter-terrorism summit in Istanbul.
Certainly Turkey's strategic transformation under Erdogan's leadership from a pro-Western democracy into an anti-Western Islamist police state has dire implications for American national interests. And the Americans would be well-served to look beyond the silken invitations to Turkish formal events at five-star hotels and see what is actually happening in the sole Muslim NATO member-state. But whether the US comes to its senses or not is its business.
Israel had no business buying into the fiction in 2010 that Erdogan could be reasoned with.
True, today no one in Israel operates under that delusion anymore. But the basic phenomenon of our leaders failing to distinguish between what they want to happen and what can happen continues to exist.
Ours is a dangerous world and an even more dangerous neighborhood. Everywhere we look we see cauldrons of radicalism and sophisticated weaponry waiting to explode. The threat environment Israel faces today is unprecedented.
At this time we cannot afford to be seduced by our dreams that things were different than they are. They are what they are.
We do have options in this contest. To maximize those options we need to ground our actions and assessments in clear-headed analyses and judgments of the people we are faced with. Their actions will be determined by their beliefs and their perception of their interests - not by our pretty face.
Originally published in The Jerusalem Post.
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Excellent and on target as usual. Catherine Ashton is only part of the problem. You make an interesting statement, "Israelis - particularly those born to families that emigrated from Europe - have traditionally viewed Europe as the last word in enlightened democracy and sophistication and style. We wanted to be like them. We wanted to be accepted by them." This is not just an issue in Israel, but is also ongoing among American Jews also. This might also account for the fact that many assimilated American Jews are divorced from the Jewish State. They view themselves as far superior to "those arrogant Israeli Jews." These same Jews rather than give support to Israel, every Jew's spiritual home, place their allegiance in men like Barack Obama and his "allies" who if given the chance would destroy us all G-d forbid.
It's time for some changes in the Israeli government. Antisemitism in Europe is ongoing and escalating daily. Turkey, a former ally has aligned herself with the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt has all but given up a hard won peace treaty beneficial to both her and Israel. We have an American president who does not even make a serious pretense at liking us. These are only a few of the issues jeopardizing the existence of the Jewish state. What catastrophe will it take to open our eyes to the truth, but for G-d, we are on our own.
Thanks once again Caroline for a job well done. Shabbat shalom and a blessed weekend to you and family.
'We do have options in this contest'
Since when do puppets who just follow orders have options ?
The faith challenged cowards in Jerusalem have only one order from their god Hussein O.;
Sit on hands and wait for green light.
These turncoat Jewish lackeys and slaves are given trinkets and medals for their unswerving obedience and that is enough to buy their loyalty and treacherous betrayal of the nation they are supposed to protect and serve.... but then Israel's wimpy,fearful,effeminate,secular losers leaders are just a reflection of the rotting, aimless nation and that is why Jonathan Pollard remains in the American Gulag after 27 years and why Shimon wet his pants when his god honored him this week.
Caroline, you say it best.
It's no doubt a dangerous world and Israel has to be sure who her friends are and avoid those who claim to be her friends.
You will know your friends not by words but rather by their actions.
A friend will treat you like a friend and will support you without question.
I said before the US has a president who is not a friend of Israel and he cannot be trusted. Forget what he says, WATCH WHAT HE DOES . He embraces Islam and the MB.
Israel must and I mean must maintain a strong viable military, one that will retaliate swiftly with devastation. Her enemies will think twice before they consider bringing harm to Israel and her people.
The leadership has to consider and do what is best for Israel and her people and not be influenced by outsiders.
It is a dangerous world and we pray G-d will defuse it.
Caroline, somebody in Israel does still try to persuade us that Erdogan can be reasoned with. That's Alon Liel, husband of Rahel Liel of New Israel Fund notoriety. Alon Liel was on Israel Radio [IBA radio] in English a few weeks ago arguing that if only Israel had apologized to Turkey for killing the innocents on the Marmara, then Turkey would not have indicted our officers for "war crimes." Liel is a dangerous fool.
"Obama is not the only American leader that has been seduced into believing that Erdogan and his Islamist AKP Party are trustworthy strategic partners for the US."
Wrong on that, Caroline. Obama is not seduced. He identifies with Erdogan's position.
I read "Eurabia" by Bat Ye'or.
After reading "Eurabia" it should be crystal clear to everyone that the EU is the mortal enemy of Israel and the United States as well.
It was initially a French project and it was created to be a world power and a rival to the United States.
Everyone should be able to understand the antipathy that de Gaulle and the French felt towards the US after WWII.
The fundamental idea of the EU is to reestablish the French Mediterranean empire uniting France, Europe and the African countries bordering the Mediterranean.
It's fundamental to the EU to accept and integrate Islam into this European, Mediterranean, African Empire.
The Europeans in charge of this project willfully forfeited Western Civilization in return for the integration of the Arabs and Islam into their dream of a Mediterranean empire, it was the price of admission the Arabs demanded.
Accepting Islam, and everything that goes with it, means rejecting Israel.
Catherine Ashton is the perfect dhimmi to spearhead the EU project to destroy Israel.
The most telling statement in your excellent article, Caroline is: "The woman US President Barack Obama has empowered to lead the West's negotiations with Iran regarding its illicit nuclear weapons program stood at the podium in the European Parliament and threw an anti-Israel temper tantrum."
Obama has practiced the Iranian strategy of employing proxies that effectively provides deny-ability yet advances the root's true position. Pay heed to this Israel when deciding the RED LINE problem between your nation and the OOO.
As Moshe Ya'alon stated in the 6/15/12 article appearing in the Haaretz, "...we are in a situation that necessitates a daily check" referring to Iran's nuclear progress. Do not become myopic and disregard the stench that originates in Washington and surrounds Ashton. Ya'alon is right on the daily check. And your connection of Ashton to Obama is not a point to be taken lightly.
Caroline, you and others also seem to forget, that in the year before the Marmara, Turkey had begun broadcasting on their national network, TV shows that painted Israeli military as child-killing monsters. This was the change in the tide, not the Marmara. The Turkish public opinion had been prepared before the flotilla action was taken.
At least Shimon Peres showed up in DC to get another award - for who knows what - and a fancy dinner with the Obamas while Pollard who worked for Israel under his watch sits and rots.
Well you are in luck. The European Union is on the verge of collapse and nothing can save it. It will take them decades to climb out of the economic hole they have dug for themselves.
Thank The Maker Israel figured out that full up socialism was a dead end a few decades ago. The Euros might have saved themselves a lot of trouble had they followed Israel's example. And then there is the demographic collapse already in train. The sick man of Europe is Europe.
Caroline
It is shocking to witness how this pro “Muslim Brotherhood” US Administration’s agenda is marching on to the point of being capable of stabbing in the back its most strategic Western Ally in the region!: Israel. Without Israel, our Western Civilization both in Europe or Northern America is threatened! If Israel goes “down” we all “go down with Israel” and the sad observation is the fact that we are being blindly led to the geopolitical slaughter by “political correct” fools like Mrs. Catherin Ashton and President Barack Obama both not able to differentiate geopolitical daylight from night!
1948 & 1967 should be reviewed by both Ashton & Obama: What happened is unprecedented in the battle stories of the world: Israel undertaking three countries in 6 days (not 7 as a little side note). History recorded that Israel attacked its 3 Arab neighbors (Syria: Golan Heights, Jordan: Judea &Samaria & Egypt: Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula) in an act of retaliation since Jordan had already joined a war started by Egypt & Syria in order to destroy the country of Israel! There was no state of Palestine in 1948 neither in 1967: A question foolish political moron Ashton should earnestly ask herself: was there even a country or state named Palestine in Middle Eastern history? Judea & Samaria were both occupied and renamed "West-bank" by Jordan, who did try to destroy the country of Israel, which was just established in 1948! It is also worth remembering that the legality of Jordan's occupation was never recognized or accepted. Since Jordan never had a legal claim to Judea & Samaria and Palestine did not exit, to whom did this territory belong to in the first place? Mr. Obama and his “Pro-Muslim” administration shamefully demanding Israel to get back to its 1967 borders is actually “politically not correct”! There is no legality for a state of Palestine squatting on Israeli territory given to them by Almighty G-d in the first place anyhow! They are merely squatting in the region as one of my Jewish friends rightly says: politically not correct? Probably not but there is no sound evidence of a “Palestinian” country, culture and language except the one of violence and terrorism! Israel has only one ally left: G-d and He is a fundamental Rock Israel should turn back to in order to be miraculously protected as there is no other way out!
One last thought: Beyond Edom having terrorized Israel to this very day since the first conflict in Exodus 17:8, beware of Germany: not an ally whom Israel should be trusting either: remember their Assyrian ancestry?
Thank you for a very well written and researched article.
Shabbat shalom to you and your family
Marcel, thank you for your post.
Israel should never apologize for it's reasonable and appropriate response to The Erdogan Gaza Floatilla. They may continually plan and threaten a repeat but alas, never try that again. Because they know they are the ones who are going home deceased.
It was an act of war on Turkey's part and they are lucky the Israelis are so rational, because if it had been any other near proximity neighbor it would have resulted in a war.
I can not wait to see how Israel's relations with Greece develop. I am very hopeful.
The EU concept is a failure. Ashton should be the subject of an Israeli Movie for TV. I think the absolute best person to portray Ashton is Tzippy Livni. They are both 10+ for 10 on the Ugly Inside and Out scale. Ashton can see Livni today as Ashton tomorrow. A cheap has been hack.
It is unfortunate that a woman like Livni, is the one to get so close to The PM's residence. Israeli women should have rejected her as a detriment to the advancement of women in Israeli Public life. Kudos to Caroline Glick for not following into that trap, but on the contrary, brought attention to Livni as a discrepancy. Caroline played an important role in educating the Israeli public as to what they could expect from a Prime Minister Livni. No doubt in my mind, Caroline saved Israeli lives just on this one issue.
Ashton is a disgrace and a complete embarrassment, an unelected intellectually challenged par venue who was parachuted into this 'job'.
Didn't the Baroness work for a USSR-financed anti-nuke operation in the 1980's that she refuses to discuss?
"With her unbridled hostility towards Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton" - There's a difference between an honest fool and an opportunistic one: the first deserves some compassion, the second, profound contempt and fastidious distance.
Catherine Ashton is a professional Israel hater who says what she does to tickle the ear of her leftist comrades. Ashton's rabid words concerning the Toulouse murders were said at the same time that sensible French citizens were honoring and mourning the victims. Her words went far beyond insensitive.
Politicians like Ashton gush glowingly about the PA and constantly excuse their atrocious behavior. They are also first to accuse Israel of "war crimes" when Israel has to defend itself against terrorism. I remember when the United States went after the Marcos family for embezzling foreign aid. If the U.S. and E.U. had any sense, they would go after the thieving leaders of the P.A. for titanic fraud. Not only that, charge their leaders for war crimes for gross human rights abuse and sponsoring terrorism.
Obama is a vocal champion of Turkey's bid to join the EU. This alone tells you where his true intentions lie.