EU Redefines "Occupation"

Could it be that from "Occupation I", that is, Israel administration of Judea and Samaria, the EU is moving on to an "Occupation II", pre-Green Line Israel?

Consider this:

Secret EU paper aims to tackle Israel's treatment of Arab minority

The paper approves a move in which the EU would consider Israel's treatment of its Arab population a 'core issue', and not second tier to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As Haaretz notes:

This is an unprecedented document in that it deals with internal Israeli issues. According to European diplomats and senior Foreign Ministry officials, it was written and sent to EU headquarters in Brussels behind the back of the Israeli government.

The suggestion in that report, initiated by the UK, include

that the EU file an official protest every time a bill discriminating against Arabs passes a second reading in the Knesset, and that the EU ensure that all Arab towns have completed urban plans, "with each member state potentially 'adopting' a municipality to this end."

The idea at the basis of this approach is that

"The stalemate in the peace process, and the continuing occupation, inevitably has an impact on the identification of Israeli Arabs with Israel," the document states. "It will be more difficult for Israeli Arabs to be wholly at ease with their identity while the conflict with the Palestinians continues...We should emphasize that addressing inequality within Israel is integral to Israel's long-term stability,"

As was pointed out to me, this next section is most dangerous in that it seeks to undermine a UN recommendation, and previous international legal decisions to define Israel as a "Jewish state":-

"We do not believe that recognition of Israel as a Jewish State should detract in any way from the vision of equality for all its citizens enshrined in its founding documents," the report says.

"It is in the interests of all Israelis to demonstrate that Israel is not only Jewish and democratic, but tolerant and inclusive, and that these are patriotic values. We believe in common with most Israelis that Israeli nationality is an inclusive concept which can accommodate equally those of other faiths and ethnic origins."

"Equality" was not part of our founding documents. The League of Nations Mandate decision reads in its relevant sections on this matter:

it being clearly understood that nothing should be done which might prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country;

and

safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and religion.

and

The privileges and immunities of foreigners, including the benefits of consular jurisdiction and protection as formerly enjoyed by Capitulation or usage in the Ottoman Empire, shall not be applicable in Palestine.

and

The Mandatory shall be responsible for seeing that the judicial system established in Palestine shall assure to foreigners, as wen as to natives, a complete guarantee of their rights. Respect for the personal status of the various peoples and communities and for their religious interests shall be fully guaranteed.

In Article 11, there is this:

The Administration may arrange with the Jewish agency mentioned in Article 4 to construct or operate, upon fair and equitable terms, any public works, services and utilities, and to develop any of the natural resources of the country, in so far as these matters are not directly undertaken by the Administration.

"Equality" is mentioned as regards matters of commerce and archaeological excavations:

The Mandatory shall adhere on behalf of the Administration of Palestine to any general international conventions already existing, or which may be concluded hereafter with the approval of the League of Nations, respecting the slave traffic, the traffic in arms and ammunition, or the traffic in drugs, or relating to commercial equality...

...This law shall ensure equality of treatment in the matter of excavations and archaeological research to the nations of all States Members of the League of Nations.

The EU response was:

"This report was prepared to stimulate thinking at the EU level on how the EU might engage constructively with governmental and non-governmental interlocutors in Israel with respect to an issue that has been identified in the EU –Israel Action Plan as a shared value, namely to 'promote and protect rights of minorities, including enhancing political, economic, social and cultural opportunities for all citizens and lawful residents,'"

This is nothing if not interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state that possesses an independent judiciary, democratic change of government through regular elections, open organizational affiliaition, right of free expression and assembly, etc.

EU could do better to learn from Israel and, of course, act they way they want Israel to do in their own countries.

^

This Is Not Israel

News from Germany:

The German state of Hesse has become the first in the country to impose a ban on the full Islamic face veil for public sector workers.

The western state had already stopped teachers and civil servants wearing headscarves to work in 2004.

The case was brought after a woman working for the city of Frankfurt said she did not intend to reveal her face on her return from maternity leave.

A similar ban is being considered in Lower Saxony, local media report.

^

Good Reading, Thinking and Deliberating

In an article by the person detained by the police at the famous Washington snowball fight last week, I found this:

In his book "Here, the People Rule," Harvard law professor Richard Parker eloquently defends the "political energy" of "ordinary people": "Government must not only be responsible to ordinary people. . . . It, above all, must be responsive to them -- not just occasionally, but systemically."

And in a year-old op-ed, I found this:

The media elites really hate that idea [of McCain/Palin winning] because they like telling us what’s going to happen. They’re always annoyed when the people cross them up...

Why do elites like to proclaim premature closure — not just in elections, but also in wars and in social struggles? Because it makes them the imperial arbiters, or at least the perspicacious announcers, of what history is going to bring. This puts the elite prognosticators ahead of the curve, ahead of the simple-minded people who might entertain the delusion that they still have a choice.

and suggest you read this paper of Parker wherein he writes:

the “first principle” of popular sovereignty is that it is a practice...contingent and context-bound...never “authoritatively” established, never finally realized in “law,” a living practice whose meaning and destiny is always up to the political will, energy and acuity, the strength and the luck, of the living...we should not only avoid political correctness, but violate it. Specifically, if we believe that the existence of “the people” depends on the prior
development of “a people” and “one people,” we should be wary of promoting fashionable separatist versions of what is called multiculturalism. We should, instead, promote assimilation. We should promote patriotism, too.

I think, given the latest government decisions in Israel that the above makes for very good reading - and thinking and deliberating.

Building Democracy, Forming State Institutions, Laying the Foundation for Human Rights and Civil Liberties

Okay, so all that title was BS:-

The Palestinian Authority banned the television network Al Jazeera on Wednesday from operating in the West Bank and said it was taking legal action against it after the broadcast of accusations that the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, left, had taken part in the murder of his predecessor, Yasir Arafat...The Palestinian Authority said that this was slander and incitement and that the network would be banned until a court ruled in the case.

There has long been tension between the Palestinian Authority and Al Jazeera, based in Qatar, because of accusations that it has favored Hamas in its reporting...

..The network’s bureau chief in Ramallah, Walid al-Omari, accused the authorities of “a severe violation of freedom of expression.”

Would a Rape Crisis Center Be Relevant?

Following this, we have this:-

The U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv is pleased to announce the 2008 small grants competition funded by the State Department’s U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI). We are looking for innovative, small projects that promote reform and develop civil society. NGOs and private sector organizations working within the minority and/or marginalized communities in Israel are invited to submit proposals that focus on advancing one or more of the four MEPI pillars in those communities:
Political Reform / Economic Reform / Education Reform / Women's Empowerment

PROPOSALS ARE DUE BY THURSDAY, January 31, 2008
PROJECT GUIDELINES

The project must be completed within 12-month period.
Grant requests must be in the $10,000-$25,000 range.
The budget should give priority to program-related activities or materials rather than salaries and administrative costs. Food and refreshments (including alcoholic beverages), entertainment, office rental and utilities, and construction costs cannot be funded.
Proposals related more to conflict resolution, coexistence and reconciliation, while extremely worthwhile, cannot be submitted in response to this solicitation.
The project proposal must be concretely focused on advancing reform in one of the four MEPI pillars above.
In accordance with U.S. law, all signed grants will include a clause prohibiting transactions with organizations that support or are involved in terrorist activity.

Source.