Mirc
Not mIRC!!!
I agree with Berrie. I do not live in the EU, at least not ATM (well, I can still hope that we will join EU in January 2007, but nobody knows for sure).
What should the EU's position be on the new escalation in Palestine?
- Thread starter Kyriakos
- Start date
AceChilla
Goedheiligman
The EU should support Isreal, cut any aid to Palestinians and Libanon, and provide military assistance to Isreal whereever needed.
There is one thing the EU shouldn't do, that is critizes Isreal from the sidelines. But that's what it will probabaly come down too.
There is one thing the EU shouldn't do, that is critizes Isreal from the sidelines. But that's what it will probabaly come down too.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
AceChilla said:
I really don't think that Israel requires 'military assistance'.
Israel's military could probably walk right over anything the EU could put together.
Kozmos
Jew Detective
We should do nothing for the either side, let them kill each other all they want.
Simon Darkshade
Mysterious City of Gold
History illustrates that superpower pressure is the deciding factor in halting Middle East conflicts - Suez, The Six Day War, Yom Kippur and to a lesser extent 1982. They all occured within the prism of the bipolar Cold War world.
As such, the only party that would be able to exert influence in a decisive manner at the moment is the hegemon. Second rate or less powers, such as the EU, are left on the sidelines offering condemnation, and passing motions of abhorence - it is the difference between the impact on a football game of a single spectator in the outer, and the coach.
As such, the only party that would be able to exert influence in a decisive manner at the moment is the hegemon. Second rate or less powers, such as the EU, are left on the sidelines offering condemnation, and passing motions of abhorence - it is the difference between the impact on a football game of a single spectator in the outer, and the coach.
Yeeek
Seizing The Day
warpus said:
Eh, with Great Britain and France's Force De Frappe i doubt the US and even China would dare. Mutual annihiliation, remember?
But i agree on your first comment, Israel doesn't require military assistance, however Palestinians civilians could use medical assitance, water, food ect. I'm not siding with either side... This is a very ugly war going on for half a century. I doubt it will ever stop.
amadeus
Bishop of Bio-Dome
What they should do and what they will do are two very different things.
Hotpoint
Rome Treaty Legions
augurey said:
The British never had a fraction of the necessary troops in place nor did they have the proper rules of engagement.
As regards EU effectiveness in the situation compared to Israel, the latter are considered the "enemy" by the Arabs and any action they take just tends to make things worse. It's not a question of firepower its one of intent.
In both public relations terms, and promoting continued conflict, having Israeli Troops and settlers on the lands taken in 1967 is a disaster. The best argument Israel can make for keeping an influence or presence in the West Bank/Gaza Strip/Golan Heights/Lebanon is that they act as a much-needed buffer. If there were a couple of hundred thousand heavily armed European Troops on the border instead the need for a buffer vanishes. It is highly unlikely that Syria, Egypt or anyone else is going to risk finding itself in a shooting war with the EU.
As long as Israeli's remain in the occupied territories there will be friction with the Palestinians. The wall to separate the two is actually a good idea in principle, the problem is that the route they've taken with the thing just antagonises the other party and ruins Israel's image abroad.
People often forget that although the Europeans are now portrayed as being "Anti-Israel" in some quarters this is only really since the Israeli's shot themselves in the foot big-time with their policies since 1967. Always keep in mind that the IDF that won the Six Day War did so riding British supplied Centurion Tanks and flying French supplied Mirage fighters. For that matter it's the fiftieth anniversary this year of the Suez Crisis where Britain and France conspired with Israel to give Nasser's Egypt a hammering and French warplanes were actually supporting the Israeli push into the Sinai.
warpus said:
Methinks you have no idea just how large the combined EU Militaries actually are or how good some of the equipment is. Fighting poorly led Arabs with downgraded T-72's and obsolescent MiG's is a far cry from facing the sort of forces that Europe can field.
In any case they wouldn't be there to fight Israel, they would be there primarily to keep Israel's neighbours out.
Gr3yL3gion
Voice of Madness
EU should supply both sides with arms!!!
the mormegil
Emperor
Let us drink tea and eat scones... (not really I don't like tea)
Well I don't really see what we can do that would help much atm, I guess we have to see how things progress, though it seems they are esculating rather fast (with Lebanon thing), could be all out Middle East war not too far away.
Well I don't really see what we can do that would help much atm, I guess we have to see how things progress, though it seems they are esculating rather fast (with Lebanon thing), could be all out Middle East war not too far away.
CaptainF
The Professional Poster
puglover said:Is this a step up from flag-waving?
But seriously, why do you say that? Do you side with the Palestinians, or do you just think that intervention would not be our best option?
I am slightly sided with the Pal's, yes. But I don't think they are all awesome neither.
Humanity is quite depraved as of now, and that won't change any time soon.
Or at the very least, I do not think that Israel is the effervescently spotless moral column in the desert that many think it is. I also, however, think that Palestinians blowing up busses is detestable.
This new intervention won't solve a damn thing. Swatting flies with elephant guns.
bathsheba666
Fast 'n Bulbous
Trade embargo on Israel.
I can't speak for the whole of the EU, we should invade Israel reinstate the British mandate and then spend the next 60 years getting blown to smithereens by both sides. Hurrah bring back English colonialism!
On alighter note
I would suggest we kept out of it and left this sort of thing up to the UN.
On alighter note
I would suggest we kept out of it and left this sort of thing up to the UN.
sonorakitch
Overseas hunter
Israel has a right to defend itself. I wonder where the world would be if the US, instead of joining the fight in WWII, would have just slapped France and the UK with "sanctions" for trying to defend itself. Ridiculous.
I agree with you on this one.
~Chris
As an Israel supporter, I'd say the EU better just shut the damn up. Don't condemn Israel while doing nothing (which is what really happens), don't impose sanctions, don't send assistance... just shut up and stay out of it. It would be unwise, from a EU perspective, to tick the Muslim ME countries off, so staying out of it would seem to be the best.
Esox
In Search of Inspirado
Of what kind?aussieboy said:
That's the same problem the UN has in mediating conflicts - it is ultimately powerless. Do the Israelis or Palestinians care about sanctions right now? And of course no western (or anywhere else) country is going to involve itself militarily.
Winner
Diverse in Unity
bathsheba666 said:
Sure, that would surely help a lot
I forgot that Palestinians are much more important trading partner. And they all love us!
Seriously, EU has not a single reason to support Palestinians. They're outsiders, terrorist-supporters (as they demonstrated by voting for Hamas in free and fair elections monitored by EU observers) and biggest receivers of EU aid, which ends in hands of terrorists like Arafat.
EU is in fact paying a ransom to people who wouldn't give a damn if whole EU was obliterated.
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