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Sycophancy and Punishment

Maariv (p. 22) by Nadav Haetzni (op-ed) -- The EU decision highlights,first and foremost, the fact that Europe is no different from what it was.The one-sidedness, the distortion, the wholesale hatred for us thatovershadows all decency and logicthese continue to characterize the

Europe of 2013, just as it characterized it from the Middle Ages anduntil the Holocaust. Europe is incapable of defining Hizbullah as aterror organization, it does not boycott and isolate Iran, it is paralyzedwhen faced with the slaughter in Syria, but it persecutes us with all itsmight.

But the real story here is not Europe, but rather us. The currentdecision, like the other European decisions hostile toward us, aremainly Jewish labor. They are the fruit of ongoing and feverish effortsby Israeli figures working in global corridors for years to persuade theworld to boycott us. This decision, firstly, is a victory of all the extreme

left wing Israelis who have despaired of the democratic game in Israeland for years have been working outside of Israel in an attempt totwist our arm. The people who call for boycotts also demandprosecuting Israeli officers in Europe and go to all kinds of internationalcommittees bearing a variety of lies.

The decision also reflects a resounding failure of the architects of thepolicy of ignoring European subversion of Israel. The Europeansparticularly act in Israel as if the Mandate were not over. They dare toact here in a way that they would not dare to act in any other friendlyand democratic country. They meddle in domestic politics and legalaffairs, they fund several organizations known as human rights

organizations and they undermine, by means of the money that theypour like water, the foundations of Israeli society and government. Weknow of this and we have been silent for years. Were we to dare tofund, in Britain, Switzerland in Norway, what these governments dareto fund here, they would expel our ambassador and sever relationswith us without batting an eye.

But beyond everything else, this is a fiasco of the prime ministerspolicy, who is always trying to be more flexible, to concede, torelinquish, to pass the ball to the other side in order so that he notbe blamed. This is also the same failed strategy now being taken to

counter the one-sidedness and blindness of the American secretary ofstate. Anyone who freezes Jewish construction in Jerusalem, whodisplays restraint to Palestinian incitement in the media and intextbooks, and who continues to transfer money to the Palestinianseven though they constantly violate the Oslo Accordshe isresponsible for the stinging European slap in the face.

That is why only one conclusion can be drawn from the latest Europeanimpudenceits time to change direction. The basic answer to Europe

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should be: no thanks, we wont sell ourselves. We will not discriminateagainst any person or area of land in return for money or benefits. Ifthe agreements with you turn into attempts at extortion by means ofthreats and temptations, then no thank you. But the change ofdirection that we should take is much more far-reaching: as early as in

the course of this summer, Israel must complete legislation limitingdonations from foreign governments and organizations to Israeliorganizations, at least the way it works in the US. And, of course,legislation must be completed against public boycotts and boycottersof Israel. At the same time, the restrictions on European organizationsactive here must be tightened. European projects for the Palestinians,particularly in Areas C and B, must be stopped, and above all wemust resume, full steam, construction in Jerusalem and its environs.Not just in Har Homa and in Gilo, but firstly in E-1 between Jerusalemand Maale Adumim. If the Europeans want a reason for this boycott,there you have it. Only by doing so is there any chance that it will learn

a lesson, only this way is there a chance that we will be able to retainour independence and liberty.