MidnightCall Magazine
News From Israel MagazineForeign Minister Tzipi Livni Reaches Out to Europe
The Foreign Ministry has begun a strategic overhaul of relations with the EU and its member nations, increasingly "plugging into" EU institutions and, in turn, allowing Europe to play a greater role in Israeli diplomatic and economic processes, The Jerusalem Post has learned.So central has Europe become to Israel's well-being, diplomatic officials have told the Post, that the Foreign Ministry believes it is time to reassess the Jewish state's traditional reliance on "two pillars" for Israeli survival: a strong IDF and an unbreakable alliance with America. Given the growing importance of the European Union in world events, and in the Middle East particularly, the officials said, a third pillar has become necessary: deepening ties to Europe.
"Increasingly, Europe is involved in everything that touches us: trade, the Palestinians, Iran, UNIFIL in Lebanon," said a senior Israeli diplomatic source. "They are in the [Middle East] Quartet, and central in many other areas. Developing a strong relationship with Europe is becoming the third pillar safeguarding Israel's survival."
Jerusalem's new strategy is to enhance cooperation with Europe in a variety of fields and to demonstrate that Israel can help with some of the EU's many interests in the region. To that end, Israel has in the past few weeks sent a detailed proposal to the European Union for negotiations on "significant" Israeli involvement with Europe in nine fields, including finance, education, environment, youth development, law enforcement, security cooperation and scientific research collaboration.
The plan comes on top of existing Israel-EU cooperation forums such as the Barcelona Process (established in 1995 to foster dialogue among EU member-states and countries on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean), the European Neighborhood Policy (which aims to offer deeper political relationships and economic integration between EU members and their immediate neighbors), the Galileo space program, and bilateral ties.-Jerusalem Post, 24 February 2008, pg. 10
For followers of the prophetic Word, this report does not come as a surprise. Europe has become the world’s leading economy and the world’s largest market. But there is much more to come. The continued improvement within the Mediterranean nations reveals the resurrected emergence of the old Roman Empire.
Contrary to America’s unilateral policy now being rejected virtually by the entire world, multilateral policies of the EU are becoming the acceptable and reliable policies the world over.
Our personal opinion is that when Israel is accepted into the European Union, it will constitute Israel’s final covenant, which will lead to a temporary peace in the Middle East and the entire world.
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