The Fall of the European Empire, Again!
The US and Europe are not helpful. Do not ever, ever allow the US and Europe to tell us how we are to respond to issues concerning Arabs.
At the close of World War II, the US had lost 416,800 service personal. In spite of its loss, it understood that fascism and dictatorships in Europe must be replaced with Democracy to prevent an other World War. In 1947, it went into their former enemy nations of Germany, Italy, and other heavily war torn European cities. The US began to rebuild Europe, it install Democracy in Germany, Italy and other nations as well, making all of them what they are today, free,with a robust economy and “World Leadership”. You would think that the US and the EU would do the same for the Palestinians in the West Bank, but they are not. Is it because the Democratic party of the US today is not the Democratic party of FDR, JFK, and LBJ and Europe lacks a Winston Churchill? Or, is it because the US and EU have no interest in improving the lives of the Palestinians, because they need to keep them as "Attack Dogs" against Jews and Israel, for their own intent?
Globally, the total death toll from World War II stands at 72,468,900 people. This is the greatest catastrophe the world has ever experienced since the beginning of time. The EU is responsible for this utmost tragedy, and the millions left homeless. It did not stop there, when the ashes settled in Europe, it still did not allow Jews to return to their homes. To this day, it has not returned to the stolen property it took from the Jews as a result of this war. As far as the US participation in this war, US President Harry Truman ordered the bombing of Japan, August 6,1945, on Hiroshima not once, but again on August 9, 1945, on Nagasaki. The war in Europe was over. Germany surrendered on May of 1945. The US is the first and only nation in the world to date to use nuclear weapons in warfare. As many as 246,000 mostly civilians were killed, many died immediately, others died months later from burns and radiation. The war in the Pacific was already winding down. The Soviets joined the fight against the Japanese after the German surrender. This is a crime, because it was not necessary to defeat Japan, surrender was near. The US and Europe are in no position to dictate righteousness and morality to us. Furthermore, they are also in no position to tell us how to resolve matters and issues concerning our relations with our Arab neighbors. They do not have a successful record of doing just that. We have succeeded far greater than them with our relations with our Arab neighbors.
The EU economy is in decline, as Israels economy is growing. The EU is losing markets to China, Russia, South Korea and India, what benefit does relabeling of Israeli exports do for them? It does not help the Palestinians, as most of them are employed by Israelis in the West Bank. On the upside for Israel, Palestinians that lose their jobs as a result of labeling, are being forced to leave the West Bank and move to likely places such as Europe, as others have.
Let it go, The West Bank is not occupied, it is not illegal, it is not in violation of the Fourth Geneva Conference, it is part of Israel. It does not take much legal research to understand this. Again, give it up, the Jews are not going anywhere. Europe, has been at it for the past 2,000 years, get over it. The Jews are not going anywhere. Israel, will continue to beat the odds and the US and EU will continue to be beat. Nothing has changed. Every member of the EU collaborated with the Nazis to deport Jews to Death Camps during World War ll, so this labeling comes as no surprise.
Let the US and the EU call this area the “West Bank”, once they understand why its called the “West Bank” they will start to call it Judea and Samaria. It is the West Bank, because it is part of a treaty that established the sovereignty and borders of both Israel and Jordan, the1922 Partition. The West Bank refers to all of Israel and the East Bank refers to all of Jordan, in this treaty. This treaty settles the Jewish Arab conflict, and there is no further action required other than to honor and uphold the Partition.
The EU doesn’t label products from other disputed territories around the world. This move wouldn’t advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It will incite more violence. This being said, it disqualifies the US and EU from any future role in the ongoing peace process. Why is the US and the EU not helping the Palestinians to advance on domestic, social and financial issues? The EU pressure on Sodastream, cost the Palestinians 900 jobs as it moved to the Negev. So, just what is it the EU is trying to achieve with labeling?
The head of an organization that represents 900 farmers in the West Bank said they would stop sending their products to the EU, including herbs, dates and grapes and instead export to the U.S, Russia and Asia. Trade between the EU and the occupied Palestinian territories accounted for just over €150 million ($161 million) in 2014, a tiny amount compared to the roughly €30 billion ($32.215 billion) total commerce forecast this year between Israel and the EU, its biggest export market, that the EU risks to lose.
A better deal for the US and the EU, is for them to participate in the reconstruction of the West Bank's Arab communities, building westernized housing, businesses, community centers, and so on. It would make the US and the EU billions, instead of millions. They would be better negotiating with Israel for steep discounts, tax incentives and developing opportunities in the West Bank, in place of labeling Settlements.
Before 1967 when the West Bank was under Jordanian rule, it was never called occupied, illegal or forced to comply with the Fourth Geneva Convention. The San Remo Resolution of April 25, 1920 and the Mandate for Palestine of July 24, 1922, Judea, Samaria, East Jerusalem, and Gaza were all part of a Jewish state. These agreements are still relevant, since Article 80 of the UN Charter states that all mandates of the League of Nations are still valid. Art. 49. Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive. UN Resolution 242 allows Israel to remain until it has an agreement on secured and recognized borders. If these agreements cannot be honored, than no agreement is honorable, and negotiations have no value.
Does the EU understand how many Palestinians will lose their jobs in the West Bank, because of this labeling? Will the European Union provide them with unemployment insurance? There has been a vast improvement of Arab life in the West Bank after the '67 War, under Israels military rule, over that of the life Arabs had under Jordanian rule.
The US and the EU have failed to improve the lives of Palestinians in this region. They should have at least receive the standard of living that Israeli Arabs enjoy. The US extends its boycott of Israel as many American companies have reoriented their marketing efforts to acknowledge the Palestinian market as culturally, economically, and commercially distinct from the Israeli market. The U.S. Commercial Service in Jerusalem encourages American exporters wishing to market their goods in the West Bank to use local Palestinian agents and distributors. Using Israeli agents for Palestinian markets does not utilize local, Palestinian market expertise, and does not allow U.S. firms to maximize their sales exposure to the local market, they say. The US claims they can help find well qualified Palestinian agents and distributors for investors, in place of Israeli ones. Once, Israel removes foreign influence from such devices, it will develop these areas as they should be and deserve.
Agriculture in the West Bank is the chief earner of the overseas exchange and provides the essential needs of the most of the local population.
West Bank Banks offer all the modern facilities of banking and investment to its customers. The leading Banks in also offer services like ATM, SMS banking, Internet banking and phone banking..
The Palestine Stock Exchange, Securities Exchange is located in Nablus. established in 1995. It has 36 Palestinian companies listed on its Exchange
The International community has failed to develop the West Bank into a modern Democratic society. If it had, there would be no violence and murders. Israel is the only nation that can develop this area, as it did for the Arabs on the other side of the “Green Line”.