Two months later, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Frederica Mogherini replied to the report.
By MICHAEL A. CALVOActivists from the BDS movement against Israel [File](photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
In May, Israel’s Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Ministry published a report titled “The Money Trail–The Millions Given by EU Institutions to NGOs with Ties to Terror and Boycotts against Israel – An In-Depth Analysis.”Two months later, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Frederica Mogherini replied to the report. Her main arguments were that allegations saying the EU supports incitement or terrorism are unfounded and unacceptable, that terrorism and boycott are two distinct phenomena.The ministry’s report is clear and substantiated, and Mrs. Mogherini should read it again.What is not mentioned in the report is that the EU and its member-states finance NGOs that harass Israel, Israeli officials and corporations doing business in Israel and Europe with lawsuits. The EU still finances the Palestinian Authority that encourages Palestinians to kill Jews. “The Palestinian Authority’s practice of paying salaries to terrorists serving in Israeli prisons, as well as to the families of deceased terrorists, is an incentive to commit acts of terror,” according to the Taylor Force Act.It is well known that the Palestinian leaders have incited to kill Jews. Mahmoud Abbas even admitted that terrorists “did what the Palestinian Authority ordered them to do.” And Mohammed Dahlan confirmed that “40% of the Martyrs in this Intifada belonged to the Palestinian security forces... and that the Palestinian Authority has hidden Hamas members against Israeli counter-actions.”Those who still have doubts can see videos of these statements online.The incitement begins in schools. Between 1994 and 2012, the EU provided 5.6 billion euros to assist the PA.During 2014-2015, a total of more than €390 million has been allocated to the PA through Pegase Direct Financial Support. The aim of Pegase DFS is to assist the PA to meet its obligations toward its civil servants, pensioners and vulnerable families, maintain essential public services, improve public finances and pay teachers’ salaries. Among the civil servants and pensioners who received payments from Pegase DFS during 2014 and 2015, 67 % were working in health and education.By supporting teachers’ salaries, the EU financially participated and continues to participate in hate education, disregard for life of the Jews and others by promoting Jihad, and inciting schoolchildren to become martyrs. That makes it an accomplice to the killings and injuries of innocent victims.CONCERNING THE boycott of Israel, the European Union has no qualms to apply double standards. The EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the territories, and considers that it has an obligation to prevent its money from reaching there and that European consumers must know that products they buy are coming from West Bank settlements.In 2013, the EU found it appropriate to ban grants, prizes and financial instruments (such as loans and bank guarantees) to Israeli entities located in Judea and Samaria, in east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. In September 2015, it drafted various rules proposed to all member-states, arguing that consumers must know that the products come from the settlements and not from Israel. This way, the European boycott, divestment and sanctions movements and consumers will know which Jewish products to boycott, since only factories owned by Jews are singled out, even if they employ Arabs.Under international law, the question whether the West Bank is occupied or was liberated in 1967, remains far from being settled. However, the EU finds it legitimate to provide direct financial assistance to the Turkish settlements in the occupied territory of northern Cyprus. The EU funds the occupation of an EU member- state (Cyprus), purportedly to “end the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community.”Concerning the Moroccan occupation of the Western Sahara, European businesses and universities openly operate in these “occupied territories” without being disbarred from EU funding, while similarly situated Israeli entities are disbarred.China is not required to label products coming from Tibet that it has occupied since 1951. Goods originating from “occupied territories” such as northern Cyprus, Gibraltar, the Falklands, Western Sahara, Tibet, Kashmir or the Russian-held regions of Azerbaijan, are not specially labeled.The EU does not treat Israel like it treats other countries with settlements the EU considers illegitimate. The EU applies double standards by requiring from Israel “a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.” This is antisemitism according to the “Working Definition of Anti-Semitism of the European Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia and the European Forum on Anti-Semitism.”It must be asked if the EU and some European states participate in the delegitimization, demonization and dehumanization of Israel and Israeli Jews in order to prepare the world to accept the destruction of the Jewish state.The writer is an international lawyer and the author of The Middle East and World War III– Why No Peace? Themiddleeastandworldwar3.com.