Friday
Who would you not allow to participate in a parliamentary delegation to Israel? An MEP linked to far right anti-Semitism and holocaust denial. That seems a fairly straightforward rule of thumb. Do not take such figures along as your hosts might get a trifle jumpy.
Welcome to the pomposity of the European Parliament, the post-democrats who represent us. They decided to include Marine Le Pen in their ranks, and the Israelis thereupon refused to meet any of the delegation. The visit was promptly cancelled for "technical reasons", or, as one official noted, rather pointless.
The cancellation was not met with universal acclaim. Some think that a foreign power should not dictate the membership of a parliamentary delegation:
On the other hand, according to the official, there was concern on the parliament's side that a national government should not be allowed to dictate the composition of the group.
Others were miffed that they did not go, as they thought had a contribution to make, and the Israelis should have been willing to put the Holocaust behind them:
Speaking before Thursday's decision was announced, Irish centre-right MEP Simon Coveney, on the delegation list, told EUobserver that he believed the trip should go ahead."I don't think we should be cancelling the event … personally I am going because I am interested [in the issue]."
He added that any members of a parliament delegation have to remember that they are representing the views of the EU assembly and not their own personal view points.
On the other hand what happens when its a question of Israel bombing Lebanon and various MEPs/EUrocrats and other assorted European politicans and Galloway types bleat about how Israel is committing another holocaust and should learn from its past. Should Israel then respond that in accordance with EU wishes Israel has put the Holocaust behind it and can now do whatever it likes?
Others were miffed that they did not go, as they thought had a contribution to make.
Shurely shome mistake there? We are talking about EU officials here so should that not be,
a contribution to take.
Posted by Julian Taylor at October 28, 2006 12:03 AM
I'm no expert on European politics, but from across the Atlantic it sure seems like these guys are a slightly localized version of the UN. They flit from place to place on someone else's tab and in the end decide the biggest threat to Europe is smoking in pubs.
If I were running Israel I wouldn't talk to them either. What would be the point?
Posted by Eric at October 28, 2006 12:30 AM
What would you have said if they had decided not to include a Jewish MEP in a delegation to say Syria or Iran?
Posted by ian at October 28, 2006 10:30 AM
I just cant believe the arrogance of the EU.
If a sovereign nation can't dictate who does and does not enter its country, then who can?
twats.
Yom Israel Chai!
Posted by Robert at October 28, 2006 10:32 AM
David Irving can't go to Israel or anywhere else at the moment because an EU country has imprisoned him for speaking his mind. I'm surprised that Israel wants visitors from an organisation that has such a repressive state as a member, a state which has obviously progressed from its evildoing during WW2, but which still finds it acceptable to jail people for their views.
Posted by pete at October 28, 2006 01:48 PM
David Irving is a lying jackass but that should not be a criminal offence.
We have covered this subject before here and here.
Posted by Perry de Havilland at October 28, 2006 02:54 PM
The devil is in the details, but I still have doubts about the father's holocaust denial. See this paragraphe from Wikipedia (fr) http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%A9gation_du_g%C3%A9nocide_juif_par_les_nazis#Extr.C3.AAme-droite_et_n.C3.A9gationnisme
Sorry, but that's still a little ambiguous for me.
Israel's refusal may have more to do with J.-M. Le Pen's visit to Lebanon in 2002. (http://www.rjliban.com/communique15.htm)
Posted by Alex Jacques at October 28, 2006 04:06 PM
Israel gave refuge to some Soviet war criminals (Nahman Dushanski and Simion Borkov) and then refused extradition requests from victim nations of the USSR yet now it's up on its moral high horse about the presence of a harmless politician it doesn't approve of in an EU delegation! The word chutzpah comes to mind.
Posted by Matra at October 28, 2006 05:12 PM
Why should a daughter be punished for the sins of her father?
Posted by smallwit at October 28, 2006 06:23 PM
Yom Israel Chai!
For furture reference, I'm fairly sure you mean Am Yisrael Chai.
"Yom Yisrael Chai" means The day of Israel Lives!
Posted by Gabriel at October 28, 2006 08:27 PM
David Irving is a lying jackass but that should not be a criminal offence.
Excuse me but I know of some perfectly acceptable jackasses. Please don't group them in with Irving.
Posted by Julian Taylor at October 28, 2006 09:29 PM
Perhaps it was all meant to display a new and more creative way to grovel for the islamists?
Posted by Uain at October 29, 2006 04:30 AM
Well some of those people in the EU probably do not want to go to Israel as they don't believe the country has a right to exist.
Posted by Andrew Ian Dodge at October 29, 2006 01:26 PM
