“For years French President Jacques Chirac enthusiastically championed whatever anti-Israeli international coalition happened to manifest itself at almost any given opportunity. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s depictions of him yesterday as “a friend of Israel” and “one of the world’s great leaders” weren’t what Israeli ears naturally expect,” writes the Jerusalem Post.
For days French news waxed lyrical about the upcoming visit. It ran a feature about the increased number of French Jews who go “home” to Israel. Today, in addition to pictures of Sharon and Chirac smiling, there was a softball interview with the Israeli Prime Minister.
Why? Because they want to increase their influence in the ME, say the pundits. Because they wish to improve their relations with the US, say I.
The easiest way to assess a country’s intentions towards the US is to watch its relations with Israel. The honeymoon between the US and India was preceded by a honeymoon between Israel and India just as the worsening relations between Western Europe and Israel preceded the deterioration of European-American relations.
Moreover, as Andrei Markovitz argues that there are strong ties between European anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism. Both rose during the European-American-Israeli estrangement and both are currently subsiding which is sine qua non for success in fighting terror.
posted by Judith
The Dish 