EU envoy: Israel has nothing to fear from regional rise of Islamists
Europe's envoy to the Southern Mediterranean says 'It is much more difficult to have wars with democracies.'
By Barak Ravid Tags: Arab Spring Jews and Muslims Islam Egypt Europe Muslim BrotherhoodThe European Union's special envoy to the Southern Mediterranean, Bernardino Leon, on a lightening visit to Israel Thursday, told Haaretz that he does not believe Israel need fear the rise of Islamist governments in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
"It is much more difficult to have wars with democracies," Leon said.
 |
Egyptian protesters near the parliament in Cairo, Egypt, on Thursday. |
| Photo by: AP |
Leon, whose responsibilities include the EU response to the Arab Spring, was appointed to the post in July. He was previously the political adviser to the outgoing Spanish prime minister, Jose Zapatero, and is a diplomat with more than 20 years' experience, dealing mainly with the Middle East and the Arab world.
Over the past few months, Leon has shuttled between Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya to begin to open lines of communication and dialogue between the EU and the new parties rising in those countries, particularly the Islamists.
Leon was in Israel to present the EU's position on the regime changes in the Arab world to government leaders in Jerusalem, and to bring a calming message as to the impact the changes will have on Israel.
Leon met with National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror, with Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and with more than 20 Israeli ambassadors to the EU, on Thursday.
"I understand the feeling of uncertainty - but my message to my Israeli friends is that the result of the transition will be different if the international community will support it. If we wait as spectators it might not happen - but if we engage it can work. This is not only voting - it is also jobs and this will not come without investment and the international community," Leon said.
Israeli political and defense officials are said to disparage the term "Arab Spring" and are suspicious of it and officials who still use the term, prefering to use the term "Islamic winter."
"I know the feeling here about the Arab Spring. It is not going to be easy but the real winter is what we had before - countries with corruption and torture. The transition to democracy can take decades, but if this line will continue it will definitely be better," Leon said.
Leon said he believes that for the new governments being established in the region in the coming months, Israel will be a marginal issue. "The focus will be on internal issues and on building new societies," he said. "They need stability to create jobs for the people and they will have to move from the symbolic world to the real world to bring back tourists and investors."
He said the Muslim Brotherhood will have to move from the comfort of the opposition, to a point of bearing responsibility.
"Those parties will have to experience running a country and providing services to the people - so things will be more practical than metaphysical and they will deal more with internal issues than international problems. If tourists do not come back to Egypt - they will lose the next election," Leon said.
Why Facebook Connect?
Comment on Haaretz.com articles with your Facebook login, and share your thoughts on your own wall.
- Latest
- Most Viewed
- Most Rated
- Open all
What democracies? Tunesia? Well that country has not been, in practice, a combatant against Israel. How about CURRENT Syrian (democracy?), Egypt (democracy?), Lebanon (democracy?), Jordan (democracy?) and how about Hamas which is a democracy but is committed on an enduring basis to war with Israel. In short our little European envoy better revisit his idea.
why hasn't it used its "nukes" yet? Waiting for a reasonable answer.
While it is true that the literature seems to suggest that democratic countries are less likely to go to war - especially against each other - it is also true that young democracies tend to be unstable, and can find themselves at war just as easily as their authoritarian peers. It therefore goes without saying that rather than use antagonistic language to describe what will hopefully prove to be successful democratic transitions in the Arab world - and make that success less likely by being openly pessimistic and discouraging international support and investment - we should do whatever we can to encourage the fastest and smoothest transitions in these countries. The sooner economic reforms and stable democratic institutions are established, the less likely conflict will become. It is in our interest, and it is a moral imperative, to support the political rights of our neighbors, even if some of the possibilities scare us. It comes down to this: do we believe that we can actually build a better future for our children or not? If not - if we reserve ourselves to being perpetual pessimists - then what are we doing?
What sand dune has this EU ostrich had his head stuck under forever?
Does this man know what he is talking about? You are talking about Arab 'islamic democracie's' and so far have we seen anything worthwhile in Iraq's democracy? They are stil trying to blow up American troops and more so if they happened to be the IDF. Democracy will be a failure in an islamic country. Islam with it's laws overrules everything and everybody...believe you me !!
Israel needs to fear those amongst itself who have everything in common with the most radical islamists, the most fanatical fascists, and those who believe that God mandated a master race to rule upon this world.
What if there is a regional war tomorrow? As was clearly seen in the Mount Carmel fire fiasco, Israel is simply not ready for the upcoming large scale missiles war. It is evident that the Israeli army is not clever and is not prepared (i.e the Gaza flotilla raid fiasco), and that Netanyahu who sees himself as a tough negotiator and a lion, in nothing but a paper tiger (i.e The Shalit case). The US saw and understands that Israel is not what it used to be. The decline of Israel is evident. Obama foresee a much weaker Israel by the ‘end’ of the upcoming war; the removal of Netanyahu and Bark and from Obama’s point of view a weaker Israel = a better chance to cut the deal that Obama has in mind re the middle east. The American interest and the Israeli interests are not the same. Obama would like to see a weaker Israel. It seems that Its the only way to reach to an agreement in the middle east. The upcoming Iran war will serve to various American interests, among which is Obama’s interest to see a weaker Israel.
Does A stands for ARAB ? I bet it is !
Israel has always had a love of exotic and banned weapons. Land mines, white phosphorus, and cluster bombs are just a few of them. If there is ever another nuclear weapon used on people I am sure that Israel will be the attacker. Obama and most people know this. In 1972 Israel threatened to nuke Cairo if Nixon did not move quickly to save Israel's bacon.
Like, um, israel.
Apartheid in the Muslim Arab judenrein bloody dictatorships and medieval kingdoms. No apartheid in Israel (0,0000....1% of the regiion), the Jewish (the religion of Jesus), democratic (rights for all) and civilized (no civil war, hanging of gays, women stoning, “honour” killing of girls by their own fathers and brothers, etc) country in the region.
It's an empire
The world is dishing it out at Israel fast and furious. They can't recover from one fast ball before they get hit on the head with another. What an interesting year 2012 is gonna be. I look forward to more egg on the face of Israel. It's about time!
Obadiah has something to say to you: As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you! Chapter 1, verse 15: Read it and weep!
The theory that democracies do not start wars is not yet proven. According to some authors there is not enough data to validate such theory. Israel cannot rely in theories that might or might not be true.
Then Netanyahu can stroke himself again by saying "I told you so", just like he's done before...over things that HE'S created...lol.
This was always the excuse for solving societasl problems in the Arab world before and it will still be so.
No wonder the Euro is over, the continent is bankrupt and they think everything is dandy.
What you describe is the quintessential definition of Isreal
Wasn't Hamas elected by a democracy? Hmmm, seems that they have no problem waging war and launching rockets. This man's reasoning is flawed. Either that or he is just outright lying or both !
Do Israel Jews really expect love and good will from their victims?
You got a problem with theocracies? Heh heh heh...
Wasn't Hamas elected by a democracy? Hmmm, seems that they have no problem waging war and launching rockets. This man's reasoning is flawed. Either that or he is just outright lying or both !
Keep on beating that dead horse. If you stop, you stand to lose Isreal's biggest industry and main money maker
compared to the jewish extremists in israel, our islamists are quite moderate.
you have to be joking right.
What is troubling is that revolutionary states historically look outward in periods immediately following changes in power. The international community can engage all they want too, however I think it's best for Israel to stay on the sidelines instead of getting involved in largely sectarian/ relgious disputes.
Ha ha ha! Good luck with that one. Israel has never yet passed one opportunity to meddle, interfere and create chaos. The temptation is just too powerful
Forget about the Erdogan type fanatics. Its the Jewish fanatics that I fear most. I MEAN, GOING AROUND AND BURNING MOSQUES, ENFORCING GENDER SEGREGATION AND SPITTING AT CHILDREN. ISRAEL IS TURNING ITSELF INTO AFGHANISTAN.
btw winter is warm and lovely here in Egypt
screaming ' Death to Israel' because they love us ! Its like saying : ' Go on in; the water is fine ! Crocodiles? What crocodiles? They are your friends! There's nothing to fear !" Believe such a crock at your own risk !
Israel doesn't need the Arabs doing that, you've got the settlers and the ultra-orthodox doing the job for them. Ha ha ha! Implode, baby, implode!
Care for some cheese with that whine, Josiah Jacob Ben David Mark Bob Mike Tom Nick Paul Tim?
While there is some truth to the idea that democracies are usually less eager to go to war, there is abundant truth that democracies are very easy prey for those willing to lie to start a war. It is also true that dictators are easier to bribe than democracies.
Israel and the US will not allow any country in the ME (including Israel) to become a democracy. There's no money in peace.
the problem is Israel is only "decades" old... and fears the transition will be one of a former "cold war" with Islam into a full blown "hot war"... Futhermore the EU is assuming that the transition will be to true democracy when we all know that the transition will be to true demoCRAZY! We need to Educate the arabs on how to read and write and have self expression... but sadly the arab world is like the christian world pre gutenberg, relying on the word of holy men to dictate thier beliefs... IMO there will only be peace in the Mid East when there is the first reformation of the mosque... Muslims are in desparate need of a renaissance to thier educational glory under the hight of the caliphate akin to when Rabi Rambam decided to join up with the arabs instead of being king Richards physician...
Besides, democracies can be easily manipulated (just ask Israel) to accomplish corrupt things that used to require war to get done.
The US is not a democracy. It's an empire, a crumbling one at that.
To Muslims, Judaism and Christianity, because they predated Islam, are kind of grandfathered in as far as being acceptable religions go. In fact the Koran speaks of Jewish land. What we need to do is bring out those points, while eschewing the points of views popularized by the radical crazies among them. The fact is, the outlandish always get the publicity. It's not news that nothing happened or that, for another day, people behaved themselves. The miscreants always look for a way to legitimize what they do so they latch onto and justify their miscreant ways by relying on and citing the more violent and radically interpreted passages in their bible. This does not have to be. It's time to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mr. In-between.
providing they pay the tax. Look at the Jews of Medina who wouldn't acknowledge to 'superiority' of Mohammad
How about the passages telling Muslims to convert everyone to Islam? What about the comparisons between Jews to monkeys and pigs?
How about the passages telling that Palestinians and Goyim are like donkeys and every jew should own one? Now, wanna guess who's worse Carlos?
When will he go to Lebanon, Iran, Palestine and saying that, all fearing israeli bombs.
I wonder what this man in blabbering about. He is justifying Europe’s policy of accommodation with the Arab Spring, but he does not need to grovel to Israel
tiresome caressing of the occupying state.
And if you need a second opinion on that, ask them and they'll tell you again how everything revolves around Israel.
You're reading an Israeli newsite. Go read a Dutch site if you want to hear about Holland. Oddly enough most major newspapers only write about news from the perspective of their country.
Does he really believe there will be new elections? Surely a seasoned diplomat, this Leon!
I believe it is peace for our time.
The best security for Jews is (1) gather them all into a small nation reserved for Jews (2) arm them to the teeth (3) do everything possible to make new enemies while keeping the old. (4) Dare anyone to take action. This may have been a valid strategy at one time but not so much in the age of WMD. A single weapon can trump Israel's hundred billion dollar military.
Does Israel really need so much head patting and reassurance? Can't they take care of themselves?
Democracy, even Israel's style of religious democracy has nothing to do with war and peace. The fact that all of Israel is made up of land seized from the Arabs and Israel is still seizing more. Does that make Israel's neighbors nervous? It should.
land bought from the Turks and received from the Brits.
Land taken from the Brits and given to the jews so they would stop bombing and terrorizing them
Israel, the Jewish (the religion of Jesus), democratic (rights for all) and civilized (no civil war, hanging of gays, women stoning, “honour” killing of girls by their own fathers and brothers, etc) country in the region didn't declare war on the Musllim Arab bloody dictatorships and medieval kingdoms, but the other way around. And little Israel is not expanding, but shrinking. Israel gave the Sinai Peninsula (nearly three times bigger than Israel itself), Gaza and most of Judea and Samaria to the Arabs, invaders from Arabia.