Analysis: On diplomatic front, weaker EU not necessarily bad for Israel
No Israeli government official would dare say it, but a weakened EU is not necessarily a bad thing for Israel diplomatically.Melanie Phillips: The UK referendum and the politics of hate
Economics might be another issue. The specter of the EU falling apart, and what kind of forces that will unleash, is also a separate matter.
But on the very narrow issue of the diplomatic impact of the move on Israel, the fact that the EU house is now being shaken is not something necessarily inimical to Israeli interests.
Or, as one source put it, clearly the EU will pack a lesser punch when it makes statements about Israel and the Middle East. And that is not something that will cause many in the government to shed tears.
The British vote shows that the EU is now in serious trouble, with other states – starting with the Netherlands, and perhaps even including France – likely to question their membership in the union.
If that is the case, the Europeans will need to spend more time and energy trying to keep their own house in order, rather than trying to fix what is happening in homes in other neighborhoods.
An EU with 28 countries packs a lot of power. But with Britain pulling out, and some other countries either likely to do so or beginning the processing of checking into a divorce, it will have a more difficult time presenting itself as a major power.
Well, I’m a British Jew. I supported Brexit principally on the grounds that Britain should become once again a democratic self-governing nation. I also back Britain being able to control its immigration levels.Al-Jazeera Network Explains BDS: HP, Cat, Adidas, Alstom, G4S "Make a Profit from the Occupation... Do They Have a Presence in Your Country?"
The comparison with Jewish refugees and migrants, whose total number in the decades around the turn of the past century is exceeded by the numbers now migrating to the UK every year, is invidious. Pfeffer’s comments are as offensive as they are shallow.
Contrary to the claims of Remain, it is uncontrolled migration that swells neo-Nazi support. The rise of extremist parties in Europe has been fueled by those who have turned a blind eye to mass migration and who deny the growing phenomenon of Muslim assaults on women.
In Britain, neo-Nazi groups have been boosted by the denial of Islamization, Muslim rape gangs and the infiltration of schools by Islamic radicals.
What’s more, those claiming that Remain meant an end to the politics of hate are themselves the principal hate-mongers. Those backing Brexit talked about “getting our country back” from the EU. Commentators backing Remain used the same term to mean getting their country back from their fellow British citizens who supported Brexit.
Those who voted for UK self-government have thus been damned as pariahs who hijacked a nation to which they are deemed too horrible even to belong.
Britain’s EU referendum turned into a culture war. The divisions are savage and won’t go away. British Jews are on both sides. But when a society turns on itself like this it will hurt them all too in the end. It always does.
An infomercial titled "What Is BDS?" and produced by AJ+, an online news and current events channel run by the Al-Jazeera network, lists companies that are targeted by the BDS movement. According to the video, posted on the YouTube channel of AJ+ on June 4, Hewlett-Packard, G4S, Alstom, Cat, and Adidas are singled out as trademarks that "make a profit from the occupation."
Reporter: "The Palestinians face daily covert suffering, on top of their suffering from the guns of the occupation. All of Abu Yessar's work has been disrupted by the Israeli checkpoints, which are equipped with advanced electronic devices produced by HP. Yasser goes to school, where he learns that his teacher was arrested in an Israeli prison, run by the G4S company, which has a contract with the occupation. As for Umm Yasser, she finds it difficult to ride to the train, which serves only the settlements. The train was created and is operated by the Alstom Company. These settlements, the train and the wall are located in lands that, according to international law, are occupied. There can be no more visits to the home of the neighbors. The Israeli occupation forces destroyed it, using bulldozers made by the Cat Company. The Israeli authorities hold a marathon, which is sponsored by Adidas. These famous trademarks, as well as others, make a profit from the occupation. There are demands to boycott the occupation and those who benefit from it, to withdraw investments from them and to place sanctions upon them. These demands are led by a movement known as BDS. Some companies have stopped their activities in the occupied lands, whereas others have declared their intention to pull out. Do these companies have a presence in your country?"