Spain, Israel, and the Fight over UNIFIL
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has canceled a November 4 and 5 visit to Spain amid a dispute over the command of the European-led United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The visit was called off after reports surfaced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had secretly asked Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to keep Italy in command of the 13,000-strong UNIFIL force for six months longer than planned, instead of allowing Spain to take over.
Italian General Claudio Graziano is scheduled to turn the command over to a Spanish general in February 2010. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz says Israeli officials want Graziano to stay on because they believe that replacing the UNIFIL commander now might further destabilize the already precarious security situation in southern Lebanon. The Spanish newspaper El País adds that Italian officials want to retain the command because it would be beneficial to Graziano’s career.
In any case, considering that Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero leads what is arguably the most anti-Israel government in Europe, Netanyahu is probably justified in having some misgivings about a Spanish-led UNIFIL.
Indeed, the unabashedly pro-Arab, pro-Hamas, pro-Hezbollah, and pro-Iranian Zapatero says the Middle East will be a top priority when Spain takes over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union in January 2010. Spanish officials now worry that a six-month delay in taking over the UNIFIL command will deprive Zapatero of a bully pulpit he believes will help him raise his profile in the region.
UNIFIL was first established in 1978 to confirm the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon; Israel had invaded the country in an effort to destroy Palestinian guerrillas and their bases south of the Litani River. After the 2006 Lebanon War, however, UNIFIL was expanded and essentially taken over by Europeans who were angry with U.S. President George W. Bush for his refusal to pressure Israel to halt its military retaliation against Hezbollah provocations.
At the time, most European leaders did not even pretend evenhandedness, and many waxed lyrical about “the disproportionate use of force” by Israel. By far the most vocal European critic of Israel was Zapatero, a self-described post-modern feminist pacifist who believes that “no counterterrorism offensive can ever be justified if it involves the loss of innocent human life.”
When the rain is light, you can walk between the drops. As the storm worsens such maneuvers become impossible. It will rain on Europe’s parade sooner rather than later, but they will probably just think it is someone spitting on them and ignore it.
When Spain began its religious purification in 1492 the end result was that after a 100 years or so all the Jews and Muslims were required to either convert to Catholicism or leave. Many Jews and Muslims converted but the memories remained intact in the families. My question about Zapatero is that I wonder if he is descended from Moriscos and harbors Muslim sympathies for that reason?
how has this world turned upside down in such a short time. many EU countries openly helping terrorist organizations.
the duplicity of government officials is frightening.
The issue is this: One standard for all for the redressing of man’s inhumanity to man, is being fought by the Sons of Allah, and those who are intimidated by them.
The Sons of allah, and those they dragooned, or shanghaied, conclude that the outsiders are not to influence them. Plus, the only avenues to deal with the outsiders are these three: conversion, dhimmitude & execution.
Those betrarors of the Magna Carta, and so much more, are hoping that they will be spared. Well, that isn’t the record of 5th columnists in the past.
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, yellow-bellied commy coward charter member of the International Division of the Arthur Neville Chamberlain Tyrants’ Appeasers’ Association.
After the 2006 Lebanon War, however, UNIFIL was expanded and essentially taken over by Europeans who were angry with U.S. President George W. Bush for his refusal to pressure Israel to halt its military retaliation against Hezbollah provocations
uh, not at all, Condi was the first to make the trip to Lebanon, Israel and Paris ! , and why ? to stop the war ! would you believe that the Bush administration needed Chirac mediation and help again, for he was Hariri best friend, and by extention of the Lebanese of good faith
that he knew quite well the stakes in this country
again resolution 1701, does say that UNIFIL should disarm HBZ, but that it should prevent HBZ fighters and Israeli soldiers to head another war.
If it had ment so, an article (6th or 7th)of this resolution would have allowed UNIFIL to do it, but instead of the Bush administration didn’t want to allow UNIFIL to seach HBZ arms, only Lebanese army was/is allowed to disarm HBZ !
Otherwise, I don’t agree with you about Spanish not enough “fair” for directing UNIFIL, Spaniards are more trustful soldiers than the Italians, at least they don’t buy their enemis quietness !
I stayed two weeks in spain in last October, and watched spanish television, didn’t see or hear a spanish opinion that would have undermined Israel, Spanish population have many other worries that prevail : unemployment, bankrupting… are ones of them
now where is my favorite specialist of Spain affairs, I name JFM ?
again resolution 1701, doesN’T say that UNIFIL, sorry typo