Prague, June 17 (CTK) – The Middle East policy pursued by Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek follows the “ideological fashion promoted by the Western leftist Israel-phobic scene,” which is totally at variance with Prague’s interests, political analyst Roman Joch writes in daily Lidove noviny (LN) Wednesday.
Zaoralek (Social Democrats, CSSD), who will meet his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Maliki in Prague Wednesday, recently made quite a sharp comment on Israel, but not so sharp on Hamas, which terrorises the Gaza Strip, Joch writes.
Zaoralek said the continuing Jewish colonisation of the areas under the Palestinian autonomous rule amounts to torpedoing the peace process of the establishment of two independent states. At the same time, he said the rocket attacks on Israel from Palestinian areas must stop, Joch writes.
Zaoralek is naive if he believes that he may persuade Hamas to stop its missile attacks. Hamas would never do it, because the attacks are its raison d’etre. Hamas views the killing of Israelis, including women and children, as its great victory. It even hails Israel’s counterattacks, which enable Hamas to present heartbreaking photos of their victims and make the world condemn the “brutality” of Israel and the suffering of Palestinians, Joch writes.
As far as the West Bank is concerned, its Palestinian self-rule cooperates with Israel in terms of security and its inhabitants live in unprecedented safety, compared with the current situation in the Middle East. However, the West Bank’s “President” Mahmoud Abbas is reluctant to conduct peace talks with Israel, using various pretexts and excuses, Joch writes.
The settlement of Jewish colonists on the West Bank is the only instrument for Israel to make Abbas negotiate. If Abbas did so, Israel might withdraw the colonists, which it did repeatedly on various occasions in the past, Joch writes.
By the way, what is bad about Jewish colonists on the West Bank? In a situation where one fifth of Israel’s citizens are Arabs, why could not Jews live in the Palestinian autonomous areas? Joch asks.
The position of Zaoralek, like many other European politicians, is noteworthy and perverse by its imbalance. He seems not to know that the Israeli-Palestinian relations are not the worst Middle East problem, nor do they threaten Europe, unlike other problems in the region, Joch writes.
Libya is a chaotic country from which hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are flowing to Europe, he says.
Syria, where the West did not intervene and where 200,000 people have died as a result of the civil war since 2011, four times more than during the 12 years of inter-sect conflicts in Iraq, where the West did intervene, Joch writes.
Iraq was a stabilised country in 2008-2011, before the naive Obama withdrew U.S. troops from it, thereby enabling the vacuum to be filled by brutal Islamic State, which continues to rise, Joch writes.
Iran, on its part, seeks a nuclear bomb and destabilisation of the whole Sunnite world, he adds.
Compared with this, the West Bank residents enjoy peace, safety and effective economy. Israel ensures safety for them and they have their own autonomy, Joch writes.
Of course, they should be given their own state after some time. But not now that the surrounding Middle East is in flames. At present, the creation of the Palestinian state would be dangerous not only for Israel but also for the Palestinians, as Islamists could topple Abbas and bring even [the West Bank], one of the few safe and peaceful communities in the region, to chaos. Does Prague really want this? Joch asks.
The principle of independence is correct, but not always and under any circumstances. The launching of independent Slovakia as Hitler’s satellite in March 1939 was not a good idea. Unlike it, the present independent Slovakia, democratic and pro-European, is a very good idea, Joch says.
Zaoralek should focus on the problem that threatens Europe immediately and most of all – the uncontrolled illegal migration from north Africa and the Middle East, Joch continues.
Israel and its military control of the West Bank poses no such threat. Europe should be even grateful for it, as it prevents the spreading of Islamists on the West Bank and their flowing to Europe from there, Joch writes.
If Zaoralek wants to contribute to the emergence of the Palestinian state, he should advise Maliki to start negotiations and cooperation with Israel without any excuses, as this is the only way to achieve the goal, Joch concludes.
