sigh.
Europeans are inherently anti-Semitic and their leaders are guilty of pushing a biased policy in the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has told EUpolitix.com.
“What we are facing in Europe is an anti-Semitism that has always existed and it really is not a new phenomenon,” he argues in response to an EU poll that rated Israel above Iran and North Korea as a threat to world peace.
Sharon throws out the distinction between anti-Semitic beliefs and legitimate criticism of Israel’s policies in the Middle East.
“Today there is no separation. We are talking about collective anti-Semitism. The state of Israel is a Jewish state and the attitude towards Israel runs accordingly.”
“I would say, in my opinion, EU governments are not doing enough to tackle anti-Semitism,” he counters.
Israel has recently stepped up the pressure on EU governments to do more, calling for a joint EU-Israel Council to be set up to tackle the problem.
Sharon strongly believes that Europe’s own biased policies hamper its role in the Middle East peace process.
The EU has made no secret of its strong opposition to Israel’s construction of a “security fence” which has cut off many Palestinians from vital social services, family members and employment.
Israel argues that the fence is vital to protect its citizens from devastating suicide bomb attacks.
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Sharon later makes the extraordinary claim that the growth of the Muslim community is also a threat to Jews living in Europe.
“Since there is an ever strengthening Muslim presence in Europe, it certainly endangers the life of Jewish people.”
“Of course, the sheer fact that there are a huge amount of Muslims, approximately 17 million in the EU, this issue has also turned into a political matter.”