Skip to main content

Academics call on Israel to 'choose Europe'

A new document by Israeli experts on the European Union calls upon Israel's next government not to distance itself from Europe, but to seek special relations with the world's largest commercial bloc.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives at the Hyper Cacher kosher supermarket January 12, 2015 near the Porte de Vincennes in Paris, where four hostages were killed on Friday. On the wall (L) we can read the four names among the 17 victims of the shootings by gunmen from last week's terror attacks in France along with "I am Hyper Cacher, I am a Policeman, I am Charlie."  Jewish schools and synagogues in France have been promised extra protection, by the army if necessary, after killings by Islam
Read in 

“Do not drop Europe – Experts call to adhere to the EU.” That is the title of a document written by a group of Israeli academics who specialize in the European Union. In this document, these authorities express their concern about the deteriorating relationship between Israel and Europe. They expect 2015 to mark a turning point in the EU’s attitude toward Israel, mainly because EU decision-makers consider the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to be a significant factor in a series of crises that threaten economic and political order on the continent. They are referring especially to Islamic terrorism, which is thriving, as it strikes at the heart of Europe. This violence is perceived in Europe as spillover of Middle Eastern violence to the continent.

The authors of the document, all senior researchers on the EU from leading Israeli universities, visited the EU headquarters in Brussels on Feb. 1-4, only about a month after the January terror attacks in Paris. The group included Prof. Alfred Tovias of the Hebrew University, Dr. Roby Nathanson of the Macro Center for Political Economics, Dr. Tal Sadeh from the Tel Aviv University, Dr. Lior Herman and Dr. Maya Sion from the Hebrew University and the author of this article. Following these Paris attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refocused and clarified his perception, by which Israel should decrease its economic dependence on Europe. Netanyahu anchored that on the wave of Islamization, anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism washing over Europe nowadays.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.