Israel in the EU?
Rumblings of a most strange kind of being heard across Europe. Italy’s prime minister, the infamous Silvio Berlusconi, earlier this week called for Israel to join the European Union.
Is this just a somewhat crazy man’s fantasies, or is there some merit in his proposal?
In certain areas, such as sports competitions, Israel has always been classified as part of Europe. (Though this is due to rejection from its Arab neighbors rather than a sense of belonging to the European continent.) Many Israelis are European by descent; however upon arrival, most immigrants assimilated quickly into the burgeoning Israeli society without looking back.
But the real issue here is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While the was founded as an economics driven organization, it is now also a political union, and all members must adhere to a specific set of laws. What would this mean for Israel? Tearing down the fence/wall and withdrawing from all Palestinian territories. The chances of this happening? Pretty much zero. For its own security, Israel cannot take such measures.
But as a hypothetical: Let’s say Israel was on track to EU membership and took the above mentioned steps. This would certainly fast-track a two-state solution and with EU backing Israel would likely feel more secure making these risky moves. Could be a win-win.
But does Israel want to play along with EU rules and regulations? Israel’s top priority is its security. And by joining the EU, the Jewish state would cede much of its sovereignty. Keep in mind, too, that being an EU member also allows for the freedom of movement, meaning any EU citizen could move to Israel. So a Palestinian granted citizenship in say Britain, could then emigrate to Israel.
But let’s face it. This was Berlusconi, alterantely the most villified and ridiculed European prime minister. It made for an attention-getting soundbyte, something the showman surely realized, but a real initiative? We don’t think so.
