Thursday, May 4, 2023

Ursula von der Leyen Disregards The Challenges of Palestine

 


EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been condemned for her comments related to Palestine. She expressed that Israel made " the desert bloom" on social media  for the country's 75th  anniversary. The issue with the statement is that ignores the violence and colonization that has caused  years of human rights violations. It should not be forgotten, that Germany's imperialist war and genocide resulted in the large exodus of Jews from Europe. Arab civilization predates European settlement and it appears to be an effort to erase that history. The Hittite Empire, the Assyrian Empire, Mesopotamian civilization, Persian Empire, Ottoman Empire,  the Abbasid and Umayyad caliphates contributed more than the state of Israel. Sumer was the earliest West Asian civilization. The original inhabitants of    Kingdom of Judah and the Kingdom of Israel were not Europeans. Racism does not only distort the historical narrative, but also negatively impacts diplomacy. Ursula von der Leyen demonstrated that the European Union has not only an anti-Palestinian sentiment, but an general anti-Arab policy. The EU Commission President has not said anything about the judicial reforms in Israel, seem as an attack on the democratic system. Her actions further demonstrate that the EU is not a supporter of human rights. The unbreakable support for a country that continues to subject people to occupation and implements authoritarian policies should not be praised. Arab nations should not cooperate with countries that view them as less than human. Palestine and other Arab states would have a better future enhancing diplomatic relations with Africa, East Asia,  and Latin America. Unless the EU 's  foreign policy changes, they might seem themselves further isolated by other continents. 

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