“Seldom has an Israeli prime minister made such a concerted effort to bring so many of the European Union’s key members into the Middle East peacemaking picture as did Netanyahu” on his European tour in March, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Each of Netanyahu’s stops proved symbolic: Madrid hosted the Middle East peace conference in 1991; Bonn has been more responsive to and supportive of Israeli policies than any other EU nation; Oslo was where the Palestinian accords were drawn up; and London is where the current EU president resides.
This trip, along with Netanyahu’s visit to Bonn on December 4 last year, sends a strong message to all observing the political landscape of the world: Israel wants the EU more involved in Middle East peace efforts.
Considering the recent inertness of U.S. diplomacy in Middle East peace negotiations, it’s easy to see why Israel is looking for help elsewhere. American envoy Dennis Ross’ unsuccessful stint in the region in late March was viewed by some as America’s last chance to revitalize talks. After Netanyahu flat-out rejected Ross’ proposal for an Israeli withdrawal from 13 percent of the West Bank, Ross lost patience. He said the matter of arranging further talks rested solely in the hands of President Clinton. The New York Times said Ross’ failure left Clinton with two options: “Either try to exert greater pressure on Netanyahu by making their proposals public, or abandon the role of mediator” (March 31, 1998).
For some time now, we have been saying that America’s days are numbered as the primary broker for Middle East peace. At the same time, we have been advising our readers for years to watch for strengthening ties between Israel and Europe (see p. 28 of Jan. and p. 29 of Sept./Oct. 1997 issues). Recent events confirm our biblical prediction for Israel: When the going gets tough for Israel in the Middle East, they will turn to the German-led EU for help, not the United States.