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Europe's role in Middle East-by Salama A Salama
"Europe is cleaning up the mess Israel and the US have left in the region. Europe is sifting through the rubble, removing mines and unexploded shells, and generally collecting the political garbage left behind by Israel's war on Lebanon. But Europe is doing nothing to end the aggression. What is worse, Europe is even helping Israel achieve what it couldn't do through war, for example, the liquidation of Hizbullah and the release of Israeli captives. Will this help restore Europe's standing in the Middle East? I think not.
Time was that Europe tried to compensate for the bias of US foreign policy. Not anymore. Europe has taken a passive stand on the war in Lebanon. It failed to intervene when Israel was pummelling Lebanon. Indeed, countries such as Germany were selling nuclear submarines to Israel just as the latter was bombarding Lebanese civilians. When Israel demanded more time to destroy Lebanon, Europe said nothing. And to this day Israel maintains an aerial, land and sea blockade on Lebanon. All the Europeans are interested in is disarming Hizbullah and liquidating Hamas, not ending Israel's occupation of Arab lands.
Europe is promising help to Lebanon. Even the US has pledged $230 million for reconstruction. I am not urging Lebanon to turn down such assistance, for that money is merely a compensation for Israel's deeds. Ironically, European countries have voted in the UN Human Rights Council against a decision denouncing Israel's attack on Lebanese civilians. Obviously, Europe is taking its cue from the Americans and Israelis."
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