Friday November 25, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

On Saturday in Barcelona the Euro Mediterranean Summit will take place.
The 25 members of the European Union together with neighboring Mediterranean countries will participate in a conference.

The EU would like the Mediterranean participants to condemn terror.
But it is not that simple, the EU is facing the same problem the UN faces when confronting a condemnation of terror.
Arab and Muslim states do not agree with the generally accepted definition of terror, they differ on the questions of who and what constitute a valid target.

Unfortunately, the EU has begun to understand the dangers of terror.
Even the Arab world, Jordan being the prime example, understands.
But can they bring themselves to condemn all acts against innocent civilians? What about attacks especially aimed at or including Jews and Israelis?

They cannot accept that as terror.
That is where the entire model collapses. Terrorists kill Jordanians at a wedding and that's bad, they kill Londoners going to work in the Underground and that's bad. But killing Israeli Jews in a market or a disco or pizzeria - that is different.

European Union, good luck - but don't hold your collective breath.