The Sandmonkey and Big Pharaoh, both of whom are on my blogroll, are back to work, blogging away. I highly commend them to you, and urge you to check out what they have to say. Whenever I am completely ready to give up hope on the Arab world, I read what they have to say and realize that there are at least a few voices of reason in it.
www.sandmonkey.org
www.bigpharaoh.com
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Israeli Neo-Nazis?????
Apparently, they exist: http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/09/09/758985.html&cvqh=itn_neonazi.
The whole situation seems impossible and bizarre, but there it is, in black and white. I wonder if it wouldn't be better if, rather than punishing them criminally, they were just expelled from Israel and stripped of its citizenship.
The whole situation seems impossible and bizarre, but there it is, in black and white. I wonder if it wouldn't be better if, rather than punishing them criminally, they were just expelled from Israel and stripped of its citizenship.
Update on the Bees
I blogged a while ago about how honeybee colonies across North America (and into Europe as well) are collapsing, and in some cases, vanishing entirely. There is finally an update on this story. Researchers have discovered a virus which may be affecting the honeybee colonies, which are already under stress from overwork and other environmental factors: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/nature/bees.html. The virus is known as "Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus" (great, another reason for people to hate Israel.............).
Honeybees are one of the most vital parts of our society, responsible for pollenating many crops. We need to determine with certainty what is happening to them, and soon, and then figure out something to save them.
Honeybees are one of the most vital parts of our society, responsible for pollenating many crops. We need to determine with certainty what is happening to them, and soon, and then figure out something to save them.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The Left and The Angry Left
There are left wing people in this country, and then there is The Angry Left. I have no problem with left wing people. I don't agree with them. I'll debate them. I don't want them running the country, but I have no problem with them personally.
The Angry Left, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. There is no discussing anything with its "members", because they start off with a few basic assumptions which will never change no matter what you say:
1) They know better than you do what is good for you.
2) They are smarter than you.
3) Conservatives/Republicans, by definition, don't care about anyone other than themselves.
There are other, more specific assumptions that they make (the U.N. is a force for good in the world, the U.S. is a force for evil; Arab autocracies are good, democratic Israel is bad, etc., etc.), but those are too numerous to mention.
I have blogged about him before, but to me, the ultimate example of an Angry Left "thinker" is Ted Rall. His latest piece is essentially an homage to socialism: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20070905/cm_ucru/killthepoor;_ylt=AgZzXtLJ7NF4w8UKWGeHBpwE1vAI.
If anyone can find me a country where socialism has done anything other than make everyone poorer, I'll listen to your argument. However, I don't think that North Koreans, Cubans and (soon) Venezuelans, Bolivians and Peruvians would necessarily agree.
The Angry Left, on the other hand, is a different kettle of fish. There is no discussing anything with its "members", because they start off with a few basic assumptions which will never change no matter what you say:
1) They know better than you do what is good for you.
2) They are smarter than you.
3) Conservatives/Republicans, by definition, don't care about anyone other than themselves.
There are other, more specific assumptions that they make (the U.N. is a force for good in the world, the U.S. is a force for evil; Arab autocracies are good, democratic Israel is bad, etc., etc.), but those are too numerous to mention.
I have blogged about him before, but to me, the ultimate example of an Angry Left "thinker" is Ted Rall. His latest piece is essentially an homage to socialism: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ucru/20070905/cm_ucru/killthepoor;_ylt=AgZzXtLJ7NF4w8UKWGeHBpwE1vAI.
If anyone can find me a country where socialism has done anything other than make everyone poorer, I'll listen to your argument. However, I don't think that North Koreans, Cubans and (soon) Venezuelans, Bolivians and Peruvians would necessarily agree.
Friday, September 7, 2007
Useful Idiots
Vladimir Lenin used that term to describe people in other countries who acted against their own countries' interests in an effort to help the Soviet Union, or to bolster the Communist parties in their own countries.
Well, the United States has a new and improved generation of Useful Idiots. One such individual is Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who supposedly is running for the Presidency on the Democratic side (though his policies sound an awful lot like Congressman Ron Paul's, don't you think?).
Mr. Kucinich's latest "words of wisdom" came out in an interview where he sang the praises of the chinless wonder, a/k/a Syrian President Basher Assad, and called for Syrian and Iranian troops to enter Iraq as peacekeeping forces (after the U.S. pulled out immediately and paid war reparations, of course): http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1550.htm, before he lapses into the "Bush lied, people died" canard. His policy--if you can even dignify it with that term--is wrong on so many levels that it barely merits a response. We can start off by saying that turning over the world's second largest oil reserves to two terrorist regimes is probably not a great idea. We can follow that up with the fact that there is pretty conclusive proof that Iranians are in Iraq, killing Americans.
This man is considered to be a serious politician, at least by some. Does he not realize just what kind of propaganda victory he is handing to the enemies of this country. Is the American Left so blinded by its hatred of President Bush in particular (and again, I will remind you that he isn't my favourite person in the world right now, either) and by Republicans in general that they will say and do anything to make this country look bad? What is wrong with these people?
Well, the United States has a new and improved generation of Useful Idiots. One such individual is Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who supposedly is running for the Presidency on the Democratic side (though his policies sound an awful lot like Congressman Ron Paul's, don't you think?).
Mr. Kucinich's latest "words of wisdom" came out in an interview where he sang the praises of the chinless wonder, a/k/a Syrian President Basher Assad, and called for Syrian and Iranian troops to enter Iraq as peacekeeping forces (after the U.S. pulled out immediately and paid war reparations, of course): http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1550.htm, before he lapses into the "Bush lied, people died" canard. His policy--if you can even dignify it with that term--is wrong on so many levels that it barely merits a response. We can start off by saying that turning over the world's second largest oil reserves to two terrorist regimes is probably not a great idea. We can follow that up with the fact that there is pretty conclusive proof that Iranians are in Iraq, killing Americans.
This man is considered to be a serious politician, at least by some. Does he not realize just what kind of propaganda victory he is handing to the enemies of this country. Is the American Left so blinded by its hatred of President Bush in particular (and again, I will remind you that he isn't my favourite person in the world right now, either) and by Republicans in general that they will say and do anything to make this country look bad? What is wrong with these people?
A former U.S. Senator who HATES Israel
James Abourezk was at one time the U.S. Senator for South Dakota. Well, he recently gave an interview to a Syrian "journalist", and this was the end result: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1551.htm.
I challenge you to find a more vicious piece of anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli propaganda.
I challenge you to find a more vicious piece of anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli propaganda.
The veil and the vote
To me, it seems a matter of basic common sense that women should be required to show their faces prior to voting in elections. We WANT to avoid voter fraud, right?
Well, in Quebec they are about to allow women to vote while wearing full burqahs which will show only the slits of the eyes: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/09/06/qc-niqab0906.html.
Am I missing something here? We are in the process of committing cultural suicide, and as we do so, the Islamofascists laugh behind our backs and in our faces. How long does anyone think it will be before this happens here in the U.S.?
Well, in Quebec they are about to allow women to vote while wearing full burqahs which will show only the slits of the eyes: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/09/06/qc-niqab0906.html.
Am I missing something here? We are in the process of committing cultural suicide, and as we do so, the Islamofascists laugh behind our backs and in our faces. How long does anyone think it will be before this happens here in the U.S.?
The forgotten hostages
Gilad Shalit, Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev. Remember their names. It's been over a year since anyone heard any word from them, after their kidnappings by Palestinian and Hezbollah terrorists. And now, Hamas has denied a Red Cross request to see Shalit: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/901645.html.
Is it just me, or does it strike anyone else as odd that their names never seem to cross the lips of either Ehud Olmert or Tzipi Livni. It's as if they don't exist. The Israeli government can NOT be allowed to just sweep them under the rug. Thank God for the blogosphere, or that's exactly what would happen.
Is it just me, or does it strike anyone else as odd that their names never seem to cross the lips of either Ehud Olmert or Tzipi Livni. It's as if they don't exist. The Israeli government can NOT be allowed to just sweep them under the rug. Thank God for the blogosphere, or that's exactly what would happen.
Human Rights Watch biased against Israel?
No.................Really? You don't say! What a complete shocker this is: http://www.ngo-monitor.org/article/ken_roth_and_human_rights_watch_faqs.
Almost all of these supposedly objective NGO's are biased against Israel. It's part of that wonderful convergence of the Far Left, Far Right and Islamofascism. They all hate Israel.
Almost all of these supposedly objective NGO's are biased against Israel. It's part of that wonderful convergence of the Far Left, Far Right and Islamofascism. They all hate Israel.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
American "Peace Activists" protecting terrorists
Don't believe me? Watch this amazing (and not in a good way) video which I found on Solomonia's blog: http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2007/09/how-internationals-protect-terrorists.html.
It defies belief. Now, I will admit that I can't say for sure that the "peace activists" are American, but you can hear them talking, and given their accents, I think that it's a fairly safe bet that they are (some might be Canadian, but again, I can't tell for sure).
It's easy for me to say that the IDF should have just shot them, in light of their active aiding and abetting of the enemy in a war zone, but given the continued beatification of Rachel Corrie, another terrorist sympathizer, I can certainly understand its reluctance to do so.
It defies belief. Now, I will admit that I can't say for sure that the "peace activists" are American, but you can hear them talking, and given their accents, I think that it's a fairly safe bet that they are (some might be Canadian, but again, I can't tell for sure).
It's easy for me to say that the IDF should have just shot them, in light of their active aiding and abetting of the enemy in a war zone, but given the continued beatification of Rachel Corrie, another terrorist sympathizer, I can certainly understand its reluctance to do so.
MSNBC's Dan Abrams eviscerates CNN's "God's Warriors"
What a fabulous job by MSNBC's Dan Abrams in completely exposing Christiane Amanpour's puff piece on Islamofascism (while at the same time excoriating Christianity and especially Judaism): http://video.msn.com/v/us/msnbc.htm?g=9b387b2f-762d-445f-aba9-136c72cc0505&f=00&fg=email.
It's long, but please, watch it all. It's good to see someone--ANYONE--take CNN to task for this hideous farce masquerading as journalism.
It's long, but please, watch it all. It's good to see someone--ANYONE--take CNN to task for this hideous farce masquerading as journalism.
Mohammed al Dura
You remember him; the Palestinian child who was "murdered" by Israeli troops back in 2002, leading to yet another blood libel against Israel. Of course, facts have since come forward which suggest strongly that ad Dura was actually killed by the terrorists who were hiding behind him, and France2 has video footage which may establish this. However, it refuses to release the footage (what a shock, the country that gave the world "L'Affaire Dreyfuss" engaging in still more anti-Semitic activity.).
Here is a link to an online petition requesting that France2 release the footage: http://www.petitiononline.com/france2/petition.html. It may not achieve much, but it's worth the effort nonetheless.
Here is a link to an online petition requesting that France2 release the footage: http://www.petitiononline.com/france2/petition.html. It may not achieve much, but it's worth the effort nonetheless.
More insanity from our schools
No, they're banning lego: http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/21_02/lego212.shtml.
Apparently, kids competing over toys is a bad thing, and it goes against the left wing, touchy-feely attitude of our teachers, who want to raise a bunch of socialist clones.
Apparently, kids competing over toys is a bad thing, and it goes against the left wing, touchy-feely attitude of our teachers, who want to raise a bunch of socialist clones.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
A common denominator
In the past couple of days, astute police work in Germany and Denmark has disrupted two terrorist attacks on Americans: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_re_eu/germany_terror.
Now, let's see what these terrorist wannabes had in common--and yes, AP, Reuters, CNN (sorry, Christiane Amanpour), etc., they ARE terrorists. Not militants. TERRORISTS. Why, that would be the Religion of Peace, of course.
How many times do we need to be smacked in the face with the obvious before we admit that anti-American terrorism is an Islamic problem?
Now, let's see what these terrorist wannabes had in common--and yes, AP, Reuters, CNN (sorry, Christiane Amanpour), etc., they ARE terrorists. Not militants. TERRORISTS. Why, that would be the Religion of Peace, of course.
How many times do we need to be smacked in the face with the obvious before we admit that anti-American terrorism is an Islamic problem?
Goodbye to a Canadian Hero
Stories about soldiers who die in the line of duty never fail to choke me up. This story, about a Canadian soldier who died recently in Afghanistan, was no different: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2007/08/31/mercier-funeral.html.
Soldiers such as this hero deserved our complete and unequivocal support.
Soldiers such as this hero deserved our complete and unequivocal support.
It won't matter, but............
There is an excellent piece which addresses head on the Walt/Mearsheimer resurrection of the old canard that those evil, manipulative Jews are controlling U.S. foreign policy (because, apparently, if you take this absurd argument to its logical extreme, Christians aren't smart enough to see through this Jewish perfidy): http://imra.org.il/story.php3?id=35913.
Read it all, it's well worth your time. I'll repeat a point I made in an earlier post; just because these two are well-credentialed doesn't mean that their work is indicative of good scholarship.
Read it all, it's well worth your time. I'll repeat a point I made in an earlier post; just because these two are well-credentialed doesn't mean that their work is indicative of good scholarship.
The Democratic "base" eats its own
Much has been made of the recent comments by Washington State Congressman Brian Baird, an opponent of both the Iraq War and the Surge, to the effect that he felt that the Surge should be given a chance to work. He made these comments after going to Iraq and personally observing conditions there.
Well, it turns out that the (in)famous "netroots" (nutroots might be a better term) aren't too happy with Congressman Baird's comments, and Moveon.org (which is bankrolled at least in part by the odious George Soros) is now running ads against him: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010562.
To his credit, the Congressman isn't backing down. It's a shame that the so-called Democratic Base is so invested in failure that it will stop at nothing to silence anyone who deviates from its viewpoint.
Well, it turns out that the (in)famous "netroots" (nutroots might be a better term) aren't too happy with Congressman Baird's comments, and Moveon.org (which is bankrolled at least in part by the odious George Soros) is now running ads against him: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010562.
To his credit, the Congressman isn't backing down. It's a shame that the so-called Democratic Base is so invested in failure that it will stop at nothing to silence anyone who deviates from its viewpoint.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Mandatory Health Care
Let me get this straight. The current Democratic Presidential Candidate, and ex-Senator (and pretty boy/media darling) John Edwards is, like so many other members of the loony left, raving about how government under the evil/nefarious/fascist Bush Administration has invaded our personal lives. That's bad, right? Well, maybe the former Senator needs to practice what he preaches, because if he were ever elected President, mandatory preventative health care would be the law: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070902/ap_on_el_pr/edwards_2.
So, when he and others in his parties screech hysterically about the erosion of civil liberties, I guess that they weren't thinking of stuff like this, which would obligate people to do certain things.
What a putz................
So, when he and others in his parties screech hysterically about the erosion of civil liberties, I guess that they weren't thinking of stuff like this, which would obligate people to do certain things.
What a putz................
Israel is green!
The timing on this is just too good, given the comments by British politician Clare Short which blame global warming on Israel. For more on that, see my previous post.
Turns out, no country in the Middle East is more eco-friendly than Israel: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/899996.html.
Like that should be a shock to anyone with a brain...............
Turns out, no country in the Middle East is more eco-friendly than Israel: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/899996.html.
Like that should be a shock to anyone with a brain...............
European Parliamentarians show their true selves
Great piece on the recent farce held by the European Parliament which was nothing more than an updated version of what happened in Durban six years ago. It was supposed to be for Wall Street Journal subscribers only, so don't aske me how I got it!
The Israel Bashing Club
By DANIEL SCHWAMMENTHAL
September 3, 2007
"Israel is an apartheid state," was the most often-heard charge, closely followed by calls for a boycott. The West should cut its economic ties with the Jewish state, the speakers urged, and engage the "democratically elected" Islamists now running Gaza.
No, this was not a Hamas rally somewhere in the Palestinian territories. This was Brussels, where the European Parliament last week played host to the "United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace."
If the conference title's inversion of the truth is reminiscent of Communist-style propaganda, this is no coincidence. The meeting was organized by the U.N. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, a Soviet-era body founded around the time of the 1975 U.N. "Zionism is racism" resolution. That anti-Semitic resolution was revoked in 1991 but the committee continued its activities in the resolution's original spirit.
Speaker after speaker at the European Parliament on Thursday and Friday presented the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from an exclusively Palestinian perspective. Israel was accused of human rights violations while Palestinian terrorism and incitement went unmentioned. The delegates invoked the Israeli occupation as the underlying cause for the conflict without mentioning the Palestinian rejectionism and violence that prevent further Israeli withdrawals. The "right of return" of millions of Palestinians, which would lead to the demographic destruction of Israel as a Jewish state, was upheld despite the official claim to favor a two-state solution.
Amid this standard-Israel-bashing, a few delegates managed to come up with a few innovative charges against the Jewish state.
There was Clare Short, a member of the British Parliament and Secretary for International Development under Prime Minister Tony Blair until she resigned in 2003 over the Iraq war. Claiming that Israel is actually "much worse than the original apartheid state" and accusing it of "killing (Palestinian) political leaders," Ms. Short charged the Jewish state with the ultimate crime: Israel "undermines the international community's reaction to global warming." According to Ms. Short, the Middle East conflict distracts the world from the real problem: man-made climate change. If extreme weather will lead to the "end of the human race," as Ms. Short warned it could, add this to the list of the crimes of Israel.
The U.S. also came in for criticism. Pierre Galand, chairman of the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine, admonished Washington for increasing its military aid to Israel. What really worried Mr. Galand was that this aid would allow Israel to build a missile defense system. In Mr. Galand's view, Israel's ability to protect itself against possible nuclear-tipped Iranian missiles doesn't serve the "cause of peace."
Speaking at the conference's opening session, Edward McMillan-Scott, British vice president of the European Parliament, told the audience that, "It is also worth noting that I am related to Colonel T. E. Lawrence of Arabia." Having thus established his noble pedigree, he later told me that Hamas was "not a terrorist organization." Perhaps Mr. McMillan-Scott is aspiring to the title of Edward of Hamastan?
The only attempt among the dozens of speakers to present the other side came from an Arab-Israeli. Nadia Hilou, a member of the Israeli Parliament (so much for the "apartheid" charge) explained why her countrymen are pessimistic about the prospects for peace. "It's the disappointment that the withdrawals from Gaza and Lebanon, which were seen as gestures of good will, have worsened not improved Israel's security situation." Having failed to stick to her assigned role as witness for the prosecution, Ms. Hilou is unlikely to be invited back.
One is tempted to dismiss the conference as of little practical consequence. Another U.N. conference bashing Israel -- what else is new? Bronislaw Geremek, a former Polish foreign minister and current member of the European Parliament, disagrees. That his house has played host to this "revolting" meeting, he told me, will further diminish Europe's credibility as an even-handed peace broker in Israeli eyes. Mr. Geremek, together with a group of like-minded lawmakers, many also Polish, tried in vain to stop the conference from taking place.
The U.N. gathering in Brussels, though, did more than just sow distrust between Europe and Israel. It was a further step in the growing campaign to delegitimize and demonize Israel. The calls for a boycott, championed first by radical Palestinians, have already been adopted by some mainstream organizations, such as various British unions. Similarly, the idea of establishing contacts with Hamas has been echoed recently by high-profile politicians. Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, a former EU Commission President, suggested talking to Hamas last month to help it "develop." (He later backtracked.) The British Parliament's foreign affairs committee also recommended last month to engage with Hamas. The U.K. lawmakers even added Hezbollah and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to their wish list of dialogue partners -- all in the interest of peace, of course.
By hosting this conference, the European Parliament has lent its good name to propaganda and helped to make radical anti-Israeli claims more mainstream. It's a huge disservice to the search for Mideast peace, which must be based on compromise and dialogue.
Mr. Schwammenthal edits the State of the Union column.
The Israel Bashing Club
By DANIEL SCHWAMMENTHAL
September 3, 2007
"Israel is an apartheid state," was the most often-heard charge, closely followed by calls for a boycott. The West should cut its economic ties with the Jewish state, the speakers urged, and engage the "democratically elected" Islamists now running Gaza.
No, this was not a Hamas rally somewhere in the Palestinian territories. This was Brussels, where the European Parliament last week played host to the "United Nations International Conference of Civil Society in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace."
If the conference title's inversion of the truth is reminiscent of Communist-style propaganda, this is no coincidence. The meeting was organized by the U.N. Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, a Soviet-era body founded around the time of the 1975 U.N. "Zionism is racism" resolution. That anti-Semitic resolution was revoked in 1991 but the committee continued its activities in the resolution's original spirit.
Speaker after speaker at the European Parliament on Thursday and Friday presented the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from an exclusively Palestinian perspective. Israel was accused of human rights violations while Palestinian terrorism and incitement went unmentioned. The delegates invoked the Israeli occupation as the underlying cause for the conflict without mentioning the Palestinian rejectionism and violence that prevent further Israeli withdrawals. The "right of return" of millions of Palestinians, which would lead to the demographic destruction of Israel as a Jewish state, was upheld despite the official claim to favor a two-state solution.
Amid this standard-Israel-bashing, a few delegates managed to come up with a few innovative charges against the Jewish state.
There was Clare Short, a member of the British Parliament and Secretary for International Development under Prime Minister Tony Blair until she resigned in 2003 over the Iraq war. Claiming that Israel is actually "much worse than the original apartheid state" and accusing it of "killing (Palestinian) political leaders," Ms. Short charged the Jewish state with the ultimate crime: Israel "undermines the international community's reaction to global warming." According to Ms. Short, the Middle East conflict distracts the world from the real problem: man-made climate change. If extreme weather will lead to the "end of the human race," as Ms. Short warned it could, add this to the list of the crimes of Israel.
The U.S. also came in for criticism. Pierre Galand, chairman of the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine, admonished Washington for increasing its military aid to Israel. What really worried Mr. Galand was that this aid would allow Israel to build a missile defense system. In Mr. Galand's view, Israel's ability to protect itself against possible nuclear-tipped Iranian missiles doesn't serve the "cause of peace."
Speaking at the conference's opening session, Edward McMillan-Scott, British vice president of the European Parliament, told the audience that, "It is also worth noting that I am related to Colonel T. E. Lawrence of Arabia." Having thus established his noble pedigree, he later told me that Hamas was "not a terrorist organization." Perhaps Mr. McMillan-Scott is aspiring to the title of Edward of Hamastan?
The only attempt among the dozens of speakers to present the other side came from an Arab-Israeli. Nadia Hilou, a member of the Israeli Parliament (so much for the "apartheid" charge) explained why her countrymen are pessimistic about the prospects for peace. "It's the disappointment that the withdrawals from Gaza and Lebanon, which were seen as gestures of good will, have worsened not improved Israel's security situation." Having failed to stick to her assigned role as witness for the prosecution, Ms. Hilou is unlikely to be invited back.
One is tempted to dismiss the conference as of little practical consequence. Another U.N. conference bashing Israel -- what else is new? Bronislaw Geremek, a former Polish foreign minister and current member of the European Parliament, disagrees. That his house has played host to this "revolting" meeting, he told me, will further diminish Europe's credibility as an even-handed peace broker in Israeli eyes. Mr. Geremek, together with a group of like-minded lawmakers, many also Polish, tried in vain to stop the conference from taking place.
The U.N. gathering in Brussels, though, did more than just sow distrust between Europe and Israel. It was a further step in the growing campaign to delegitimize and demonize Israel. The calls for a boycott, championed first by radical Palestinians, have already been adopted by some mainstream organizations, such as various British unions. Similarly, the idea of establishing contacts with Hamas has been echoed recently by high-profile politicians. Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi, a former EU Commission President, suggested talking to Hamas last month to help it "develop." (He later backtracked.) The British Parliament's foreign affairs committee also recommended last month to engage with Hamas. The U.K. lawmakers even added Hezbollah and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to their wish list of dialogue partners -- all in the interest of peace, of course.
By hosting this conference, the European Parliament has lent its good name to propaganda and helped to make radical anti-Israeli claims more mainstream. It's a huge disservice to the search for Mideast peace, which must be based on compromise and dialogue.
Mr. Schwammenthal edits the State of the Union column.
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