Netanyahu Unbound

What some political leaders say off the record is far more constructive than what other leaders say on the record in interviews with hostile news outlets.

Just saying.

Anyway, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is on a diplomatic foray into Eastern Europe. Being in the presence of leaders who understand the state of Europe, he spoke freely on an open mic.

He began by denouncing the decadent cowards who are running Western European nations. Ostensibly, he referred to the European policy toward Israel—or better its support for Palestinian terrorism—but he could have been referring to Europe’s self-destructive willingness to welcome more Muslim refugees.

Netanyahu said:

I think Europe has to decide if it wants to live and thrive or if it wants to shrivel and disappear…. I am not very politically correct. I know that’s a shock to some of you. It’s a joke. But the truth is the truth — both about Europe’s security and Europe’s economic future. Both of these concerns mandate a different policy towards Israel.

Shrivel and disappear—a nice touch that.

As for the EU policy toward Israel, Netanyahu declared that the EU was the only political entity that made its policy contingent on the Palestinian issue, thus, on politics.

The European Union is the only association of countries in the world that conditions the relations with Israel, that produces technology in every area, on political conditions. The only ones! Nobody does it.

Only the EU, we might say, is so cowardly that it feels a need to appease terrorism.

Other major nations construct their policies on more rational grounds.

The Times of Israel reports on the Netanyahu observation:

China, Russia and India all have special relationships with Israel that aren’t contingent on progress in the peace process, Netanyahu said. “They don’t care about the political issue.” He cited conversations with the leaders of those countries in which they said they were interested in what Israel had to offer them and disregarded the lingering issue of the Palestinians.

“We have a special relationship with China. And they don’t care, they don’t care about the political issues,” he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit to Israel, told Netanyahu he needs water for his people. “Where will I get it. Ramallah? No,” Netanyahu said, also noting that Israeli cows produce more milk than any other cows in the world — double the European average.

“If I can suggest that what comes out of this meeting is your ability, perhaps, to communicate to your colleagues in other parts of Europe: Help Europe… Don’t undermine the one Western country that defends European values and European interests and prevents another mass migration to Europe.”

Imagine that... India and China do not care about defending the Palestinian cause. They are not lining up to support and fund terrorism. They want to do business. They want to acquire advanced technology. For that they will not be travelling to Ramallah. Duh!

And, of course, Israel represents what used to be called Western values. One wonders whether such is still the case.

“There’s an anomaly. I don’t hide it. We’re often criticized by Western Europe, often more than any other place in the world,” he continued. The Jewish state is the one democracy in the Middle East, a “beacon of tolerance” and a “bastion of European and Western values in the heart of a very, very dark area,” he said.

Even many Arab countries understand that Israel serves their interests, he added. “So it’s time to have a reassessment in Europe about their relations with Israel. We have much to offer each other. We have much to offer in the realm of security, much to offer in the realm of technology.”

Earlier, during the closed meeting, Netanyahu also expressed clear backing for the so-called Visegrad Group’s support of border fences to guard Europe from another wave of refugees from the Middle East.

Netanyahu supports the border fence being built in Eastern Europe. And he notes that even Arab countries are turning toward an alliance with Israel. As we have often reported the prime minister has enjoyed many great diplomatic successes. To overlook them or to diminish them because Israel has not capitulated to Palestinian terrorism is more than short-sighted. It is deranged.

On his contentious relationship with the notably anti-Israeli Barack Obama, Netanyahu said this:

On the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, Netanyahu said Israel “had a big problem” with the Obama administration in Washington and its too-hesitant policies vis-a-vis Iran and Syria, and was more pleased with its predecessor [sic].

“I think it’s different now. Vis-a-vis Iran, there is a stronger position,” he said. The US is conducting more bombing attacks in Syria, which is “a positive thing. I think we’re OK on ISIS. We’re not OK on Iran.”

The Times of Israel should have known the difference between predecessor and successor.

Obviously, Israel does not want to see Iranian troops on its northern border. The prime minister explained it to Russian president Putin and the two apparently reached an understanding.

Israel build a border fence on the Golan Heights because the Islamic State and Iran via its proxies have and are still trying to set “a terror front” against Israel there, Netanyahu went on.

“Frankly, I told [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, when we see them doing this, we take military action against them. We’ve been doing this dozens and dozens of times, and we’ve not clashed with Russia.