August 10, 2019
The European Union is financing Israeli bodies that oversee home demolitions and other crimes against the Palestinian people. Abedalrahman Hassan APA images
Two years ago, Benjamin Netanyahu was heard complaining that the European Union was "crazy" for attaching "political conditions" to its relations with Israel. By the prime minister's yardstick, matters have become less "crazy" since then: the EU has quietly expanded the financial support it gives to Israeli government bodies directly responsible for oppressing Palestinians.
Israel's defense ministry has just begun drawing down European Union cash for the first time.
It is among the beneficiaries of a new $9 million research scheme on using drones during disasters. Known as Respondrone, the scheme is being financed under the EU's science program Horizon 2020.
The "political conditions" of which Netanyahu complained are respect for basic human rights. By providing money to Israel’s defense ministry, the EU is helping out a major human rights abuser.
If the English language was used accurately, the defense ministry would be called the ministry for war crimes and occupation.
It is tasked with strengthening Israe's army. In other words, the ministry is dedicated to making an extremely aggressive army even more lethal.
Not content with occupying the West Bank and Gaza, Israel's army has bombed Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Sudan since the beginning of this millennium – when the EU supposedly began applying those "crazy" conditions. Israel has also killed Turkish humanitarian activists in international waters.
Subsidizing the ministry which oversees that army is tantamount to approving its crimes.
The Respondrone project kicked off in May. The following month the EU's embassy in Tel Aviv held a ceremony to celebrate how Israel's researchers have received more than $820 million from Horizon 2020.
Curiously, the material for the event posted on the embassy's website does not mention that the EU is now funding Israel's defense ministry.
Reticent
The EU's representatives have been similarly reticent about the support they offer to Israel's ministry for "public security."
That ministry provides guidance to Israel's police and prison service. During the past few weeks, Israel's police have conducted daily raids on the West Bank village of Issawiyeh, participated in the demolition of Palestinian buildings in East Jerusalem and evicted a family living near Jerusalem's Old City so that its home could be handed over to Jewish settlers.
Please go to Electronic Intifada to read the entire article.
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