Posted on 02/23/2008 2:30:44 PM PST by kronos77
Israel will not be recognising Kosovo’s independence in the next few weeks, out of concern for the implications that recognition might have both on negotiations with the Palestinians and relations with Russia.
Israel’s main Western allies — the United States, Britain, France and Germany — all rushed to accept Kosovo’s independence following the announcement by the Kosovar government on Sunday. But Israel is being reticent, despite Foreign Ministry officials and politicians privately voicing a general sympathy towards the Kosovar cause.
One of the main reasons is that Israel is anxious not to encourage a precedent whereby the populations of disputed regions act unilaterally in such a fashion.
On Wednesday, Yasser Abed Rabbo, senior adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, told Reuters that if the current negotiations “wouldn’t proceed towards ending settlement-building and a serious and continuing negotiation, we will have to take the step and declare independence unilaterally”. ... An additional concern is the welfare of the Russian community. Despite still high levels of antisemitism, Israeli diplomats and local leaders have praised Mr Putin for fighting antisemitism.
Dmitry Medvedev, Mr Putin’s handpicked successor expected to win elections next month, is also thought to be close to the community, and visited the headquarters of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Moscow three days before announcing his candidacy.
Some of nationalist parties are claiming that Mr Medvedev is Jewish and disloyal to the Russian people. “This is the worst possible time to draw attention with a new dispute,” said a senior figure in the community in Moscow, “both for Israel and for Russian Jews.”
(Excerpt) Read more at thejc.com ...
Ping!
Good, America should follow Israel.
I agree!
This is ironic considering Russia has done more to foment Islamic extremism targetd at Israel and the the US than any other country.
“This is ironic considering Russia has done more to foment Islamic extremism targetd at Israel and the the US than any other country.”
Until relatively recently, this was true. Of late, however, the aggressive Anti-Christian, Anti-Israel foreign policy of the benighted Bush has raised America’s financial, diplomatic and military support for Islamist jihadis to new and deadly levels.
Good for Israel.
I concur.
Serbs know Islam.
We do not.....yet.
Not since Chechnya stirred they haven’t.
Now if the US would just balkanize.
Israel has taken the wiser position on this. They want better relations with Russia. And you know what, so should we.
Israel also recognizes the implications that the recognition of an independent Kosovo could mean right next door.
What if Russia were to recognize a newly declared independent Palestinian Nation? How would we like those apples?
We screwed up. It’s hard to imagine a more shallow display of global awareness IMO. This is one of the few actions I have seen since the late 1970s, that actually comes near to making Jimmy Carter look like a statesman.
Tough spot for Israel- identifying with the establishment of a nation formed in the aftermath of genocide, and having to recognize the existance of a new Muslim nation.
Israel should negotiate with the palis by blowing them off the map and let Tehran & the rest of its enemies know that if any of them make a move they will be next. Their sorry state is not what their fathers intended. I mean, Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Moshe Dayan and the rest. Ariel Sharon when young was a fearless warrior.
“But Israel is being reticent, despite Foreign Ministry officials and politicians privately voicing a general sympathy towards the Kosovar cause.”
What a crock. Pathetic journalism, they’re only against independence because of the Palestinian issue, but unanamed officials are expressing general sympathy. Sympathy for what????? Nothing like interjecting your own personal bias.
Well they are building nuclear reactors in Iran. The Russian are hypocrits, and Iran is far more dangerous than the relatively secular Albanians in Kosovo. And I do not support our policy in Kosovo, but I have not heard anything about the US building nuclear reactors there.
Unlike the U.S., Israel sees Kosovo for what it will become—the European base for Al Qaeda, the Arab Brotherhood and other Islamic psychopaths.
Oh, but the Albanians are one of our biggest allies, Bush-lovers extraordinaire!
And don't fault President Bush... He knows that Islam is a Religion of Peace...in fact, he went in and took out the secular leader of Iraq who loved to and keep Islam (and Iran) in check. And we haven't had a bit of trouble with radical Islam or Iran since, have we?
</sarc>
I agree that they seem to have lost much of the spirit that kept them safe in the 20th Century. I cannot understand why they think Russia is concerned with their existence becuase they are obviously Iran’s biggest ally.
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