"Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon" oppose Lisbon, say it supports Zionism...

hatrickpatrick

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/93281

Can anyone confirm whether this article is BS or whether any of it is true? Because as a staunch supporter of the Palestinians, this could possibly move me into the definite No category as opposed to the "undecided but skeptical" category in which I currently reside.

Opinions?

marco_polo

As it is an indymedia article so I am leaning towards voting BS on this one.

Scofflaw

Their claim about removal of the veto on foreign policy is entirely made up - there's no such removal, even according to Freeborn John. Really, it's like people don't even bother reading the Treaty.

Plus, it's worth pointing out that there are plenty of claims of exactly the opposite:

EU funds anti-Israel NGOs
http://zionism-israel.com/israel_news/2009/05/eu-funds-anti-israel-ngos.html

This really requires no comment.

Want EU funding? Promote Palestinian positions
May. 19, 2009
Etgar Lefkovits , THE JERUSALEM POST

Israeli human rights groups and other NGOs that are heavily funded by the European Union are promoting Palestinian positions on the capital, a Jerusalem-based research organization said on Tuesday.

Several groups, including B'Tselem and Ir Amim, that are ostensibly devoted to further coexistence, are "pursuing an overtly anti-Israel agenda in a narrative war that seeks to rewrite 3,000 years of Jewish history in Jerusalem," NGO Monitor said.

I don't know about you, but when I see both sides of an entrenched divide claiming something favours their opponent...

cordially,
Scofflaw

hatrickpatrick

Fair enough, just wanted to make absolutely sure.
My one worry is the common foreign policy thing though. I mean, if the EU decides to support Israeli expansionism like the U.S. does, will Ireland still have the right to a foreign policy which opposes it?

Scofflaw

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Fair enough, just wanted to make absolutely sure.
My one worry is the common foreign policy thing though. I mean, if the EU decides to support Israeli expansionism like the U.S. does, will Ireland still have the right to a foreign policy which opposes it?

Ireland would have the right to prevent such a common foreign policy from being created. Still, I doubt such a contentious issue as Israel will ever feature largely in EU foreign policy, for the same reasons it doesn't now. There's an EU-Israel agreement, but the EU's position is quite clear:

europa.eu wrote:

The EU believes that the creation of an independent, viable and democratic Palestinian state is in Israel’s interest.

Of course, once we've become "Eurabia" all this will presumably be moot.

cordially,
Scofflaw

PopeBuckfastXVI

Scofflaw wrote: »

Ireland would have the right to prevent such a common foreign policy from being created.

And this is probably my favourite part of Lisbon, it gives us a right, and an ability to punch above our weight, and promote our view of right and wrong in the world.

ixtlan

It's sad seeing such mis-representation of the treaty. I mean we can debate some things sure... but to state that Ireland loses it's veto in foreign policy... one shakes one's head. Do you think they know this is untrue? Or are they somehow so blinded by righteous anger that they just assume it must be true?

Later on the page I got a flashback to the the Life of Brian when one contributor says they should support the treaty.... "the majority of friends of Palestine support the Lisbon Treaty".

So the protesting group is "Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon" which it seems is NOT "Irish Friends of Palestine". What are the chances the main group will canvass for the treaty which it seems they support? Slim I think. The no-side is always more active it seems... sadly.

It's also worth noting that their anger at any foreign policy decisions in recent years belongs with each state and not the EU, so I'm not sure why they think the EU is the bad guy.

ix

PopeBuckfastXVI

Well spotted Ix.

So the thread title should really be corrected to

"Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon" oppose Lisbon.

:eek:

oscarBravo

Thread title amended.

oscarBravo

There was a letter in yesterday's Times also:

Madam, – William Quill (August 17th) suggests that we have nothing to worry about in relation to the increased militarisation of the EU as “Government policy does not allow our Defence Forces to take part in any action not sanctioned by the UN”. Given the lack of any binding criteria for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), a policy which member- states “shall” uphold in all international forums including the UN, I do not share Mr Quill’s confidence that we will not be tied into supporting a foreign policy which, if Lisbon is ratified, will include military intervention for “peace making”, an entirely different scenario from our traditional role as “peace keepers”.


While member-states currently have a veto on EU foreign policy, ratification of the Lisbon Treaty would allow the EU Council to alter the manner in which CFSP is decided, from unanimity to qualified majority vote thus removing Ireland’s veto.


Earlier this year we saw direct evidence of how Ireland’s voice in the UN is being silenced in favour of a single EU representation. The German ambassador, speaking on behalf of all EU states, refused to support a UN Human Rights Council resolution critical of Israel’s action in Gaza.
Ireland found itself lumped together with states that shelter Israel from sanction regardless of its gross human rights violations.


This situation will be set in stone if the Lisbon treaty is ratified, thus establishing a new post of EU High Representative to the Union for Foreign and Security Policy who will speak on behalf of all EU states in the UN. If that happens Ireland’s role on the international stage will be reduced to providing the music, dancing and bowls of shamrock for our new masters.

– Yours, etc,


SEAN CLINTON,
Irish Friends of Palestine Against Lisbon,
Lisnagry,
Co Limerick.