In an apparent break with the European Union position, Dutch Foreign
Minister Frans Timmermans said he has “no criticism” of Israel over its
alleged strikes in Syria.
“Israel is right to look after its security: I have no criticism on
its actions as it faces the risk of madman [Bashar] Assad spreading
weapons to very dangerous organizations,” Timmermans said Monday,
referring to Syria’s president.
Timmermans was addressing some 250 Jews and non-Jews at a ceremony in
Amsterdam honoring Ronny Naftaniel, the former director of Holland’s
leading pro-Israel group, the Center for Information and Documentation
on Israel.
A spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on May 6
expressed “great concern” following a strike in Syria that week that is
widely attributed to Israel — the third such strike this year.
Ashton’s office said in a statement that the strikes, which an
unnamed Israeli official described to The Associated Press as targeting
Hezbollah-bound weapons from Iran, “risk dragging the region into
expanding conflict.” The statement also called “on all parties to avoid
jeopardizing what is already a fragile security situation.”
Timmermans said many Palestinians were “suffering” in Syria, where
tens of thousands have died in a civil war that erupted two years ago.
“Look at how the Palestinians are being kicked out of Syria. There’s a
myth that in Arab countries they all like Palestinians. They don’t. On
the contrary,” the minister said.
Naftaniel, 64, said the “silence of so-called pro-Palestinian
organizations on the plight of Palestinians in Syria exposes their real
anti-Israel agendas.”
On Monday, he became the fifth Dutchman to receive the Hebrew
University’s Scopus Award. Presenting the award was the university’s
rector, Asher Cohen, who said the award is given “rarely and
irregularly” and conferred once or twice a year in Europe.
Cohen said Naftaniel was recognized for his work against anti-Semitism and for Israel over the past four decades.
Wednesday 15 May 2013
Dutch FM: No problem with Israel striking in Syria
Posted @ 17:49
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