Gordon Duff: Israel Hit with EU War Crimes Sanctions!

EU Sanctions keep Israel guessing. Palestinian protesters confront Israeli Occupation Forces' soldier near the West Bank town of Idna.In a surprise last last minute move, the European Union set forth a strong set of economic sanctions against Israel, leaving that nation both surprised and reeling. The sanctions, stimulated by what the EU refers to as "Israeli intransigence" regarding peace talks with the Palestinians, cover all financial dealings, loans, awards, transfer of instruments and severely limiting economic cooperation between Israel and all EU member nations starting in 2014. The sanctions are against any Israeli "economic activity," not just within what has been referred to as the "occupied territories" but broad areas of Israel that had been designated for the establishment of an Arab State in 1949. Those territories extend in an almost contiguous line from Lebanon border to the Red Sea. Israel has referred to these territories as Golan Heights, Judea, Samaria and eastern Jerusalem. The term Judea alone could refer to the entire Roman province including large regions of Lebanon and Jordan. Thus, one might question why the European Union would include such broad territories, clearly intended to offset Israeli Prime Minister Natanyahu's demands for defensible borders. The EU has gone much further than imagined, an act Israel sees as an ambush. Israeli Response. Israel has responded with a number of objections citing, initially that they feel the EU attacks us because we are small, as cited by Gil Ronen with Arutz Sheva, Israel National News. The sanctions, to be published Friday, July 19, 2013, will prohibit all European Union member states from any economic contacts with Israeli entities that operate outside the 1949 Armistice lines. These territories differ greatly from the ceasefire lines of the 1967 war and include up to 25% of the territory of Israel, according to an article in Arutz Sheva. According to that publication, the EU has made further differentiations based on the 1967 truce lines, clearly delineating territories seized as occupied and requiring Israel to identify any economic activity originating from those regions for exclusion. EU officials have commented that there has been significant pressure to modify and limit the approved sanctions prior to their upcoming publication. Syria: The decision to move against Israel falls on the eve of announcements from France and then Britain to hold back material support for pro-Israeli factions fighting against the Syrian government. Germany had previously announced that no aid would would be forthcoming. The United States, although announcing, in June, that arms would be supplied, has withheld promised military aid through through the Syrian government has made significant advances against rebel held enclaves.