Re: While Washington Chatters, Syria Burns, Anne Applebaum, July 27.
While the United States is at least discussing its position on Syria, the European Union is instead focusing on sanctions against Israel. It seems the member states are on the same page there, but they are divided on what to do in Syria, which continues to burn, much as Rome did while Nero fiddled.
The EU has been working on its labels for products from Israel and putting out reports to all its member states. The labels must be specific and explicit so that consumers know whether the product comes from Israel proper — as defined by the EU — or not. For the EU, Israel proper does not include land over the Green Line, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
The EU is also working on its list of joint activities and funding projects that will end because it has decided that these projects are also occurring outside Israel proper. For added measure, it has also decided that for business to take place between the EU and Israel, the Jewish state must agree to accept the EU’s position that all territory over the Green Line does not belong to Israel.
The EU has no problems making demands on the only democracy in the Middle East, but not on Syria, where more than 100,000 Syrians have died and millions of refugees need care.
Diane Weber Bederman, Caledon, Ont.
