Not widely reported, but included in the 14,000-plus crowd at the AIPAC Policy Conference just recently concluded in Washington, was a delegation of some dozen leading European Parliamentarians. The group came as part of a delegation led by the Brussels-based pro-Israel parliamentary group, European Friends of Israel (‘EFI’).
According to Vladimir Sloutsker, Chairman of the EFI Management Board, EFI was established in 2006 to “forge a stronger political relationship and a deeper understanding between Europe and Israel”. They do this, he says, by working “across EU, the Member States and European institutions, cultivating relationships with friends and potential friends of Israel and monitoring legislation that impacts or may impact future relations between Israel and the EU.” The purpose Sloutsker says, is to “create and promote new initiatives to enable a positive atmosphere for dialogue, peace and security between Europe and Israel.”
With over 1,500 Parliamentarians from all across the European political spectrum, including in the European Parliament and Member States, EFI is one of the largest and most influential pro-Israel parliamentary groups in Europe.
Its list of achievements in the past two years is certainly impressive, and includes heavy lobbying on EU’s designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, the signing of the historical ACAA Agreement, as well as the Horizon 20/20 and Green Energy Agreements between the EU and Israel. EFI has also been actively working to raise awareness of the Iranian nuclear threat and present Israel’s perspective vis-à-vis the conflict with the Palestinians.
According to EFI, its delegation this year was conducted under the banner of a ‘Trilateral Dialogue between the US, EU and Israel; exploring common foreign policy goals, opportunities and challenges’. Within this context, the delegation received daily briefings from experts relating to Iran, the Middle East Peace Process and Israel’s alliances with Europe and America.
The delegation also held bilateral meetings with parliamentarians from around the world, most notably the United States, and participated in a number of the special sessions held at the Policy Conference.
The timing of the visit could not have come at a more crucial moment in the context of EU-Israel relations, with a myriad of challenges – but also opportunities, on the horizon, including increased calls for boycotts, rising anti-Semitism, the Iranian nuclear threat, peace negotiations with the Palestinians and increasing trade between Israel and the EU.
During discussions with a number of the Parliamentarians, three points in particular were evident: relations between EU and Israel are generally good, though can be improved, the boycott issue is a concern that needs to be dealt with, however its impact and threat has been exaggerated by the media, and most of all, they stressed the need to promote Israel away from the sole context of the dispute with the Palestinians, by focusing on its positive achievements and potential gains for Europe by strengthening this relationship.
Konstantinos Karagounis, a Member of the Greek Parliament and former Minister for Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, says although Israel is “justified” in some of its concerns about the EU, especially in the context of the “unbalanced” positions they have taken regarding the conflict with the Palestinians, “the relationship between Israel and Europe is getting better and better.”
Karagounis is one of the most outspoken supporters of Israel in Europe and stresses that “it is in Europe’s best interest to have a strong and secure State of Israel.” He says “Israel is a Western country, a Western democracy. We share the same values and have mutual interests. If the security or stability of Israel is at stake, Europe’s security and stability is at stake. That’s why I support Israel.”
Gabriel Elorriaga Pisarik, a leading Member of the Spanish Congress of Deputies and Chair of the Spanish Friendship Group with Israel in the Spanish Congress, shares similar views to Karagounis.
Pisarik believes “Israel is the European frontier in the Middle East” and the two “need each other”, albeit more can also be done to strengthen relations and mutual understanding, by “opening the agenda to many other things than just the Palestinian conflict,” which is the main prism through which most Europeans view Israel.
Pisarik says there is there is a problem of “knowledge and communication in Europe, about the reality of Israel” and we have to work to strengthen bilateral links in areas like water technology, high-tech, education, agriculture and military cooperation, and especially on a ‘people to people’ level. Doing so he suggests is not only in the “common interest” of both Israel and Europe, but can also help blunt those voices calling for boycotts of Israel.
Jonathan Djanogly, a British Member of Parliament from the Conservative Party, also believes “more effective communications are need in the EU to promote what Israel has to offer,” suggesting “the benefits of Israeli-EU trade are huge. We must appreciate that and sell the message.” That was “one of the most import lessons” he says he learnt at AIPAC.
Emanuelis Zingeris, a Member of the Lithuanian Parliament, Deputy Chair of their European Affairs Committee and also Chairman of the Lithuania – Israel Parliamentary Friendship Group, was another leading European Parliamentarian part of the EFI delegation to AIPAC.
Zingeris says Israel is a “natural fit” for Europe and its only “stable partner and liberal democracy in the Middle East”. Suggesting also that the media has exaggerated the boycott threat, Zingeris believes Israel should be focusing less on the Palestinian conflict in Europe and more on “highlight its achievements in high-tech, innovation and economy.”
Zingeris also has some friendly advice for the Knesset and Israeli parliamentarians, suggesting that they participate and be more involved in the internal gatherings of official EU bodies, as a means to promote its positions and strengthen relations with Europe.
Arsen Ostrovsky is a freelance journalist based in Israel. He attended last month the AIPAC 2014 Policy Conference in Washington.