Israel joins the OECD as anti-Zionist protests are ignored
The breaking news today is that Israel has finally been invited to join the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Israel was brought into the OECD (and will formally join at a ceremony in Paris on May 27) along with Estonia and Slovenia. The number of OECD countries will thus rise to 34.
Predictably, activists sought to prevent the Jewish state (and only the Jewish state) from joining. According to Reuters, “Some critics and human rights activists — including Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland, Italian vice-President of the European Parliament Luisa Morgantini, Israeli historian Ilan Pappe and filmmaker Ken Loach — made a last-minute bid urging OECD member states to delay the process.”
Interestingly enough, the most senior Palestinians did not mount significant, vocal objections*, offering another illustration that in some respects the group hysteria that defines the anti-Israeli agenda in much of Europe takes its participants in a more anti-Israeli direction than the Palestinians themselves.
This is a major achievement for Israel and it is indicative of the enormous contribution in technological innovation and other areas that Israel is making to the global economy. It also suggests that by simply knuckling down and behaving like the normal market democracy that Israel is, the Jewish state can integrate with the wider world in spite of the bigotry that is so frequently visited against it.
Nonetheless, protests against the move are certain. The French news agency Agence France Presse was reporting today that demonstrations are planned outside the OECD’s Paris headquarters later on Monday when OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria makes a formal announcement on the move.
Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer was quoted by Reuters as saying: “The OECD’s decision … is an important milestone for the integration of Israel in the global economy and it expresses Israel’s commitments to meet advanced international standards”.
Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz told Agence France Presse that the invitation was “a historic success … because it gives legitimacy to Israel as an advanced and enlightened country.”
So, for those who think there’s only ever bad news to report at least this time there is something to celebrate.
* It is true that Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki had written a letter to OECD members urging a delay in Israel’s application, but as far as I can see the senior leadership did not make a sustained and public attempt to stop it.
Tags: Israel
May 10th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
http://thejc.com/blogpost/oecd-votes-admit-israel-j-news-trying-block-it
As well as Pappe, the “home-grown” J News people are trying to block it
May 10th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Robin, thank you for headlining this truly thrilling news from the real world. The usual anti-Israel protesters look small and bigoted.
May 10th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Thanks Robin for bringing this to notice. I haven’t seen it in any mainstream UK media, although I may have missed it. In spite of the ongoing demonisation, it seems that at certain levels, Israel is appreciated for the remarkable and outstanding contributions it makes to the world.
May 11th, 2010 at 3:45 am
Re cityca #3: “it seems that at certain levels, Israel is appreciated for the remarkable and outstanding contributions it makes to the world.”
Those who do not harbor the trait of jealousy can appreciate Israel. However, a source of anti-Semitism is envy that so naturally turns to fullblown hatred among Europeans. Is envy a general human trait or is it expressed particularly strongly among Europeans?
Jews who do not already hate their tribe because those are the expectations of others, actually like themselves. That is intolerable to many outside the tribe. Can’t those Jews see how
despicable they really are!
May 11th, 2010 at 8:53 am
The idea that the OECD would take any notice of a self-righteous little cabal of moonbats like Mairead Maguire, Ilan Pappe and Ken Loach is amusing.
It does however show the depth of their animosity towards the Jewsih state and the height of their arrogance.
May 11th, 2010 at 9:42 am
Curious here: what do Slovenia and Estonia bring to the organization? What scientific or technological expertise do they offer the OECD? Literacy, perhaps?
May 11th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Those who do not harbor the trait of jealousy can appreciate Israel. However, a source of anti-Semitism is envy that so naturally turns to fullblown hatred among Europeans. Is envy a general human trait or is it expressed particularly strongly among Europeans?
A good friend who worked in the diplomatic service for many years before her retirement,is convinced that envy drives irrational hatred of Israel;I agree.
Splendid news for Israel on its acceptance by the OECD:the quality of Israeli research in many areas, including AI and Europe’s LHC project, should bring many benefits.
May 11th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Anti-semitism is motivated by sadism as well as envy; masochism would be its flip side. So it is a useful tool in the hands of powerful enemies who feel threatened by Jewish religious/cultural difference (no matter how benign) or political independence.
May 11th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
The sickness of Jews like Pappe and Miri Weingarten trying to block their own state’s entry into this or any other international organization is appalling. I can think of no parallel.
May 11th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Jerry
“Jews who do not already hate their tribe because those are the expectations of others, actually like themselves. That is intolerable to many outside the tribe. Can’t those Jews see how
despicable they really are!”
No, unfortunately they can’t because many are so busy trying to be acceptable to those non Jews to whose friendship or approval they aspire. They are anxious to fall in line with their peers in academe or the professions and believe that espousing anti Israel rhetoric will give them legitimacy in those circles.
I have been arguing for some while, that those Jews and Israelis who seek to demonise or are clearly malign in their statements and actions towards Israel, should have their right of return removed by the Israeli state. If in the future, they want to return to live, they will have to face the same hurdles as any other non Jewish aspiring immigrant.