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Seeing the other side of the coin

The European Union is proudly declaring that it was instrumental in watering down last night’s United Nations resolution condemning Israel and calling on it to withdraw from Palestinian areas. The final wording demanded “the immediate cessation of military incursions and all acts of violence, terror, provocation, incitement and destruction in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.” The General Assembly demanded “the immediate withdrawal of the Israeli occupying forces from Palestinian population centers towards the return to the positions held prior to September 2000.”

The vote followed what has become the traditional pattern of anti-Israel initiatives: 114 states voted in favor, 11 abstained, and of the four voting against, one was Israel itself.

The trouble is that voting in the United Nations is a foregone conclusion and unrelated to facts on the ground. The most recent condemnation of Israel, for example, comes even as Syria was given the presidency of the Security Council at the very same time that Secretary General Kofi Anan was accusing Damascus of violating both Security Council resolutions and international law by continuing to attack Israeli civilians via Hizbulla.

Here, it is a simple matter of numbers: there are twenty-one Arab nations. Notwithstanding the fact that two of them have peace agreements with Jerusalem, a further handful have official trade relations with Israel, and an additional (but undisclosed) number are enjoying the benefits of Israeli know-how via third parties, none of Israel’s neighbors have seen fit to back her, nor even to do the decent thing and abstain.

The next circle of influence comprises the 50-plus members of the Muslim bloc. From earthquake rescue missions to the teaching of aquaculture and anti-desertification, Israel has been a silent friend to several states. Yet, ignoring the military, financial and humanitarian aid that these nations have received from Israel over the years, they still see fit to slap her in the face time and again.

The 125 nations that constitute the non-aligned bloc have even more to be thankful for. Jerusalem brings their young academics to Israel where they train to become doctors and scientists. Israel sends her doctors along with complete field hospitals to perform thousands of operations that restore sight to their blind and allow their cripples to walk. Yet, these nations refuse to raise their hands in support of their friend in the Middle East.

Then there is Europe. With more than $21 billion in bilateral trade, to say nothing of scientific and a host of other agreements, Israel offers Europe a multitude of opportunities. Although it is no longer time to play the Holocaust card with European capitals, there should be some level of loyalty to the Middle East’s truest – indeed, only — democracy.

Now briefly — for it does not take long to list Israel’s friends in the General Assembly — it is worth pointing out that with the notable exception of the United States, both the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have minimal trade with Israel and are geographically far removed from the influence of the Arab world.

Israel has no natural resources other than people willing to share their knowledge and expertise with those far less fortunate – and ironically, often those far more fortunate. She asks for no recognition of her acts of international charity. She just asks the world to understand that there are two sides to every coin.