Israel has barely put a foot right with the international community since
its attack on Gaza more than three years ago provoked global revulsion.
 
The right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu has serially defied and
insulted foreign leaders, including US President Barack Obama; given the
settlers virtual free rein; blocked peace talks with the Palestinians;
intimidated and marginalised human rights groups, UN agencies and even the
Israeli courts; and fuelled a popular wave of Jewish ethnic and religious
chauvinism against the country's Palestinian minority, foreign workers and
asylum seekers.
 
No wonder, then, that in poll after poll Israel ranks as one of the
countries with the most negative influence on international affairs.
 
And yet, the lower Israel sinks in public estimation, the more generous
western leaders are in handing out aid and special favours to their wayward
ally. The past few days have been particularly shameless.
 
It was revealed last week that the European Union had approved a massive
upgrade in Israel's special trading status, strengthening economic ties in
dozens of different fields. The decision was a reversal of a freeze imposed
in the wake of the Gaza attack of winter 2008.
 
Amnesty International pointed out that the EU was violating its own
commitments in the European Neighbourhood Policy, which requires that, as a
preferred trading partner, Israel respect international human rights,
democratic values and its humanitarian obligations.
 
Equally troubling, the EU is apparently preparing to upend what had looked
like an emerging consensus in favour of banning settlement products - the
only meaningful punishment the EU has threatened to inflict on Israel.
 
With some irony, Europe's turnabout was revealed the same day that Israel
announced it was planning to destroy eight villages in the West Bank,
expelling their 1,500 Palestinian inhabitants, to make way for a military
firing zone. Four more villages are also under threat.
 

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