The Jews of Israel once again, as during the 1940's, find themselves in the awkward position of having to support Great Britain as it wages a foreign war, while at the same time the British take a hostile position to Israeli interests.
Israeli government officials are furious after hearing the remarks of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who compared Iraq and Israel. Speaking on BBC last night, Straw acknowledged Arab concerns "that the West has been guilty of double standards, on the one hand saying the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Iraq must be implemented, on the other hand, sometimes appearing rather quixotic over the implementation of resolutions about Israel and Palestine." Jerusalem officials said, "It is regrettable that no distinction is made in Europe between a bloodthirsty dictator who threatens the entire world, and a democratic country that is dealing with the worst wave of terrorism in the world."
In other issues related to the war in Iraq, the IDF Homefront Command says that the army's basic assessment regarding possible threats to Israel has not changed. “We are maintaining our preparedness,” Commander Gen. Yosef Mishlav said today, “and I do not want to predict when it will end.” He made the statements at a Nazareth hospital during a Homefront Command drill in the city.
British Airways, the first airline to cancel flights to and from Israel because of the war with Iraq, will also be the first to resume them. Its first flight will be this Friday.
Israeli government officials are furious after hearing the remarks of British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who compared Iraq and Israel. Speaking on BBC last night, Straw acknowledged Arab concerns "that the West has been guilty of double standards, on the one hand saying the United Nations Security Council resolutions on Iraq must be implemented, on the other hand, sometimes appearing rather quixotic over the implementation of resolutions about Israel and Palestine." Jerusalem officials said, "It is regrettable that no distinction is made in Europe between a bloodthirsty dictator who threatens the entire world, and a democratic country that is dealing with the worst wave of terrorism in the world."
In other issues related to the war in Iraq, the IDF Homefront Command says that the army's basic assessment regarding possible threats to Israel has not changed. “We are maintaining our preparedness,” Commander Gen. Yosef Mishlav said today, “and I do not want to predict when it will end.” He made the statements at a Nazareth hospital during a Homefront Command drill in the city.
British Airways, the first airline to cancel flights to and from Israel because of the war with Iraq, will also be the first to resume them. Its first flight will be this Friday.