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Europe and Israel: Strengthening the Partnership

[Heritage Foundation ] Nile Gardiner - Six decades on from its establishment, Israel continues to fight for its very existence and remains the most persecuted nation in modern history. If Israel is to survive another 60 years, it is imperative that Israel, the United States, Great Britain, and Europe confront the gathering storm and stand up to the biggest state-based threat to international security since the end of the Cold War. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made clear his intentions. Too often in the 20th century, world leaders ignored statements made, only to watch in horror as barbaric actions followed earlier threatening rhetoric dismissed at the time as the words of a madman. Every effort must be made to increase the pressure on Tehran through the Security Council and European economic, military, and political sanctions. Major European players such as Germany hold critically important keys to increasing the economic pressure on the Iranian regime. Iran has in recent years derived roughly 35% of its total imports from the EU, and Germany is Iran's biggest European trading partner. The writer is director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.
2008-07-11 01:00:00
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