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href="http://www.palestinechronicle.com/a-common-enemy-why-israel-is-embracing-fascism-in-europe/">http://www.palestinechronicle.com/a-common-enemy-why-israel-is-embracing-fascism-in-europe/</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">A Common Enemy: Why Israel is Embracing
Fascism in Europe</h1>
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<div class="reader-estimated-time">August 1, 2018<br>
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<p><strong>By Ramzy Baroud</strong></p>
<p>Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban <a
href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-hungary-orban-netanyahu/hungarys-orban-tells-israel-that-jews-in-his-country-can-feel-safe-idUSKBN1K919F"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited </a>Israel on
19 July where he met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and other officials. Orban’s visit would have
not required much pause except that the Hungarian leader
has been repeatedly <a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-speech-hungarys-orban-attacks-enemy-who-speculates-with-money/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">branded</a> for his
often racist, anti-Semitic remarks.</p>
<p>So why is Orban wining and dining with the leaders of
the so-called ‘<a
href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-44881554"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jewish State</a>’?</p>
<p>The answer does not pertain only to Orban and Hungary,
but to Israel’s <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-pm-s-dark-deal-with-e-europe-condones-anti-semitism-and-occupation-1.6249033"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">attitude</a> towards
the rapidly growing far-right movements in Europe as a
whole. Netanyahu and Zionist leaders everywhere are not
just aware of this massive political shift in European
politics but are, in fact, working diligently to utilize
it in Israel’s favor.</p>
<p>On his visit to Israel, Orban asserted that Hungarian
Jewish citizens should feel safe in his country, an odd
statement considering that it was Orban and his party
that <a
href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-viktor-orbans-war-on-george-soros-and-hungarys-jews/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">deprived</a> many Jews
and other members of minority groups of any feeling of
safety.</p>
<p>Still, Netanyahu has welcomed Orban as a “true friend
of Israel” and Orban <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-splitting-the-eu-israel-s-tightening-alliance-with-central-europe-1.6247069"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> on his
European counterparts to show more support for Israel.
Mission accomplished.</p>
<p>Netanyahu <a
href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/benjamin-netanyahu-hungary-state-visit-viktor-orban-antisemitism-controversy-farright-a7846346.html"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited</a> Budapest in
July 2017 but that supposedly historic visit did nothing
to change Hungary’s official discourse, which is dotted
with racism and anti-Semitism. In fact, in March 2018,
Orban derided Jews, focusing <a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-speech-hungarys-orban-attacks-enemy-who-speculates-with-money/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">his criticism</a> mostly
on Jewish financiers such as George Soros.</p>
<p>At an election rally campaign, <a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-hungary-pro-government-weekly-prints-list-of-soros-mercenaries/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Orban said</a>, “We are
fighting an enemy that is different from us. Not open
but hiding; not straightforward but crafty; not honest
but base; not national but international; does not
believe in working but speculates with money; does not
have its own homeland but feels it owns the whole
world”.</p>
<p>It is well-known that Israel and Zionist leaders are
quite selective in manipulating the definition of
‘anti-Semitism’ to serve their political agendas, but
Israel’s attitude towards the racist far-right movements
in Europe takes this truth to a whole new level.</p>
<p>Indeed, the ‘special relationship’ between Netanyahu
and Orban is only <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-pm-s-dark-deal-with-e-europe-condones-anti-semitism-and-occupation-1.6249033"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">the tip of the iceberg</a>.
For years, Netanyahu’s Israel has been ‘flirting’ with
radical right movements in Europe.</p>
<p>The unmistakable Israeli strategy, of course, has its
own logic. Israeli leaders feel that Europe’s move to
the far-right is irrevocable and are keen to benefit
from the anti-Muslim sentiment that accompanies this
shift as much as possible.</p>
<p>Moreover, the EU’s resolve to<a
href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-eu-labelling/israel-fumes-over-planned-eu-labeling-of-settlement-products-idUSKCN0SZ21120151110"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> label</a> illegal
settlement products and refusal to heed calls for moving
their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is pushing
Netanyahu to explore these new routes.</p>
<p>During his previous visit to Hungary Netanyahu met with
leaders from the so-called Visegrad-4, which includes
Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.</p>
<p>On that visit, Netanyahu hoped to find new channels of
support within the EU, through exerting pressure by
using his new allies in these countries. In an audio
recording obtained by <i>Reuters</i>, Netanyahu
chastised Europe for daring to criticise Israel’s dismal
human rights record, illegal settlement policies, and
military occupation.</p>
<p>“I think Europe has to decide whether it wants to live
and thrive or it wants to shrivel and disappear,”<a
href="https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKBN1A40WV"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> he said.</a></p>
<p>Netanyahu’s arrogance is unbridled, especially as the
censure is emanating from a leader who represents an
ethno-nationalist state, which has just recently
canceled any reference to democracy in its newly-issued
Jewish <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-passes-controversial-nation-state-bill-1.6291048"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nation-state Law</a>.</p>
<p>The new basic law defines Israel by an ethnic identity,
not any democratic values. Netanyahu is now closer to
Europe’s far-right racist groups than to any liberal
democratic model, thus the ongoing flirting between
Israel and these groups.</p>
<p>In fact, the term flirting is itself an understatement
considering that Israel’s ties with various far-right,
neo-Nazi and fascist parties in Europe involve
high-level political coordination and, in the case of
Ukraine in particular, the actual supplying of weapons.</p>
<p>Human rights groups recently<a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/rights-groups-demand-israel-stop-arming-neo-nazis-in-the-ukraine-1.6248727"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> petitioned</a> the
Israeli High Court to stop Israel’s export of weapons to
neo-Nazi groups.</p>
<p>The Israeli far-right embrace touches almost every
single European country, including Italy and Germany,
whose history of Nazism and Fascism has wrought death
and misery on millions.</p>
<p>In Italy, the connection between Italian far-right
parties and Israel goes back to the early 2000s, when
post-fascist leader Gianfranco Fini labored to rebrand
his movement.</p>
<p>Initially, Fini was the leader of the Movimento Sociale
Italiano (Italian Social Movement), which<a
href="http://www.ilgiornale.it/news/politica/cera-volta-movimento-sociale-italiano-1346043.html"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> saw itself</a> as the
“heir to the Fascist Party”.</p>
<p>The rebranding of the party required a<a
href="http://www.repubblica.it/2003/k/sezioni/politica/finisr/leggi/leggi.html"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> trip</a> by Fini to
Israel in 2003, after changing the name of his movement
to the National Alliance. Interestingly, in his
highly-touted visit, Fini was accompanied by Amos
Luzzatto, the head of the Italian Jewish community.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, far-right leader, Matteo Salvini,
Italy’s current Interior Minister, went through the same
political baptism by Zionist Israel as Orban and Fini by
paying a <a
href="http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/politica/2016/03/30/la-prima-di-salvini-in-israelee-modello-sicurezza-_f3692753-52e0-4445-b2f3-787586db10b1.html"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">visit</a> to Tel Aviv
in March 2016 to launch his political career and
declaring his <a
href="http://www.lastampa.it/2016/03/30/italia/salvini-in-cravatta-prove-da-leader-nel-viaggio-in-israele-saRnFgZPPSQeWKZwfD396K/pagina.html"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">undying love</a> for
the Jewish State.</p>
<p>The same scenario is being repeated in Germany where
the far-right party – Alternative for Germany<i> </i>(AfD)
– has risen in ranks to the point that it nearly toppled
a government coalition led by Chancellor Angela Merkel.</p>
<p>AfD has more in common with Israel than the common
anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant views. The party which is
“derided for anti-Semitic, xenophobic views redolent of
the Nazis is also staunchly supportive of Israel,”<a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/loathed-by-jews-germanys-far-right-afd-loves-the-jewish-state/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> reported</a> <i>The</i>
<i>Times of Israel</i>.</p>
<p>Last April the anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic German party
enthusiastically began a<a
href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-far-right-mp-pushes-recognition-of-jerusalem-as-israels-capital/"
target="_blank" rel="noopener"> campaign</a> pushing
for the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital,
despite Merkel’s views to the contrary.</p>
<p>The story, however, does not end there. What began as
Israeli flirting with far-right racist movements is now
Israel’s official policy towards Europe. The same story,
with different actors and names, can be found in
Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO), Belgium’s Vlaams Belang
(Flemish Interest) and virtually everywhere else.</p>
<p>It remains to be seen how Israel’s embrace of fascist
Europe will bode, both for Israel and the European
Union. Will the EU shrivel and disappear, or will Israel
finally be exposed for what it truly is,
an ethno-nationalist state with no interest in true
democracy in the first place?</p>
<p><i><span>– Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and
editor of Palestine Chronicle. His forthcoming book
is ‘The Last Earth: A Palestinian Story’ (Pluto
Press, London). Baroud has a Ph.D. in Palestine
Studies from the University of Exeter and is a
Non-Resident Scholar at Orfalea Center for Global
and International Studies, University of California
Santa Barbara. His website is </span></i><a
href="http://www.ramzybaroud.net/"><i><span>www.ramzybaroud.net</span></i></a><i><span>.</span></i></p>
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