A long, but insightful essay.

There are a number of factors that explain European behavior towards Israel. I have identified seven of them:

1. Europe's dependence on Middle East oil
2. Europe's rivalry with the US
3. The growing number of Muslims and their militancy
4. The small number of Jews, and their passivity
5. The role of elites in Europe's politics
6. Europe's long term disease of anti-Semitism, and
7. The decline of Christianity in Europe.

After kicking the snot out of various Arab armies, time and time again perhaps Israel no longer is viewed as the "plucky underdog"

It's simpler than this list. The reasons are: 1. Israel's success in the midst of adversity and 2. Europe's self-hatred of westernism and success. It's the flip-side of identity based politics and the cult of victimization.

Israel refuses to be or to remain the victim, and Jews in general refuse to remain victims. Socialists hate this, because in their world victimhood is eternal and can only be ameliorated (in an ongoing basis) externally (by the state or super-state). Solving your own problems and taking responsibility on your own is a no-no. Though I would say the other factors on that list play a part.

As they say, people will forgive you for anything (even terrorism), except success.

I've always maintained there's another factor - Israel's abandonment of Socialist/Communist principles. When European elites could point to Kibbutzim as vibrant examples of Communism in action, they had a reason to defend Israel. Once the Kibbutzim transformed to Moshavim (which allow private ownership) or died out, Israel became just another Western Capitalist society, liable for all the sins of Colonialism.

Eh, I agree with anonymous mostly. Israel no longer is fighting for its life and thus is no longer an underdog, so it doesn't get the respect it used to get. Plus, the interests of Europe and Israel don't overlap that much. But I imagine the change in the electorate from a growing muslim (and anti-Israel) population is pretty relevant too.

After kicking the snot out of various Arab armies, time and time again perhaps Israel no longer is viewed as the "plucky underdog"

And this contrasts greatly with most European countries who lack the balls to defend themselves. Israel shows that even a small country can defend itself against long odds if it has the will to do so (as contrasted by Belgium, the Netherlands, Holland, France, etc.)

Another factor: the large number of educated Palestinians (doctors, engineers etc etc) that have worked all over Europe for decades, have taken every opportunity to excuse abandoning their people in exchange for money by condemning Israel.

Both anonymous and Karl leave out one key detail.

After being attacked repeatedly, and still kicking the snot out of various Arab armies, time and time again perhaps Israel no longer is viewed as the "plucky underdog".

Which basically seems to suggest that it's now the Arabs who are somehow the "plucky underdog," because they're unable to exterminate a bunch of Jews (due to their own incompetence).

An interesting conclusion....

The decline of Christianity? I would have thought the opposite given European history...American fundamentalist Christianity has a different take, probably unique in the history of Christianity towards the Jews...

I'm getting tired of the "cheese eating surrender monkey" slur on Europe. While I do have significant criticisms of European powers, I will argue that too many people are showing too little knowledge of history when they are talking about Europe. It's been less than a century since World War I devastated Europe. There is a UK website on Casualties: First World War that might serve to inform people about what Europe is still recovering from. Quite a few people think that war is a major cause of the things that the original article is talking about. World War II just made things worse. After WWI, most Europeans thought only a madman would want war again. Unfortunately, both Stalin and Hitler fit that bill.

When fighting broke out in 1914 in Europe, Americans -- who had just finished the Civil War only a half century earlier -- thought that Europe ans had lost their minds.

I'm sorry but that article is full of errors and self contradictions...Only 5% of Asian Americans marry non-Asians? Bull...almost every young Asian getting married in the States marries a non-white... Scandinavia is highly anti-Israeli the author claims and yet one of his arguments is that this is due to the increasing Muslim presence and the pressure they apply on governments..in Scandinavia? Oh really, what percentage of Norwegians are Muslim? ..He has missed the most important one: the perception in Europe that American foregin policy is controlled by Jews and Jewish lobbies. There is a dejavu quality to this in terms of what many Europeans see in the observation that Jewish control, magnified to an extreme in the minds of some led to the Nazi movement. Then there is the issue of human rights, which after WWII has become a religion to many Europeans and this leading to asking Israel to behave exactly as a European country wihout consideration of the peculiar neighborhood it lives in.

The article winds up saying how "rightly" Bush rejected the ISG. Rejected the ISG report and offered exactly what? A surge?
...Holy effervescence.

More on this piece....

The author says:

"Sweden prides itself on its moral superiority and has condemned Israel in unusually strong language even for Europe."

and the author's reasons are (with my take on each):

(1) Europe's dependence on Middle East oil
- the average Swede thinks carefuly about where his oil comes from and realizes that supporting Israel could cause the oil flow to cease! After all there is a direct pipeline from the kingdom of Saud to Sweden, bypassing the global oil market !

(2) Europe's rivalry with the US
- Wow that must be a real strong motivator. If the US supports something it must not be to the Swedes liking. Maybe there is some truth to this one... so give him 1/2 a point.

(3) The growing number of Muslims and their militancy
- Sweden having been overrun by Muslim immigrants has caused the frail and short Swedes to huddle in fear, convert in droves and mindlessly support the Palestinians.

(4)
The small number of Jews, and their passivity
- Yes, Sweden has very few Jews, we knew that. That would clearly explain it. Hey now...Are the only countries supportive of Israel those with a Jewish lobby?

(5)
The role of elites in Europe's politics
- Maybe, if only he could provide more specificity. This sounds like the argument that Kerry was French, a tautology of sorts.

(6) Europe's long term disease of anti-Semitism, and
- Sweden doesn't have a history of this disease; need a new diagnosis doctor..

(7) The decline of Christianity in Sweden

- Yes, as Christianity has declined in Sweden, the number of Swedes who think "the Jews killed Jesus" has risen dramatically according to a new Pew Poll

and may I add my favorite personal reason that explains Swedish anti-semitism? :

(8) George Bush !..if Bush likes it Swedes MUST hate it !!! The opposite of something very wrong must be a right ? ;-)

Last post was Mein !

Why is there rivalry between the US and Europe, other than the trade rivalry that exists between all nations?

Simberg will soon call for a military strike]on Europe.

Most of the information that the guy brought up is from his ass, not from factual data.
Aside being racist, the article cites no sources of his information, and most of its conclusion is from its own thinking.

Military budget is decreased because we are threatened by no one. Muslims are coming to Europe in hope of a better living then they can expect in the paranoid USA or in their homelands. Some come to learn and stay.

Europe has a rivalry with the USA? Oh wow, I thought that EVERY OTHER COUNTRY has a rivalry with the USA.

And what's with the Jews? They are few left because most of them either went for the USA or were caught by the religion-fuelled fascists back in the WW2. The fact is, that most racist are looking for other ethnicity that they can blame all their problems on (in Hungary its the gypsies).

And the decrease of Christians? Oh wonders of wonders, you can be an atheist AND a government official. We don't teach creationism as a "scientific theory" and you'll most likely be laughed at your face when you give the idea. Why? BECAUSE WE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT SAW THE RISE OF CHRISTIANY AND WE KNOW A BIT MORE ABOUT IT. AND UNLIKE IN THE USA, THE VICTIMS OF CHURCH-SUPPORTED ZEALOTS WERE NOT SILENCED MINORITIES BUT EVERYONE. JUST LOOK WHAT THE WORDS "GOTT MIT UNS" MEANS, THERE WERE ON THE BELT BUCKLES OF THE NAZI SOLDIERS.

And if anything, Christians HATE Jews. The view them as heretics, Satan-worshippers and the usual nonsense. Why do you think Hitler targeted the Jews? Why do you think the Inquisition targeted the Jews? Why do you think that Jew religion was illegal in a time?

Heh..I guess we finally heard from a European !! Unless that was someones idea of a joke - a Hungarian joke no less.

Gott! to say I agree about the Christian bit raised by our Hungarian friend. What was the author thinking when he tried to correlate a Decrease in Christianity in Europe with an Increase in Anti-Semitism?!!? That was the weird one that made me read his piece more carefully and realize he was rather full of effervescence.

Decrease in Christianity in Europe with an Increase in Anti-Semitism?!!?

The decrease in Christianity in Europe correlates with a decline in spiritual values there in general, and an increase in moral relativism that renders people incapable of making a moral distinction between a nation trying to defend itself, and murderers who want to destroy it.

In the US, the strongest support for Israel comes from the Christian community. It's been half a millenium since the Inquisition.

And for the "Hungarian"s information, Hitler wasn't a Christian--he was a pagan.

"or were caught by the religion-fuelled fascists back in the WW2."

Which faction was that? The history texts seem to have left that one out.

Only ones I see were the Athesit Communists that all true Hungarians loved and the Pagan Nazis along with th elargely Christian Allies. Perhaps you would be correst to classify the Japanese in that regard except they did not as a policy matter persecute Jews.

Perhaps you would be correct to classify the Japanese in that regard except they did not as a policy matter persecute Jews.

Only for lack of opportunity. They persecuted pretty much everyone they conquered, but Asia had and maintains a pretty severe Jew shortage.

Pretty much their line of thinking was if it ain't Japanese, it sucks. They certainly took xenophobia to a new level.

The strongest support for Israel in the US (apart from most though not all Jews) comes from some quarters of the Christian community, not all of it. Catholics and mainline protestants are much more sympathetic to the Palestinian situation than fundamentalists who basically think a greater Israel is a requirement for the end-times and coming rapture; I know people who thoroughly believe this is imminent, including ex-Catholics now evangelicals, who have become ardently pro-Israel. And in fact this is very disturbing to some Jews in Israel who are afraid they are viewed as bit players in an end-times script.

On spiritual values, it is interesting that strong spiritual values and anti-semitism coexisted pretty well througout European Christian history. In fact some of the Catholic saints (if you read their writings) would be currently considered anti-semites! I think The Hungarian is right on this.

I have to agree with Mike. Both the Japanese and Chinese in those respective countries used to think everyone else sucks and most of them still do. Look for example at the treatment of the Korean minority in Japan. That of course excludes those Japanese and Chinese who have emigrated here. On this scale, the US is by far on top of the scale worldwide in terms of valuing the individual over race/caste/class etc.
We've made more progress in 40 years than these countries have made in 3000. Something to be very glad about.

I think a lot of the support in the Christian community in the US comes from people who see Israel as a stepping stone to the Rapture. The fact that Israel fights enemies with faiths even more alien than Judaism is just gravy.