"It is striking how often Tory supporters of Israel turn out also to be Euro-sceptics, and Tory Arabists to be Europhiles."
That is the controversial first sentence of an article by Daniel Hannan MEP in this morning’s Telegraph. I can immediately think of exceptions, of course. Alistair Burt and Quentin Davies – both enthusiasts for the EU – are also steadfast friends of Israel. Eurosceptics Julian Brazier and Edward Leigh tend to be more Arabist in outlook – although they’re far from hostile to Israel. These exceptions may be the proof of the rule, however.
Last Sunday I noted the ways in which the Anglosphere nations had tended to side with Israel and how the EU-UN multilateralists had been more willing to criticise Israel. Dan Hannan believes that the divided response is no accident:
"The current controversy isn’t only about Israel. It is about whether sovereign states can act unilaterally, whether we trust the UN and other supra-national bodies, whether the West is prepared to use proportionate force in defence of its values and, ultimately, whether democracy is worth having."
Read the full article here.