The next four years will be informed by the pre-Trump era, but no, not entirely, as the world does not stand still. What is certain is that the rhetoric will change and Washington’s first instinct will be to seek European partners.
I write as a friend, who has said more than once that the EU is the single most ambitious and successful peace project in modern history. But if the EU is serious about tackling antisemitism and preserving historical memory of the Holocaust, it cannot neglect, minimize or wish away threats to the existence of Israel, the world’s lone Jewish-majority country and home to nearly 7 million Jews.
The recent spate of annual anti-Israel resolutions at the UN is a telling reminder that Israel is treated according to a totally different standard than all other countries in the international system. Of course, Israel deserves attention and scrutiny, as does every other nation. But it also merits equal treatment – nothing more, nothing less.
History certainly does not repeat itself. However, after the signing of the "Abraham Accords," one is reminded of the European reaction in 1979. Instead of enthusiastically supporting peace treaties between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, statements from Brussels and Berlin were conspicuously reserved.
Die Welt, one of Germany’s most influential national newspapers, asked AJC CEO David Harris to write a piece about the latest deadly Islamist terror attacks in Paris, Nice, and Vienna. Harris assesses the challenges facing France and Austria, and other European countries, and offers ten policy recommendations for what governments should do to counter the jihadist threat and address integration challenges.