Pundits in both The Guardian and the Financial Times are forecasting the demise of the EU in its present form.

See:

GREECE, SCHENGEN, NATO – IT'S TIME TO ADMIT THE EUROPEAN DREAM IS OVER BY MARTIN KETTLE:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/23/greece-schengen-nato-eu

and:

EUROPE’S RETURN TO WESTPHALIA BY PHILIP STEPHENS

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e019ba34-9dc9-11e0-b30c-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1Q9XN7W7I

What is certain is that anti-Muslim sentiment is growing in Europe. Here is one example of this phenomenon:

>>… "If they want to turn Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmo into a Scandinavian Beirut with clan wars, honour killings and gang rapes, let them do it. We can always put a barrier on the Øresund bridge," said Pia Kjaersgaard, leader of Denmark's People's party recently. On Wednesday, she got her way.

Denmark is unilaterally to introduce border and customs controls on its borders with Germany and Sweden…>

See:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/may/15/will-hutton-populist-right-gaining-europe

Europe could become a continent of relatively small inward-looking countries more concerned with their own problems than with the outside world.

The EU is one of Israel’s major trading partners. On the face of it the fracturing of the EU would seem to be bad news for Israel.

Yet it is not that simple. The Left in Europe is turning against Israel. Some would argue it already has. The Muslim vote in many EU countries is growing in significance and for many European Muslims policy towards Israel is a first order issue. There is always the danger that the EU could change from major trading partner to leader of the call for sanctions against Israel.

That would leave Israel a tiny isolated Jewish enclave at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean.

If Europe fractures chances are some countries will maintain an anti-Israel stance while others will be pro-Israel or neutral.

I cannot foresee the future. However on the whole I like Israel’s chances better with a fractured Europe than with a united one.

NB: I am not going to comment on whether Israel is a great democracy or the epitome of all evil. I’m asking a simple question of geopolitics. Would the fracturing of Europe benefit Israel?

what about the...*people of the pigs[portugal/ire-land/greece/spain/italy...or of palistein]

you know...the ones suffering..
so elites can get their debts paid for by the 'other'..people

its neither good..nor bad..'for israel'
germanic...*blame/shame/guilt..will ALLWAYS favour
the israel..lobbies adgenda...

[its not as if the mossad
asumed the bankers debts[bets]..

soon greece will become like palestein?
or the spanish return to their muslim roots?

israel is not a member of the eu
and as you assure us..no jews own banking

my opinion is it wont make any difference
[to those who DIDNT throw good money after bad]

its not as if a euro has any real backing under it
it was just a way to keep the deutche mark from inflating...its workers pay beyond where the workers can afford that they made

the eu...allways waas just too clever by half
a way for more eu..beuro-rockrats..to get into yet another slush fund

the same as the gone mad bankers
who thought by owning the mint..they could steal anything
with paper promises..[fiat]..that..the bankers hold the global franchise over..

this is a case of bad works
producing their fruit

nothing good can come
from doing a bad thing
[oh i see the link now]

Dear Stephenlmeyer,

You said; "That would leave Israel a tiny isolated Jewish enclave at the Eastern end of the Mediterranean."

Mate, please get your proverbial hand off it. Israel is one of the most militarized nations in the world with a few hundred nukes at the ready and the slavish backing of the greatest military power the world has ever seen, one that will wield considerable power for many years to come.

What should be far more concerning to the rest of us is the hoops countries have traditionally been made to jump through to gain membership of the EU will disappear. Look at what Turkey is prepared to do to gain membership. The challenges to tackle corruption is a case in point. A state must raise its governorship to a certain standard to be considered.

It will be a great pity if the fallout from American hypercapitalism is allowed to destroy something that held great promise even considering its faults.

I for one will mourn its passing if it goes.

Wait- we are discussing how the drastic alteration of the largest multinational cooperative AND the impact of Islamic migrants- involving almost all of Western Europe; and we're supposed to care how it impacts Israel's foreign relations?
As opposed to... say... the domestic impacts on Europe itself?
I mean, I like Israel- but if the USA were to go into recession, I wouldn't exactly be wondering how this would affect exports in Japan- at least until I got some answers about the USA.

Or are we under the impression that Europe is some self-imploding liberal haven that is slowly killing itself by its endless appeasement of Muslims, and is thus a lost cause?
And these "Muslim voters" aren't exactly getting their way very much; most of Europe is taking quite a tough stand against Islam- and France, despite having the largest Muslim demographic (a measly 10 percent)- somehow managed to introduce burqa bans, causing many burqa-needing fundamentalists to actually leave France and avoid travelling through it. Then of course there is Denmark's refusal to apologize for the cartoons, Switzerland banning minarets, "Muslim" Bosnia and Albania deporting and arresting Mujehadin who overstayed their visas back in the Yugoslav wars, Geert Wilders being cleared for 'anti Islamic speech', and most countries in the EU putting up some substantial border controls around the EU. I'd say the Islamic 'hold' of Europe isn't so much exaggerated as much as it is blatantly false.

I would take a gander that you get your news from a Murdoch outlet?

Hi King Hazza

No, as a matter of fact I rarely get any news from a Murdoch outlet for the simple reason that there's rarely any news on any Murdoch outlet.

You write:

>>Wait- we are discussing how the drastic alteration of the largest multinational cooperative AND the impact of Islamic migrants- involving almost all of Western Europe; and we're supposed to care how it impacts Israel's foreign relations?>>

To tell the truth I often wonder why Israel gets so much airtime on Australian media, and on Online Opinion, in the first place. I would have thought that events in next door Indonesia or in China and India are of much more moment to Australia than anything happening in Israel. But for some reason news about Indonesia, China and India never evokes the kind of emotive responses that the mere mention of "Israel" does.

If you'll recall some time ago I hypothesised that many Australians were afflicted with a disease called "Israel Obsession Disorder" or IOD.

But still, for those who are interested in Israel this is a valid question. Would the weakening if not actual disintegration of the EU benefit Israel?

Personally I think the likelihood is that it would.

What do you think?

It does appear, stevenlmeyer, that at least one perennial poster suffers from IOD.
Thanks for the links, BTW., although I do share Hazza's sense of priorities.