Much European ado about nothing in Palestine

I was in Germany talking to Europeans involved in Middle East issues during the run-up to the Paris conference on Palestinian aid, which on Monday pledged $7.4 billion over three years to the Palestinian half-government headed by President Mahmoud Abbas. Europeans seem again to respond to the challenges of engaging in the Arab-Israeli conflict with their usual financial generosity and political wishful thinking.

The European Union's 27 members and other states can and should respond to the new post-Annapolis situation by carving out a decisive policy that enhances their strengths rather than institutionalizes their weaknesses. It would be collective stupidity for Europe once again to provide billions of euros in aid to Palestinians that are wasted, physically destroyed or totally negated by Israeli militarism, American bias, Palestinian divisions and Arab passivity.

Europeans will provide around $2 billion of the money pledged in Paris, making them collectively the single largest donor to Palestine, while their political role seems to be moving in the other direction. Europe should redress this balance and play a political-diplomatic role that is commensurate with its economic prowess. Europeans should explore how to return to their role as the guardians of the rule of law, international legitimacy, political morality and the international peace-making consensus that is enshrined in United Nations resolutions and global conventions. These are all grandiose aims, I admit, but shouldn't someone stand up for these things if the Americans, Israelis and Arabs do not?