AJC’s Transatlantic Institute: An EU Pro­-Israel Lobby AKA an ‘International Advocacy Group’

Région : ,
Analyses:

The Transatlantic Institute is an office of the AJC, based within the EU. A global advocacy organization founded in February 2004 that claims to strengthen ties between Europe and the United States. It is affiliated to AIPAC the American Zionist lobby in Washington.

According to its mission statement, the Institute works to promote « transatlantic cooperation for global security, Middle East Peace and human rights. » It is part of the AJC’s network of 20 regional offices throughout the US, including NY, LA, SF and Chicago, plus 9 overseas offices including those in Brussels, Berlin and Paris that operate to influence EU foreign policy.

Transatlantic’s International Advisory Council is chaired by former Spanish foreign minister Ana Palacio and includes former Democratic US Congressman Robert Wexler, former US Deputy Secretary of State, British-born, John Negroponte and German­-Jewish journalist Josef Joffe.

It is assumed that the EU­-Israel Association Agreement, which gives Israel free access to the European single market, was implemented as a result of the efforts of the AJC. It also assumed that the billions of Euros recently granted to Israel by the EU, for research, was extensively supported by the AJC advocacy group.

The problem is that this US-­headquartered, Israel lobby is backed by a powerful pressure group in Washington that has close ties to Congress and consequently able to influence US foreign policy as well as American arms shipments to the Israeli state. The entire set­up, from a democratic point of view, is less than satisfactory because the decisions of the EU Parliament are susceptible to being skewed by lobbyists in favour of a non­-member state that is over 3000 km distant from Brussels, in the eastern Mediterranean.

Meanwhile, both Tel Aviv and Washington are worried that BREXIT (a British exit from the EU) would mean a break­up of the existing established lobbying networks that currently influence so many aspects of EU foreign policy. The status quo may be advantageous to the Israeli state but is, arguably, dangerously detrimental to both regional and global peace.

A political separation of the United Kingdom from the European Union would be estimated to be of political and economic advantage to Britain.  However, as for the military balance of power: this would be difficult to quantify in view of the second strike capability of the German-built and recently supplied, submarine fleet of the Israeli navy now reported to have been modified to be nuclear-armed with cruise missiles and patrolling the Mediterranean.



Articles Par : Anthony Bellchambers

Avis de non-responsabilité : Les opinions exprimées dans cet article n'engagent que le ou les auteurs. Le Centre de recherche sur la mondialisation se dégage de toute responsabilité concernant le contenu de cet article et ne sera pas tenu responsable pour des erreurs ou informations incorrectes ou inexactes.

Le Centre de recherche sur la mondialisation (CRM) accorde la permission de reproduire la version intégrale ou des extraits d'articles du site Mondialisation.ca sur des sites de médias alternatifs. La source de l'article, l'adresse url ainsi qu'un hyperlien vers l'article original du CRM doivent être indiqués. Une note de droit d'auteur (copyright) doit également être indiquée.

Pour publier des articles de Mondialisation.ca en format papier ou autre, y compris les sites Internet commerciaux, contactez: [email protected]

Mondialisation.ca contient du matériel protégé par le droit d'auteur, dont le détenteur n'a pas toujours autorisé l’utilisation. Nous mettons ce matériel à la disposition de nos lecteurs en vertu du principe "d'utilisation équitable", dans le but d'améliorer la compréhension des enjeux politiques, économiques et sociaux. Tout le matériel mis en ligne sur ce site est à but non lucratif. Il est mis à la disposition de tous ceux qui s'y intéressent dans le but de faire de la recherche ainsi qu'à des fins éducatives. Si vous désirez utiliser du matériel protégé par le droit d'auteur pour des raisons autres que "l'utilisation équitable", vous devez demander la permission au détenteur du droit d'auteur.

Contact média: [email protected]