AJC Letter in IHT

AJC Letter in the International Herald Tribune August 15, 2006 Regarding the article "EU urges talks with Hezbollah to resolve crisis" (Aug. 11): It is regrettable that Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja of Finland, reportedly speaking for the EU presidency, now calls for direct talks with Hezbollah. Such a step would confer legitimacy on Hezbollah that has not been earned.   Hezbollah has been on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations for years. It has created a state within a state in Lebanon. It serves as a proxy for Iranian and Syrian interests in Lebanon. It openly calls for Israel's destruction. And it launched the current conflict when its members crossed the border to kill and kidnap Israeli soldiers. In doing so, it has brought untold suffering to Lebanon.   Against this backdrop, should it be rewarded by direct talks with the European Union? Isn't it bad enough that the European Union, deeply divided for years, couldn't manage to add Hezbollah to its terrorism list, with some asserting it was also a legitimate political force?   To add insult to injury, a Paris-based Middle East expert is quoted in the same article as saying "This is the Middle East. We [Europe] can't get into the blame game. We have to be open to both sides."   Has the European Union come to a point where it cannot make a distinction between a terrorist group that sparks a war with a neighboring country and a democratic Israel that, by its UN-certified withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000, underscored its respect for Lebanese territorial sovereignty? I certainly hope not.   David A. Harris, New York Executive Director, American Jewish Committee

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