European Union, Israel and Syria
Sometimes, when analysing media news feeds, a theme can develop, see if you can spot a theme in the following two news items:-
Chavez: Israel’s gov’t is ‘genocidal’
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told the Israeli people not to support their government, which he described as “genocidal” on Friday, the second day of his trip to Syria.
Chavez is on an 11-day trip to Libya, Algeria, Syria, Iran, Belarus, Russia and Spain in what he is describing as a bid to build a multi-polar world and decrease US influence in the region.
The Venezuelan president has singled out Israel for criticism during his visit to Syria, slamming it for mistreating the Palestinians and being an agent of US imperialism.
“The state of Israel has become a murderous lackey at the service of imperialism,” Chavez said. “It’s a genocidal government. I condemn that Zionist government that persecutes the heroic Palestinian people.”…….
2nd news item
EU will soon agree on offer to Syria for closer ties
EU Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero Waldner on Friday said that the European Union is close to agreeing an offer to Syria of closer ties, Reuters reported.
“Engaging with Syria is absolutely in our interest,” Ferrero Waldner reportedly told journalists at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Stockholm.
“I would say that we are coming to an agreement. There are still some modalities that have to be found, there are some reserves … but I am confident that in the near future we will get this agreement really going.”
The agreement has been held up by Dutch concerns about Syria’s human rights record.