WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
We received an article that appeared in the Jerusalem Post, showing the increasing influence of the European Union in the Middle East. The article pointed out that the “European Union told Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat [on December 10] to dismantle ‘the terrorist networks’ of Hamas and Islamic Jihad and declare an end to the violent uprising… The statement from the 15-member bloc was unprecedented, as the EU is frequently criticized… for taking a pro-Palestinian stance… Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel, who chaired the meeting, insisted that the EU is not siding with Israel and said the position ‘pointed to the sensitive issues of both sides.'”