The Dancing Duo: Javier Solana and Shimon Peres

UPDATE: Tony Blair's star reportedly "fading" on EU scene.

Read here for more detail.

Shimon Peres has been hosting a party in Israel this week: "Facing Tomorrow." I can safely say that if Israel has a New Ager in high places, it is Shimon Peres. Shimon Peres and Javier Solana have much in common. In fact, they were the two who executed the Treaty of Association between the European Union and Israel. That transpired on November 20, 1995. Only two days later, November 22, 1995, Israel would suffer along with other nearby parts of the Middle East, the strongest earthquake in its history. That was a 7.2 mw one epicentered at Eilat in the Gulf of Aqaba region. That was also the only earthquake I have heard of to be historically revised downwards for a time -- from 7.2 mw to one only 6.2 mw. Interestingly, the earthquake research center, Avram Hostetter. His agency had evidently put out the minimized 6.2 mw revised statistics on the quake which even the US Geological Center had reported as 7.2 mw. doing the revisionist history was established as part of the Israeli Peace Process -- "to study Jordan Valley rift phenomena." It was named the Geophysical Institute of Israel. I had interesting email correspondence with the director of that center, the one putting out the 6.2 revised data story. His name is "Avram Hostetter." He finally reluctantly admitted to me that the earthquake had been measured by the various observers from 7.1 mw to 7.3 mw with 10,000 aftershocks. He had personally, he admitted, measured it at 7.2 mw. He then added "but the public perception is 6.2 mw and that is where the public p erception shall remain."

Oh yeah, Buddy, we'll just see about that! Architects and engineers were left holding the bag on the 1995 earthquake revisionism. They were being blamed for designing buildings that could not withstand a relatively modest 6.2 quake. A 7.2 quake is many times the intensity and magnitude of the after claimed 6.2 one. There now is scholarly acknowledgement of the true magnitude of that quake. Avram Hostetter now personally acknowledges the magnitude of that post-treaty quake.

Why might anyone want to have hidden the true magnitude of that November 22, 1995 quake? Usually, like the catching of the fish, the magnitude of the quake grows greater with each telling of the tale!

The region where it occurred is important to three major world religions: Jews, Christians, and Moslems. All three religions might have read significance in the form of a divine warning coming upon the execution of an important treaty between the European Union and Israel. To be certain, they would have read DIFFERENT THINGS, but for sure, they all would have read SOMETHING into the cataclysmic event. Christians might have read it as an apocalyptic sign, Jews might have read it as punishment from God and Moslems might have read it as a punishment from God for European dealings with Israel.

For the record, my correspondence was with Avram Hostetter, director of the Geophysical Institute of Israel.

That was 1995. Since then, the Treaty of Association with Israel has been reconfirmed, "clarified" and strengthened with the European Neighbourhood Policy. That 7 year treaty went into effect January 1, 2007. It is reportedly up for mid-term review in mid 2010.

Where is the USA on all of this? According to Israeli news service Ha'aretz, Israel must be growing in suspicion towards the USA. Consider the following:

"U.S. Won't Honor Previous Understandings with Israel - Barak Ravid Israeli political officials expressed disappointment after last week's round of meetings in London with George Mitchell, President Obama's envoy to the Middle East. "All of the understandings reached during the [George W.] Bush administration are worth nothing," said one senior official. Another official said the U.S. administration is refusing every Israeli attempt to reach new agreements on settlement construction. Israel Defense Ministry chief of staff Brig. Gen. Mike Herzog spoke to Mitchell and his staff about understandings reached by former prime ministers Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon with the Bush administration on allowing continued building in the large West Bank settlement blocs, asking that a similar agreement be reached with the Obama government. The Israelis were stunned by the uncompromising U.S. stance, and by statements from Mitchell and his staff that agreements reached with the Bush administration were unacceptable.
An Israeli official privy to the talks said that "the Americans took something that had been agreed on for many years and just stopped everything." The Israeli envoys said the demand for a total settlement freeze was not only unworkable, but would not receive Israel Supreme Court sanction. (Ha'aretz)

Now, the obviously non-retiring Javier Solana is making nice to Israel. Why, Israel is "practically a member of the European Union," he says. He and Shimon Peres are at it again. The following words were said by Javier Solana today at friend President Peres' annual "Facing the Future" Jerusalem conference. The account which may be read in full by clicking here is from Reuters:

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel has a closer relationship with the European Union than official EU-membership candidate Croatia, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday.

"Israel is, allow me to say, a member of the European Union without being a member of the institutions," he said to warm applause from a conference of business and political leaders in Jerusalem. "It's a member of all the programs..."

"No country outside the continent has the type of relations Israel has with the European Union," Solana added, emphasizing Israel's participation in EU research and technology programs.

"I don't see the president of Croatia here," Solana said, looking out over the audience.

"But I have to tell you, now that he is not here, -- he is a candidate to be part of the European Union -- that your relation today with the European Union is stronger than the relation of Croatia."

I wonder where all of this is going? I suspect I know. If I lived in Israel, I suspect I would look into purchasing earthquake insurance! Another one could well be on the way.

Stay tuned!

Constance