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World Jewish News
Christian Democrats Support Israel
31.12.2008
Leadership of the Estonian Christian Democrats party (Eesti Kristlikud Demokraadid) issued a statement in connection with the events in Gaza.
The statement, signed by the newly elected chairman of the party Peeter Võsu, expresses regret1 for the fact that the world community, including residents of Estonia, has learned of bloody clashes between Israel and Palestine only when Israel is forced to deliver backstrokes.
The avalanches of Kassams and Grad missiles that have gone down on Israeli cities neighboring with Gaza in recent years remain unnoticed by international media.
"Losses among Israelis are relatively low because for many years the residents of attacked cities have been forced to hide in bomb shelters several times a day, with only 15 minutes to get there after the announcement of the air alert," said Peeter Võsu.
During the "truce" between Hamas and Israel, which was announced on June 19 and suspended on December 19, Hamas launched "just" 38 missiles.
In the past six weeks Hamas has been firing missiles on Ashkelon, a city with a population of 150 000 people. It was attacked by Grad rockets of Iranian origin, which had been brought into Gaza through tunnels on the border of Gaza and Egypt.
On December 25, Israel managed to prevent attacks by "Hezbollah", based in southern Lebanon, less than five kilometers from the Israeli border.
"Israel is obliged to protect the lives of its citizens," said Peeter Võsu.
Libya is expected to condemn Israel in the UN Security Council in the near future. The signal that Israel is likely to be condemned by the EU, as well, has been received from the country-chair, France.
"The territorial concessions of Israel have not led to peace, but only contributed to destabilization in the Middle East," concluded Peeter Võsu.
"It is a pity that Western politicians are stubbornly unwilling to see this," he notes.
Commenting on the statement of the party leadership, a member of ChDE said that the conflict in the Middle East is not a local conflict at all.
"The God of Israel chose this land for His people, and we have no right to remain silent when more than half of the Holy Land is already in the hands of its enemies. The European Union has made its choice, pushing Israel to commit suicide. But we believe in the Bible, and now it is more important than ever that our voice be heard in defense of Israel," he said.
Estonian Christian Democrats (formerly called "Christian People's Party of Estonia") have been part of the political landscape of the country for 10 years already.
This is the only political force that supports Israel in the preamble of its program.
Last September, the ChDE was the only party which opposed the creation of the Estonian Center of Muslim culture, which was supposed to become the largest in Europe.
During the summer of 2007, the ChDE, the only political force in the country, opposed the conduction of the international parade of homosexuals in Tallinn and held a "Family Day" in response.
ChDE conducts expository policy towards Israeli media among the higher clergy of the country and Christians of different denominations. ChDE is working closely with religious and secular Jewish communities in Estonia.
Thanks to the efforts of the Center of Israel, headed by Peeter Võsu, over the past few years, the flow of tourists to Israel has increased four times.
ChDE has close ties with the ruling party of Germany, with Christian organizations of Finland and other Scandinavian countries, as well as Moldova, Latvia, Belarus and Armenia.
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