It's A Start

At least they are beginning the talk--it would be nice to see action as well--but some in Europe may be recognizing their bias:

Top EU official: Gaza siege not a war crime

...In a briefing to Israeli reporters Tuesday, European commissioner for Justice Freedom and Security, Frano Frattini, said that the steps leading up to the Gaza blackout cannot be construed as a war crime and criticized the incessant Qassam rocket fire on Israeli civilian population centers.

Senior European official Benita Ferrero-Waldner says she understands Israel's security needs, but Jewish state should look to gradually lift restrictions, hand security responsibility in West Bank to Palestinians with international monitoring.

In a lecture sponsored by the Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, Frattini also issued a massive mea culpa to the State of Israel on behalf of the European community for its treatment of Israel during the second Intifada.

“There has been a large misunderstanding in recent years between Europe and Israel. And Israel is justified in its concerns. For too long, Europe has put too much blame on Israel for lack of peace with the Palestinians. We, as Europeans, should have understood Israel's concerns sooner,” said Frattini.

And then there is this:

Visiting Dutch Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told Haaretz Monday that the singling out of Israel for criticism in international forums was unfair.

"It is not acceptable to focus on Israel time after time, while other countries like Sudan do not receive any reference whatsoever at the United Nations Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly in New York," Verhagen said in an interview.

"I would like to set the record straight on Israel."

Interviewed in his suite at Jerusalem's King David Hotel, the Dutch foreign minister said he has pursued "a more internationally balanced approach" to Israel and has conditioned Dutch support for resolutions criticizing Israel upon condemnations for Hamas' actions.

If you read the two articles, you can see that neither official is ready to condemn Hamas as a terrorist entity, but this may be the very beginning of a change in attitude.

Or it could mean nothing.

Technorati Tag: Israel.