Editorial Roundup

Excerpts of editorials from newspapers around the world:

Allgemeine Zeitung

Sharon’s call to French Jews

FRANKFURT, Germany — For months now a conflict between France and Israel has been brewing, also involving Jewish community leaders in France. This conflict has now come to a head, because Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urgently called for French citizens of the Jewish faith to come to Israel. Certainly anti-Semitic attacks have been on the rise in France. But it is also clear to all that the government — with President Jacques Chirac leading the way — has taken sharp action against such acts.

Unfortunately there is also no doubt that Jewish people who live in Paris, Marseille or Lyon are much safer than those who live in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv or Haifa. Therein lies the problem: Because of dangers and an uncertain future at home, Israel is registering more emigrants than immigrants. This has posed weighty psychological repercussions; if the trend continues, Israel’s demographic problem will only worsen. That Sharon does not shy away from open conflict with communities from the Jewish diaspora shows how dramatically the government assesses the situation.

Dagsavisen

Arafat’s faltering leadership

OSLO — There is total chaos in the Palestinian administration under Yasser Arafat’s faltering leadership. …

It is not the Palestinians and their president’s responsibility alone. Israel in recent years has done its best to undermine the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves. … But the Palestinian authorities also have a responsibility for the misery. Widespread corruption has contributed strongly to destroying the economy. Nor has Arafat made any serious attempt to stop destructive activities by extreme groups, such as Hamas.

Attempts to create a workable government will not succeed as long as Yasser Arafat is president and controls security forces that he won’t allow to do what they should: Stop the militant extremists.

Arafat is still an important symbol in the Palestinian struggle for the right to their own country, but he is completely incapable of pushing the peace process forward, restoring order and stabilizing the economy.

Asahi Shimbun

Japan’s policy toward China

TOKYO — Relations with Beijing are a worry in the promotion of cooperative ties between Japan and South Korea. If positive links are to be created among major Asian countries in terms of politics and economics, it is necessary to incorporate China into such an association.

The cause of the chilly political relations is Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visits to Yasukuni Shrine [honoring Japan’s military war dead since restoration of imperial rule in 1868]. Every time he visits the shrine, Koizumi says the Chinese and South Koreans “will come to show an understanding sooner or later.” But there is no indication of change being made in the ties between Japan and China. And there is no sign at all that the prime minister has made any effort at improving the situation.

If Japan can cooperate with China as well as with South Korea in matters concerning North Korea, moreover, there will be increased pressure on Pyongyang to resolve the problems of abducted Japanese and its nuclear and missile development.

Koizumi should face up to China from a broad perspective of Japan’s diplomatic policy toward Asia.

Expressen

Outside intervention in Darfur

STOCKHOLM — The Sudanese government has no ambition to stop the massacre in Darfur, and when the African Union and the Arab League ignore the humanitarian crisis, Western intervention is called for.

The good powers in the European Union and the United States should use the United Nations to put pressure on the regime in Khartoum. The Sudanese government should be aware that foreign troops may be used to protect the civilian population from further assaults.

But, then again, demands by Washington are not enough. It’s time for Berlin and Paris to wake up.