Yes, Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen reportedly said it.
At the conclusion of his four-year mission to Israel Tuesday, Ambassador Lars Faaborg-Andersen—the outgoing European Union delegate to Israel—believes Israel has “much to learn” from the European Union when it comes to fighting terror.
Speaking in a press conference held at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, Faaborg-Andersen made it clear that while the European Union does indeed have a lot to learn from Israel in the war on terror, Israel would also do well to take a leaf out of Europe’s how-to guide when it comes to fighting Islamic militants.
Also during the conference Faaborg-Andersen noted that the war on terror is an effort necessitating the use of every weapon in the continent’s countries’ arsenals. Moreover, he said that while Israel had performed with notable success whe it came to operational counter-terror measures, it was also necessary to employ other tools at its disposal, such as education and de-radicalization methods.
“There’s a significant security aspect to it, which you undoubtedly address,” he said, “but there are also other aspects to work with including welfare and educational services and the like,” he opined. “Europe has adopted a more holistic approach to the war on terror—and Israel can definitely learn from European experience.”
When asked whether he considered this “holistic approach” to be a success, Faaborg-Andersen admitted shortcomings, but praised the overall approach.
Holistic? More like hole-istic: bending over and kissing your own ass goodbye.
Thanks but not thanks, Mr Faaborg-Andersen.
