It has currently put on hold a deepened economic relationship with Israel: if Israel’s government continues to refuse to stop its colonization of the West Bank, Europeans should make clear that, as Israel’s most important export market, they have tougher options at hand. And, given the determination of both the Israeli and Iranian governments to use each other’s intransigence as an excuse for their own, Europe must also be prepared to use its economic muscle on Iran if and when the mullahs reject Obama’s extended hand.
当然，欧洲也并不是没有力量。目前欧洲正与以色列发展更深入的经贸关系：这样一旦以色列政府拒绝停止其在西岸地区的殖民行为，欧洲就应该清楚地意识到，作为以色列最重要的出口市场，欧洲是有权使用一点强硬手腕的。再考虑到伊朗和以色列双方都决心利用对方的强硬态度作为自己行事的理由，欧洲也必须准备好将自己的经济力量施加到伊朗身上，特别是当那群宗教统治者们拒绝了奥巴马伸出的双手的时候。