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seriously. ¢ Right now it is being espoused by parliaments, not governments. But it could expand — to trade unions, to the academia, to consumer organizations and NGOs. And then, heaven forbid, eventually to governments — which will say "we are of the people". We mustn't forget that Europe is Israel's No. 1 trading partner - not the US and not China. And Europe, with North America and a few countries in the East, 1s at the heart of the "reference group" of liberal democratic countries to which we want to belong, and rightfully so. ¢ This leads us to the US — and there, the diplomatic challenge is far greater. Israel is a sovereign state. On more than one occasion, I told President Obama, and before that Presidents Bush and Clinton, the following: "On issues that we believe are essential to the security and future of Israel and of HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_028901