10 September 2011, Haaretz הארץ (Israel)
The political crisis has become a reality well before the Palestinians declare their independent state, writes Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn, leaving Israel isolated in facing Iran, Turkey and Egypt.
By Aluf Benn
The anxiety caused by the Arab Spring among the Israeli public became a reality this weekend, when protesters broke into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo, and expelled the Israeli diplomats from their country.
The embassy staff’s urgent evacuation in a special IAF plane in the wake of President Obama’s intervention is a stark reminder of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran. Seven months after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak’s regime, Egyptian protesters tore to shreds the Israeli flag, a symbol of peace between Egypt and its eastern neighbor, after 31 years. It seems that the flag will not return to the flagstaff anytime soon.
The historians who will write about the collapse of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty will start their stories during the twilight years of the Mubarak regime, when the government gradually lost control over the Sinai Peninsula, turning the desert into an abandoned frontier of weapons smuggling, human trafficking, and African refugees.
The demilitarization agreements, which removed the Egyptian army from Sinai and were slowly eroded following Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip, have accelerated sharply in the last several months. Time after time, Egypt requested and received permission to “temporarily” deploy more troops and weaponry along the border, in order to restore order and security in the region.
For the Egyptians, this was an opportunity to shake off the limitations imposed on them by the peace agreement, and regain their full sovereignty over the buffer zone that lies between the Suez Canal and the Negev.
In the 70s, when the peace accords were signed, the Egyptian military’s presence in Sinai posed a great security threat. Now, Egyptian soldiers seem like the lesser evil and an antidote to the much larger threat of a political and security vacuum across the border.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned that the Sinai Peninsula will turn into a larger version of the Gaza Strip, full of weapons and launching pads aimed at Israeli territory. The fence that Israel is building along the Egyptian border is intended to ensure routine security measures aimed at preventing terrorists and refugees from spilling over the border. Israel will not be able to handle the strategic dangers that are bound to unfold on the other side.
The “embassy crisis” exploded in the wake of the killing of five Egyptian soldiers on August 18 during a border skirmish that came on the heels of a terrorist attack against Israeli civilians on their way to Eilat.
The Tahrir protesters and Egyptian politicians, frustrated with the slow pace of regime change, have directed their anger toward the most hated target in Cairo – the Israeli Embassy. Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s public expression of regret, and the Israeli promises to cooperate with Egypt in investigating the incident did not interest the Egyptian public.
The protests continued, and a week after the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador from Ankara on similar grounds - anger stemming from the killing of Turkish citizens aboard last year’s Gaza flotilla – the Israeli ambassador was expelled from Cairo. The only difference is that in Turkey, the government initiated the downgrading of ties, while in Egypt the people did so against the will of their rulers.
Netanyahu and his government have prided themselves on their steadfast commitment to national ideals, and the prime minster is convinced that he was right in refusing to apologize to the Turks for killing their citizens. According to his perspective, the Arab world scrutinizes Israel’s actions, and an apology to Turkey would be interpreted as a sign of unforgivable weakness.
But Netanyahu was not content with merely refusing to apologize. Instead of attempting to calm the conflict with Turkey, Israel was dragged into a dangerous battle with Ankara.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to send a Turkish naval fleet to accompany the next flotillas to Gaza, and Netanyahu responded with a widely-covered visit to an Israeli naval base. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who consistently outflanks Netanyahu from the right, suggests, publicly, that Israel aid the PKK Kurdish insurgency, in order to balance out Turkey’s support for Hamas.
Netanyahu and Lieberman are heroes of the media, but when the chips are down, it turns out that Israel has direct influence on Egypt. Thus, Netanyahu must resort to asking for help from Obama, his great opponent, in order to evacuate the embassy employees. Once again, it becomes clear that Israel cannot manage without help from the United States.
Netanyahu now hopes that Israel might be able to get close with Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States, who also seek to block the possibility of an Arab Spring in the region. In the West, Netanyahu is hoping to circumvent Turkey by strengthening ties with Greece, Bulgaria and Romania. During his visit to the Balkans, he was shown photos and statues of national heros, sent to their deaths by the Ottoman Empire. A real basis for friendship.
These are but minor comforts. The political tsunami that Ehud Barak foresaw has come true prior to the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state in the UN. Israel is left isolated facing Iran, Turkey and Egypt, which in the past were considered close allies. Netanyahu is convinced that the Arab Spring uprisings are a decree of fate, leaving Israel with little to do but to stand firmly in its place.
Israel cannot prevent the rise of Erdogan or the fall of Mubarak, the same way that it cannot halt Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The fall of the American superpower is not Netanyahu’s fault. But he has not done a thing to mitigate the fallout from the aforementioned developments. Israel’s political and strategic positions are far worse under his leadership.
More on this topic
• Obama expresses 'great concern' to Netanyahu over Israeli Embassy attack
• Israeli diplomatic staff and families evacuated after Egyptians storm embassy in Cairo
• Arab Spring succeeded, it's Egypt that failed
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domingo, 11 de setembro de 2011
segunda-feira, 1 de agosto de 2011
Most Israeli municipalities declare general strike in solidarity with housing protests
PM scrambles to quell nationwide protests as he faces a setback in the resignation of Finance Ministry Director General Haim Shani; Moshe Terry, former chairman of Israel Securities Authority, likely to take over treasury.
1 August 2011, Haaretz הארץ (Israel)
By Rotem Starkman
Gili Cohen contributed to this report
Most municipal authorities have declared a one-day strike scheduled for Monday, in sympathy with popular protests spreading throughout Israel.
Municipalities will not be giving services to government offices or holding public office hours today, streets will not be cleaned and garbage will not be collected.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu redoubled efforts to douse growing protests spreading throughout the country Sunday, even as he faced a setback in the resignation of Finance Ministry Director General Haim Shani.
Shani reportedly quit over the lack of organization in proffering solutions to the crisis, and over the work of Netanyahu and his direct superior, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.
Discussion began of a replacement for Shani, with Moshe Terry, the former chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, seen as likely to take over the treasury.
Netanyahu called an informal meeting of the committee on economic concentration yesterday to discuss solution for the protests, but no decisions were made.
Netanyahu urged its members to make recommendations by the end of the month, and showed the press a presentation of the issues on the agenda.
Terry is close to Delek Group head Yitzhak Tshuva and reportedly assisted him on a number of matters. Tshuva's conglomerate is one of the businesses being examined by the committee on economic concentration.
Netanyahu has also decided to establish a team of ministers and economists, whose makeup is still not final, to speak with the protesters. The panel is to invite various groups, hear them out and make recommendations.
The government also decided yesterday to reduce the tax on gas by 30 agorot per liter for a period of one month, thereby avoiding the price hike of the same amount planned for this morning dictated by the global price rise. The move will cost the government NIS 80 million.
At the end of the month, the cabinet will hear the recommendation of a committee formed to study gas prices and decide how to proceed. The government hopes that oil prices will drop by that time, which will make it unnecessary to continue the reduction in the gas tax.
The government also decided to double the home heating grant for senior citizens who are welfare recipients. However, the grant will be given only to seniors living in areas defined as cold by the National Insurance Institute.
Despite the moves, mutual recriminations have persisted between the Prime Minister's Office and the treasury. The treasury continues to oppose Netanyahu's steps from last week on housing, among them incentives to contractors to build in the center of the country based on the cheapest price to the end user and incentives to convert offices in apartment houses back into residences.
The treasury says such measures merely fan the flames of protest, while the Prime Minister's Office says the treasury has not studied the issue properly.
1 August 2011, Haaretz הארץ (Israel)
By Rotem Starkman
Gili Cohen contributed to this report
Most municipal authorities have declared a one-day strike scheduled for Monday, in sympathy with popular protests spreading throughout Israel.
Municipalities will not be giving services to government offices or holding public office hours today, streets will not be cleaned and garbage will not be collected.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu redoubled efforts to douse growing protests spreading throughout the country Sunday, even as he faced a setback in the resignation of Finance Ministry Director General Haim Shani.
Shani reportedly quit over the lack of organization in proffering solutions to the crisis, and over the work of Netanyahu and his direct superior, Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz.
Discussion began of a replacement for Shani, with Moshe Terry, the former chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, seen as likely to take over the treasury.
Netanyahu called an informal meeting of the committee on economic concentration yesterday to discuss solution for the protests, but no decisions were made.
Netanyahu urged its members to make recommendations by the end of the month, and showed the press a presentation of the issues on the agenda.
Terry is close to Delek Group head Yitzhak Tshuva and reportedly assisted him on a number of matters. Tshuva's conglomerate is one of the businesses being examined by the committee on economic concentration.
Netanyahu has also decided to establish a team of ministers and economists, whose makeup is still not final, to speak with the protesters. The panel is to invite various groups, hear them out and make recommendations.
The government also decided yesterday to reduce the tax on gas by 30 agorot per liter for a period of one month, thereby avoiding the price hike of the same amount planned for this morning dictated by the global price rise. The move will cost the government NIS 80 million.
At the end of the month, the cabinet will hear the recommendation of a committee formed to study gas prices and decide how to proceed. The government hopes that oil prices will drop by that time, which will make it unnecessary to continue the reduction in the gas tax.
The government also decided to double the home heating grant for senior citizens who are welfare recipients. However, the grant will be given only to seniors living in areas defined as cold by the National Insurance Institute.
Despite the moves, mutual recriminations have persisted between the Prime Minister's Office and the treasury. The treasury continues to oppose Netanyahu's steps from last week on housing, among them incentives to contractors to build in the center of the country based on the cheapest price to the end user and incentives to convert offices in apartment houses back into residences.
The treasury says such measures merely fan the flames of protest, while the Prime Minister's Office says the treasury has not studied the issue properly.
quinta-feira, 2 de junho de 2011
TOUR OF EAST JERUSALEM
26 May 2011, Rabbis for Human Rights http://rhr.org.il/eng (Israel)
Rabbi Gideon D Sylvester
Our Beit Midrash for Human Rights spends many hours in the classroom studying sources and meeting rabbis and activists to learn about Judaism’s understanding of Human Rights and how it can be out into practice.
This week, it was time to get out into the field and witness some of the issues first hand. The morning began with a presentation by Rabbi Shlomo Fuchs looking at the symbolism of barriers in Jewish thought, then after snatching a quick cup of coffee and some borekas, students boarded the buses and set off for their first stop with a panoramic view over the old city of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Arik Ascherman used this magnificent visual aid to explain the work of Rabbis for Human Rights and to examine the tensions that the unification of East and West Jerusalem has created. He also introduced a local resident who spoke about life in East Jerusalem and the associated difficulties of obtaining building permits and sitting in checkpoints.
The next stop was Gilo, where Rabbi Ascherman and tour guide Royee Amir explained the construction of the separation barrier and the problems created by its route through the Arab villages, swallowing land belonging to Arab farmers who live there and preventing them form reaching their orchards. Students had an opportunity to ask questions and discuss their perspectives on the wall.
From there, the group travelled past the new settlement of Har Homa and into the winding roads of the Palestinian neighborhood of Tabo. Here they witnessed the contrast between the beautiful, modern Jewish settlements and the severe poverty and lack of investment in the Arab neighborhoods.
The final stop was Sheich Jarrach where students met Muhamed Sabah who related his family history and their sense of injustice at how they had lost their home.
By mid afternoon, it was time to get ready for Shabbat and students rushed home to prepare for Shabbat.
Commenting on the trip Beit Midrash director Rabbi Gideon Sylvester said, “It was an important trip, and our students were moved by seeing the issues first hand. They particularly appreciated the clear explanations which provided the historical background and contemporary significance of the issues. This week, they returned to the Beit Midrash talking about the issues with even greater passion and commitment”.
Rabbis for Human Rights
Rehov HaRekhavim 9
Jerusalem, Israel 93462
Tel: +972.2.648.2757 | Fax: +972.2.678.3611
e-mail: info@rhr.israel.net
Rabbi Gideon D Sylvester
Our Beit Midrash for Human Rights spends many hours in the classroom studying sources and meeting rabbis and activists to learn about Judaism’s understanding of Human Rights and how it can be out into practice.
This week, it was time to get out into the field and witness some of the issues first hand. The morning began with a presentation by Rabbi Shlomo Fuchs looking at the symbolism of barriers in Jewish thought, then after snatching a quick cup of coffee and some borekas, students boarded the buses and set off for their first stop with a panoramic view over the old city of Jerusalem.
Rabbi Arik Ascherman used this magnificent visual aid to explain the work of Rabbis for Human Rights and to examine the tensions that the unification of East and West Jerusalem has created. He also introduced a local resident who spoke about life in East Jerusalem and the associated difficulties of obtaining building permits and sitting in checkpoints.
The next stop was Gilo, where Rabbi Ascherman and tour guide Royee Amir explained the construction of the separation barrier and the problems created by its route through the Arab villages, swallowing land belonging to Arab farmers who live there and preventing them form reaching their orchards. Students had an opportunity to ask questions and discuss their perspectives on the wall.
From there, the group travelled past the new settlement of Har Homa and into the winding roads of the Palestinian neighborhood of Tabo. Here they witnessed the contrast between the beautiful, modern Jewish settlements and the severe poverty and lack of investment in the Arab neighborhoods.
The final stop was Sheich Jarrach where students met Muhamed Sabah who related his family history and their sense of injustice at how they had lost their home.
By mid afternoon, it was time to get ready for Shabbat and students rushed home to prepare for Shabbat.
Commenting on the trip Beit Midrash director Rabbi Gideon Sylvester said, “It was an important trip, and our students were moved by seeing the issues first hand. They particularly appreciated the clear explanations which provided the historical background and contemporary significance of the issues. This week, they returned to the Beit Midrash talking about the issues with even greater passion and commitment”.
Rabbis for Human Rights
Rehov HaRekhavim 9
Jerusalem, Israel 93462
Tel: +972.2.648.2757 | Fax: +972.2.678.3611
e-mail: info@rhr.israel.net
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