Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 12 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 29. Juni – 17. Juli 2007 1. Ein Jahr nach Ausbruch des Zweiten Libanonkrieges Ein Jahr nach dem Ausbruch des„Zweiten Libanonkrieges“ hat sich in Israel die Auffassung durchgesetzt, es habe sich bei diesem Krieg um den"unnötigsten und gescheitertsten Krieg in der Geschichte Israels"(Tom Segev, HAA 3.07.07) gehandelt. Laut einer Umfrage im Auftrag von Israel Radio sind nur 13% der Israelis der Meinung, Israel habe den Krieg gewonnen, und nur 15% glauben, Israels Sicherheitssituation sei seitdem besser geworden. Unter dem Druck der Öffentlichkeit wurde bei der staatlichen Gedenkfeier nicht nur der gefallenen Soldaten gedacht, sondern auch der getöteten Zivilisten. Kritik an der politischen und militärischen Führung wurde dabei kaum laut – mit Ausnahme vielleicht der Kritik an Premierminister Olmert für seine Abwesenheit bei der Gedenkfeier. Im Vordergrund der Berichterstattung standen persönliche Schicksale und die Auseinander-setzung mit der öffentlichen Meinung zu Beginn des Krieges, der auch heute noch schlechte Zustand der Armee wurde kaum thematisiert. Olmert's unforgivable insensitivity "Ehud Olmert attributed his absence[at the memorial ceremony] to the inconvenience of tight security, which would hinder the event.[…] Olmert's unforgivable lack of sensitivity to the bereaved families' pain, alongside the publication of the Winograd Commission's final report, may very well cost the prime minister his job. This is a country where soldiers' lives are of the highest value, and a show of respect is the least anyone can do in appreciation of these young people's sacrifice for their state." Ines Ehrlich, JED engl. 03.07.07 By staying away, Olmert honored the ceremony “That[Dan Halutz' appearance at the memorial ceremony] was in stark contrast to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who chickened out and didn't show up. Every gravestone, every tear recalled his absence; the man whose refusal to resign in the wake of the war placed him at the top rung of Israeli cynicism was now acting like a coward." Tom Segev, HAA 03.07.07 Der vergangene Sommer “Im vergangenen Sommer waren wir alle gescheit, alle klug, alle beherrschten wir die Doktrine der Kriegsführung. Aber in diesem Sommer verstehen wir weniger, je mehr wir wissen.[…] Wir waren entschlossen, kampflustig, sicher und bestimmt in der Überzeugung, dass unsere stählerne Faust das Grinsen ein für alle Mal von Nasrallahs Gesicht wegwischen würde. Ein ganzes Volk – zumindest 90%, laut den Umfragen – dachte, dass das der richtige Weg ist." Ariella Ringel Hoffmann, JED 02.07.07 Media failed to deliver “Had a commission of inquiry probed the media in the years leading up to the Lebanon war and the arrogant headlines that predicted the demise of Hizbullah within days after the war, its conclusions would have been severely harsh. The media has betrayed its purpose and hardly 1

revealed a single failure discovered during the war.[…] When the war ended, the media pounced on the army and its leaders while forgetting that it too was responsible. The media, which was supposed to uncover things before all others, was only wiser in hindsight." Ronen Bergmann, JED engl. 16.07.07 Next war is inevitable “There is no doubt, Hizbullah is preparing for another war against Israel, this time with direct Syrian and Iranian military backing.[…] even though Olmert boasts of'expelling' Hizbullah from south Lebanon, Nasrallah's organization is still in full control.[…] All the talk about Security Council Resolution 1701 and its implementation on the ground is futile, or as they say in Lebanon: empty words." Majdi Halabi, JED engl. 13.07.07 The hot air of August “How can you tell that August is around the corner? Because the country is talking itself silly over the terrible war that we are supposedly expecting this summer.[…] In fact, the whole idea of a war this summer is absurd. Why would Syria be the one to declare war when no Arab country has ever gone into battle alone against Israel? With Assad trying to inch closer toward the West, Syrian tourism on the rise and moderate Islamic countries headed by Saudi Arabia urging Assad to act wisely and cautiously, Israel's leaders need to focus on Assad's peace proposal and stop driving him crazy with their hot air forecasts for August." Yoel Marcus, HAA 10.07.07 2. Außergerichtliche Einigung für Präsident Katsav Nachdem mindestens 10 Frauen den Präsidenten im letzten Jahr wegen Vergewaltigung oder sexueller Belästigung angezeigt hatten, unterschrieb Moshe Katsav Anfang des Monats einen außergerichtlichen Vergleich und reichte seinen Rücktritt vom Präsidentenamt ein. Generalstaatsanwalt Mazuz gab an, dass Probleme mit den Beweisen im Falle eines Prozesses zum Freispruch Katsavs hätten führen können. Katsav wird im Rahmen des Vergleichs nun für eine Reihe von kleineren sexuellen Vergehen schuldig gesprochen und muss einigen der Klägerinnen eine Kompensation zahlen, entgeht jedoch einer Haftstrafe. In der israelischen Bevölkerung und den Medien wurde diese Entscheidung stark kritisiert. Nach einer Umfrage der Zeitung Jedioth Ahronoth fanden 73% der Israelis nicht, dass die Katsav-Affäre ein gerechtes Ende genommen habe. Am 1. Juli reichten mehrere israelische NGOs eine Petition beim Obersten Gerichtshof ein, damit dieser den außergerichtlichen Vergleich annulliert. Eine erste Anhörung am OGH fand am 17. Juli statt.. We need a judge ” We also had to consider,[Mazuz] told television cameras, the public interest in minimizing the expected harm to the presidential institution and the State of Israel's image as a result of a trial that would have gone on for a lengthy period of time with unflattering headlines regarding the presidential institution both in Israel and abroad. Image is an important thing for politicians, but a court of law does not have any interest in images and must not have any interest in them. President Katsav was accused of rape and sexual harassment, not with undermining an image. If the image was so important to him, he should have kept his pants on.[…] Israeli judges have canceled plea bargains in the past; there is no reason why they should not annul this cowardly plea bargain as well.” JED. engl. 01.07.07 The state was saved from an indecent act “He did this for the good of the country- or, in Mazuz's words, for the"public interest." And this was the proper thing to do. A. is very wrong when she claims she was sacrificed for the sake of those in authority. It would have been much easier to decide to go to court, and Katsav lost any remnant of authority long ago. Mazuz has 2

much more to lose from the deal with Katsav than he has to win. Therefore, he deserves great respect.[…] Mazuz understood that if Katsav were now to face a multi-year trial for sex offenses, this would constitute an indecent act against the entire state, and that if the president were to be jailed for sex offenses, it would constitute punishment for the entire state.” Shahar Ilan, HAA 01.07.07 Ein ungutes Gefühl „Man kann sich des unguten Gefühls nicht erwehren, dass im vergangenen Jahr bei dieser Affäre nicht Gerechtigkeit im Mittelpunkt stand, sondern versucht wurde, Katsav, der ja von vielen als nicht für dieses hohe Amt geeignet betrachtet wurde, mit Affären, die längst nicht mehr aktuell waren, zu schaden.“ HZO/Makor 29.06.07 No less qualified, maybe more so „Tomorrow, an expanded panel of five Supreme Court justices is supposed to hear the petitions against the plea bargain that Attorney General Menachem Mazuz struck with former president Moshe Katsav.[…] If the High Court does intervene in the attorney general's judgment, it will be a breakthrough in judicial review over officials with a great deal of authority.[…] The truth is that there is an intolerable gap between the original draft indictment and what it was whittled down to in the plea bargain. The truth is that the High Court justices are no less qualified, and perhaps even better qualified, to assess evidence than the attorney general is. […] The High Court of Justice cannot rely on the familiar argument that it is not a‘super-attorney general,’ for it is the supreme sentry guarding the rule of law and its implementation.” Ze’ev Segal, HAA 16.07.07 3. Tony Blair – der neue NahostGesandte des Quartetts Der ehemalige britische Premierminister Tony Blair soll als neuer Nahost-Gesandter des Quartetts(UN, US, EU und Russland) bei den Verhandlungen zwischen Israel und der Palästinensischen Autonomiebehörde vermitteln. Er löst damit den ehemaligen Präsidenten der Weltbank, James Wolfensohn, ab, der sein Amt nach nicht einmal einem Jahr frustriert niederlegte. Right man for the Job "There have been enough do-gooders trying to make peace in the Middle East but who do not understand the nature of evil and who have done tremendous damage because of their lack of moral vision. The fact that Hamas has condemned his[Tony Blair's] appointment is the first indication that he is the right man for this job. He is exactly what is needed in the region: moral clarity mixed with compassion. Finally some hope for common sense in a troubled region." Rabbi Levi Brackman, JED engl. 30.06.07 It all depends on Washington "Appointing an envoy is a good idea. An envoy can bear witness on the behalf of the international community. Blair can help bring back the parties from a unilateral to a bilateral approach. He can bring back respect for international law. But it all depends on the extent to which he receives the support of the Quartet, and especially the United States." Ghassan Khatib, HAA 06.07.07 Blair go home "British manners and our own hospitality require us to welcome the Quartet's new special envoy to the Middle East politely.[…] But when the initial enthusiasm dies down, the high-level visitor should also be told: Go home, you are not the right man in the right place at the right time. Don't waste your valuable time and throw away your expectations, as they are bound to be disappointed.[…] Just as nobody would dream of expecting Bush, who is obstinately preventing any progress with Syria, to act for peace in the Middle East, nobody would expect 3

his all too loyal ally to do so." Gideon Levy, HAA 05.06.07 4. Shimon Peres wird Präsident Am Abend des 15. Juni trat Shimon Peres in einer Zeremonie in der Knesset sein Amt als Israels 9. Präsident an. In seiner Antrittsansprache sagte Peres, er werde sich bemühen, die Nation zu einigen und den Friedensprozess zu fördern. The last dreamer “When Peres walks into the President’s Residence tomorrow, the act will wipe the slate clean from the disgrace of Moshe Katsav, and a new intriguing era will begin. If to judge from the interview he granted the Associated Press yesterday morning, in which he spoke of parting with the territories and of a Palestinian state, and knowing the man, it will be a very interesting tenure.” Yossi Verter, HAA 16.07.07 Outpouring of love “The flag-waving Scouts[at the inauguration ceremony] were[…] from the West Bank settlement of Kfar Adumim. It’s doubtful whether they also knew that the man they cheered had played a major role in the settlement enterprise. It’s doubtful whether Peres, who said in a newspaper interview yesterday that‘we have to get rid of the territories’, will know, as president, how to fix the most critical of all his mistakes.” Gideon Levy, 16.07.07 A half president “After the Katsav scandal, everybody will compare Peres to his predecessor, but only a few will ask whether the new president is the appropriate person to serve as a symbol.[…] Peres served as a co-partner of the climax and symbol of Entebbe, but he was also the architect of the abyss and the symbol of the march of folly that started on September 13, 1993[with the signing of the Oslo accords]. As his name is identified with the most terrible failure of Israel, he cannot serve as a symbol for the state struggling for its existence.[…] Being so closely identified with one half of the public is expected to make him president of that half, while the other half will feel estranged.[…] The last 14 years do not create hope amongst those who believe in the Zionist vision, rather than the“two-stat vision”. Peres’ functioning during these 14 years only strengthens the doubts regarding the spirit that will come out from the presidential residence.“ Ron Breiman, JED engl. 16.07.07 Our number one citizen “Shimon Peres is deserving of[the presidency]. He deserves this recognition and love and certainly this honor. Because many things may be said of Peres, not all positive, but one thing cannot be said: That he is entering a post that does not befit him. […] the impression was always that at any given moment – even today – if Peres is given an opportunity to bring about change, to advance a political idea, he will grab it with two hands. But Peres, it seems, is planning to prove that several plans can be also be executed from the stately position of the presidential residence.” Sima Kadmon, JED engl. 16.07.07 HAA= Haaretz HZO= Ha Tzofe JED= Jedioth Ahronoth JED engl.= www.ynetnews.com JPO= Jerusalem Post MAA= Maariv Die Artikel aus HZO, JED und Medienspiegel der Deutschen entnommen. MAA wurden dem Botschaft Israel Veröffentlicht am: 01.Juli 2007 Verantwortlich: Hermann Bünz, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Florentine Lempp Maike Ziesemer Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 4