Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 18 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 03. Oktober – 14. Oktober 2007 1. Lehrerstreik Nachdem die monatelangen Verhandlungen zwischen dem Bildungsministerium und der Vereinigung der Realschul- und Gymnasiallehrer scheiterten, riefen die Lehrer Israels am Morgen des 10. Oktober einen unbegrenzten Generalstreik für alle Realschulen und Gymnasien aus. Die Lehrer protestierten damit gegen die fortwährende Verschlechterung ihrer Arbeitsbedingungen und die zu niedrige Bezahlung. Der Bildungsminister Yuli Tamir, der Vorsitzende der Vereinigung der Realschul- und Gymnasiallehrer Ran Erez und weitere Vertreter der Lehrerschaft beriefen ein Treffen, um den Streik zu verhindern, jedoch scheiterte dies an der Ablehnung des Ministervorschlages von einer Teilerhöhung der Löhne und der Festsetzung eines fünfmonatigen Verhandlungszeitraums. Ran Erez hatte daraufhin gedroht, die Lehrer hätten die organisatorische und finanzielle Möglichkeit, für mehr als 3 Monate zu streiken. Nir Katrero, Vorsitzender des Nationalen Schülerrates sagte, dass die Schüler zwar gegen den Streik seien, jedoch die Forderungen der Lehrer unterstützen und hoffen, dass es bald zu einer beidseitigen Verständigung kommt. Angesichts des Streiks hatte das Bildungsministerium ein Lagezentrum für Eltern, Lehrer und die betroffenen 400.000 Schüler eingerichtet, wo sie aktuelle Informationen über die Situation erhalten konnten. Das Ministerium hatte auch eine Internetseite eingerichtet, auf der alle 600 Realschulen aufgelistet waren, deren Lehrer der Israelischen Lehrervereinigung angehören und die nicht am Streik teilnehmen. Unjustifiable strike “All this is part of a desperate crisis in Israeli education, where teachers often don't earn enough and students have been performing worse each year in international and IDF rankings since the 1970s. Whether it is historic or not, at the very least it demonstrated that the Finance Ministry doesn't carry the sole blame for stalled negotiations over wage reform with the country's other large teachers' union, the SSTO. It is significant that the NIS 5 billion set aside by the Treasury for implementing the reform plan includes the funds for the SSTO to join the agreement. True, teachers must earn more, but they must also be better trained and more responsible for their success or failure. The system requires a deep reform that will make teaching a desirable, competitive and effective profession that delivers a measurably better-educated citizenry.” JPO, 08.11.2007 Not an‘act of God’ “The secondary school teachers´ unions will meet this afternoon to decide when to strike and on the nature of the strike. The union leaders are firm in their intent to last a long fight, of weeks and maybe even months.[…] In essence, the Finance Ministry assumes the strike at the high schools is unavoidable – an‘act of God’, and we have to learn to live with it. This is a difficult assumption to swallow.[…] The union leaders say the agreement with the primary-school teachers suits primary schools and does not solve the problems of secondary-education teachers, which treasury officials regard as part of an effort to avoid negotiations. The Finance Ministry points an accusing finger at the union chairman, Ran Erez, and his behavior.[…] The price for this war will be paid by the pupils”. HAA, 07.10.2007 1

2. Fußball Am 13.10.2007 ist die deutsche U21 Nationalmannschaft zu Gast in Tel Aviv und bestreitet ihr Qualifikationsspiel gegen Israel. Der Stürmer Ashkan Dejagah, dessen Eltern Iraner sind, wird allerdings nicht dabei sein. Der für den Bundesligaklub VfL Wolfsburg spielende Dejagah hatte seine Teilnahme am EM- Qualifikationsspiel am Freitag in Israel„aus persönlichen Gründen“ abgesagt. Die Absage des Deutsch-Iraners wurde unterdessen auch in den israelischen Medien diskutiert. Ashkan, geh und spiel für den Iran “Berlin versucht, versucht wirklich, vorwärts zu schreiten. Vorwärts, ohne die Vergangenheit zu vergessen.[...] Aber irgendwie schaffen es die Winde der Vergangenheit immer wieder, Sie wie einen Magnet an sich zu ziehen.[...] Wenn Dejagahs Ankunft in Israel seiner Familie im Iran Leid hätte zufügen können, oder wenn dieser Besuch es ihm vorenthalten würde, zu seinen Ursprüngen zurückzukehren, dann soll er besser nicht kommen.[...] Der Fußball ist das heiligste Heiligtum der Deutschen, ein wichtiger Ort, um auf seine Prinzipien zu bestehen. Im Laufe der Fußball WM 1994 wurde Stefan Effenberg vom Platz gewiesen und zeigte vor laufender Kamera den Mittelfinger.[...] Er wurde suspendiert und saß im ersten Flieger Richtung Heimat. Ashkan Dejagah zeigt nun der deutschen Nation den Mittelfinger und dreht den Mittelfinger durch den heikelsten Teil des Darms. Die Reaktion des deutschen Verbands, wenn die Beweggründe von Dejagah tatsächlich politisch sind, darf nicht anders sein, als im Fall Effenberg: Suspension, nachhause fliegen und Dejagah erklären, dass er von nun an mit großen Ehren die iranische Mannschaft repräsentieren kann.“ Zeev Abraham, JED 09.10.2007 The Last Word/ Don't give in to the dark side “The overwhelming condemnation in Germany of Dejagah's decision is tied intimately to Germany sensitivity in all matters Israeli or Jewish. There's no reason to find anything more or less in the issue.[…] Zwanziger later went through the motions, saying his personal position as that of the association was clear:"We will not tolerate a German national player canceling his participation in an international match because of his world view." He added,"This applies to Israel in particular and to the excellent GermanIsraeli relations." Yet the truth is otherwise. Germany, like the International Olympic Committee, the world soccer federation and other sports associations can levy severe sanctions on an athlete or state boycotting a match against another country (not just an Israeli or Jew). However, everyone prefers to jabber about the ban on mixing sports and politics than taking any practical steps. Israeli athletes have learned more than once that one or another opponent representing his or her country opted for a technical loss to avoid being caught competing against a Zionist rival.” Shlomi Barzel, HAA 11.10.2007 3. Verhandlungen mit der PA Die bevorstehende Konferenz in Annapolis hat wieder Bewegung in den Nahost-Friedensprozess gebracht.. Die Verhandlungen zwischen Olmert und Abbas werden wieder intensiver und werden in den israelischen Medien unterschiedlich bewertet.. Auch eine mögliche Freilassung des Fatahmitglieds Marwan Barghouti, der eine Haftstrafe wegen Mordes und versuchten Mordes in einem israelischen Gefängnis absitzt, steht im Raum, da angenommen wird, Barghouti könnte den Friedensprozess vorantreiben. Derweil sorgte Avigdor Liebermann, Knessetabgeordneter von Israel Beitenu, diese Woche mit Vorschlägen zur Abgabe von Territorium für Überraschung. The cat´s tail “If peace breaks out between the Israelis and Palestinians at the Annapolis summit, I'll eat my hat. The Annapolis summit takes us back 60 years, but with one difference. Most of the Palestinians are prepared to divide the country today, but on condition that they don't pay a penny for their idiocy, their ineptitude and their crimes, not to mention the Jewish blood they have spilled. They demand that we turn the clock back, that we pay them restitution, that we agree to their right of return, and so on and so on.[…] On the eve of the summit, the problem is the feeble leadership of Ehud Olmert and Mahmoud Abbas(Abu Mazen). They look more like two British gentlemen meeting for a drink at the club than tough statesmen who can force the extremists in their camps to accept peace based on mutual concessions and conciliation with the enemy.” Yoel Marcus, HAA 09.10.2007 2

Weder Glauben noch Vertrauen “Der erneut in Schwung gekommene Friedensprozess angesichts der bevorstehenden Konferenz in Annapolis hat einen großen Vorteil: Niedrige Erwartungen. Sehr wenige Leute glauben daran, dass die Konferenz gelingen wird, die Führungsspitzen beider Seiten sind sowieso zu schwach, um ein Abkommen zu erzielen, und auch wenn wir andere Führungskräfte hätten, meint die Mehrheit, ist der Frieden weit entfernt. Von so einem Tiefpunkt kann man nur aufsteigen, werden die Optimisten sagen. […]Und eine Widersprüchlichkeit: Einerseits ist eine große Mehrheit der Bevölkerung gegen die Freilassung von Marwan Barguti, und meint, dass er im Gefängnis bleiben muss, obwohl er vielleicht helfen könnte, den Friedensprozess zu fördern; andererseits unterstützt eine nicht weniger beeindruckende Mehrheit Verhandlungen zwischen Israel und der Hamas über einen Waffenstillstand, Hauptsache es gibt Ruhe.” Yossi Verter, HAA 10.10.2007 Rattling the Cage: If not now, when? “I think he has to remove several army checkpoints in the West Bank and begin handing over territory to the security control of the Palestinian Authority police. He ought to release large numbers of Palestinian prisoners- the eldest and longestserving among them, those who were accessories to terror but not direct perpetrators, i.e. those considered the least likely to return to violence. He should also agree that if these measures pass safely, he will take down additional checkpoints, relinquish more territory to the PA police and release more prisoners. He should make it clear that if this experiment fails- if the gradual Israeli military pullbacks are followed by an outburst of Palestinian terror- then the checkpoints and soldiers will go back to where they'd been, and any freed prisoners who'd return to terrorism, will become marked men. But Olmert should also make it clear that if, in the six months or so after the summit, the PA does about as good a job as the IDF has done in holding down terror, he will ask Israel to endorse a full withdrawal from the West Bank, including Arab east Jerusalem. The deal is the familiar one: It would include land exchanges so that Israel could retain the populous settlement blocs near the Green Line, and allow no more than a symbolic resettlement of Palestinian refugees inside Israel.” Larry Derfner, JPO 10.10.2007 A new Beilin is born “Lieberman's motives are quite clear. The minister is a staunch proponent of reducing Israel's Arab population. He believes for example, in transferring the Triangle area in northern Israel along with its inhabitants to anyone who would be willing to take them.[…] However, this rational arrangement wasn't to the liking of Zevulun Orlev, chairman of the National Religious Party(NRP) and the moderate member among his party ranks. Orlev responded to the strategist's announcement with his own statement:"Lieberman is the new Beilin…his true colors are shining through. It appears that the person who presented himself as a rightist is none other than a leftist whose political persuasions are astonishingly similar to those of Zahava Gal-On's" a new Beilin is born. Mazal Tov! So this is how it works: On the one hand, it's always nice to meet another leftist whose political persuasions are astonishingly similar to those of Zahava Gal-On's – all the more so when they resemble Yossi Beilin's. On the other hand, dear children, take a close look at these two Beilins. If you try hard enough you'll be able to find eight tiny differences between them. Children, let's help the confused Knesset member find them.“ Aviad Kleinberg, JED 10.10.2007 4. Waffenschmuggel nach Gaza Ägyptische Behörden entdeckten vorige Woche einen frisch gegrabenen Tunnel, der in den GazaStreifen hineinführt. Dabei nahmen sie einen Ägypter fest, der sich in dem Tunnel befand. Der Festgenommene, Moussa el-Mallahi, gestand der Polizei, er hätte den Tunnel zum Schmuggeln von Explosionsmaterial, Geld und Waffen nach Gaza benutzt. Die Behörden hatten beschlossen, den Tunnel nicht zu schließen, in der Hoffnung, mehr Schmuggeler zu ergreifen. Dies wiederum führte dazu, dass Israel sich beschwert, Ägypten tue nicht genug, um den Schmuggel zu unterbinden. Israel hat die USA gebeten, Ägypten zu mehr Anstrengungen gegen den Schmuggel anzuhalten. Egypt capable of halting Gaza arms smuggling within day “Egypt could halt the flow of weapons from the Sinai Peninsula into the Gaza Strip in a single day’, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter told United Nations Middle East envoy Tony Blair on Friday. 3

The two met to discuss a strongly worded message Israel sent to the United States complaining that the weapons smuggling and entry of militants from Egypt into the Gaza Strip was threatening the scheduled Annapolis regional peace conference. ‘We must fight the weapons smuggling from Sinai,’ Dichter told Blair during their meeting.‘Egypt could stop the weapons smuggling within one day if it only wanted to. The smuggling of weapons and terrorist experts from Sinai to the Gaza Strip through the Philadelphi Route poses a real threat to the holding of the Annapolis conference.’ The Israelis also expressed their frustration about Egyptian behavior vis-a-vis Hamas, both in terms of the ease of smuggling and also politically, in view of Cairo's calls for Fatah and Hamas to renew negotiations for a unity government. ‘Egypt is working against everything we are all trying to achieve,’ senior Israeli officials told the Americans.‘We are organizing a summit to further the diplomatic process under the banner 'strengthening Abu Mazen'[Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas], and they are strengthening Hamas.’“ Barak Ravid, HAA 12.10.2007 Egypt must decide “While the Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are hard at work formulating a joint declaration ahead of the Annapolis peace conference at the end of November, developments along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt are casting a heavy pall over its chances of success. Since Hamas completed its takeover of Gaza in June, weapons smuggling from Sinai has mushroomed. Israel last week asked the American administration to speak urgently to Egypt about this matter, to make it clear that the smuggling has become a strategic problem. More than two years after the disengagement, despite Egyptian promises, Cairo has made no significant effort to thwart the smuggling. According to Israeli intelligence officials, every recent month has seen tons of explosives smuggled into Gaza to manufacture bombs and rockets. Would-be terrorists, trained in camps in Iran, Syria and Lebanon, are also slipping across the border. Now, senior Israel Defense Force officers call what is happening along the border"a smuggling highway." Israel is concerned about two expected developments being accelerated by the smuggling: extending the range of Hamas' rockets to more than 15 kilometers and the upgrading of its manufacturing capacity, allowing Hamas to hoard thousands of rockets. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will find it difficult to convince the public of the need for another withdrawal under continuing fire from Gaza. Egypt could seal the border to smuggling if it would only decide to do so. Cairo seems to be turning a blind eye. This behavior raises the suspicion it does not really want talks between Israel and Abbas to succeed or PA rule strengthened. Weapons smugglers in Gaza are working closely with smugglers on the Egyptian side of Rafah and with Sinai Bedouin. Egypt will contribute to the peace talks if it uses its intelligence services to gather information on these networks and its police force to monitor the border more closely. Israel must present these demands in every possible forum and make clear how essential the struggle against smuggling is to check the conflict in the strip.” Editorial, HAA 14.10.2007 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: 21. Oktober 2007 Verantwortlich: Hermann Bünz, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Ingrid Ross Marcus Guhlan Nadine Rödel Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 4