Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 06/10 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 23. März – 19. April 2010 1. Shoa-Gedenktag In Israel wird jedes Jahr am 27. Nisan(dieses Jahr der 13. April) der Opfer des Holocausts mit einer Schweigeminute und Gedenkveranstaltungen gedacht. Dem Yom HaShoa schließen sich in der darauffolgenden Woche der Gedenktag für gefallene Soldaten und Terroropfer sowie der Unabhängigkeitstag an. In seiner Rede zum diesjährigen Gedenktag warnte Premierminister Netanyahu vor den nuklearen Ambitionen des Irans und der Untätigkeit der westlichen Staaten angesichts dieser Bedrohung für Israel. There is no explanation “Time and again[…] I discover that I have difficulty understanding what happened and why it had happened. To this very day, it seems to me that I’m talking about things that could not have taken place in reality, even though I know that they indeed took place, and that I experienced them personally.[…] There is no explanation, and this will forever remain a mystery.[…] We lost six million Jews, who fell victim to this wildness, which cannot be explained.” Noah Klieger, JED 12.04.10 The flak jacket’s cracked “It's true that it was not the 6 million victims who established the state, but they have supplied it with a flak jacket over the years.[…] The 6 million were the reason for the UN General Assembly's partition resolution of November 1947.[…] It was only the onerous guilt feelings of the nations of the world[…] that tipped the scales.[…] But[…] sixty-five years after the horrors of the Holocaust became clear, more and more voices in Europe say to Israel: No more. Guilt feelings as well have their limits. From now on we'll treat you like a normal country. You will be judged by your deeds, for better or worse.[…] In other words, time is working against us. Support for Israel and for bolstering the power of the IDF can no longer be taken for granted. The world's guilt feelings are gradually becoming dulled, making it possible for the global criticism of the occupation of Palestinian territories to strengthen.[…] We must reach an agreement that will get us out of those territories and make Israel a moral and just country once again. This is because the Holocaust flak jacket won't last forever.” Nehemia Shtrasler, HAA 13.04.10 Victimhood forever day “The paper’s Monday edition for Holocaust Remembrance Day showed in typically lurid fashion that what Israelis want to be told is that they are eternal victims.[…] Actually, I agree with the idea of setting aside an annual day to remember the Holocaust and its victims and survivors.[…] I don’t want it to be forgotten. It’s when I see the political uses the Holocaust is put to on that day – not only on that day, of course, but especially on that day – that I think I’m living in an insane asylum. From listening to the speeches and the media, you wouldn’t know that Jews are no longer running from anti-Semitism anywhere on earth.[…] Neither would you know that Israel is stronger than all its enemies put together and multiplied many times over.[…] Why do we still insist on seeing ourselves as the Jews of 1930s Europe[…]?[…] 1) Because when your back is to the wall, you have no doubts, no indecision, no stress – it really is fight or die, and 2) When your back is to the wall, you don’t have to restrain yourself, and nobody can tell you to. This is the political meaning of Holocaust Remembrance Day. It’s a day for rousing the nation with the liberating power of victimhood.” Larry Derfner, JPO 14.04.10 Beyond human tragedies “The Holocaust was a signal, but did we receive it? […] Who can say what is the destiny of the State of Israel?[…] The only possible victory for all parties in 1

conflict is peace, but Iran and its proxies do not want that. In the throes of producing a bomb, they will hold the region hostage.[…] Forgive me for painting such diabolic pictures; but that very place of ashes and tears is calling loudly: Do something, you people of reason and humanity!” Vytautas Landsbergis, JPO 13.04.10 The Holocaust question “Sixty five years have passed since the Holocaust, and still we only know what happened, without being able to grasp what we need to do with this information.[…] The Holocaust[…] taught us two unforgettable lessons: The first one is that we must survive at any price. The second one is that we must be moral. The thing we still don't know is what to do when these two lessons contradict each other.[…] Does defining survival as our supreme value make it impossible for us to take moral decisions when the whole world appears to us as a sophisticated extermination machine that waits for its chance to strike?[…] I believe that the first principle is valid: In respect to anything that threatens our existence, our duty is to do anything in order to continue existing as a people. Yet I believe that the second principle forces us to constantly examine the first principle, so that in respect to anything that is even an inch short of an existential threat we would be able to make the moral choice, which recognizes the humanity of others and our duty to spare them the suffering.” Yair Lapid, JED 11.04.10 All the Shoah’s lessons “At today’s Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremonies, the focus will be on stories of general Jewish suffering and occasional examples of individual heroism.[…] But alongside mourning the 6 million of our people who were wiped out[…], we should also find space to celebrate the lives of people[…] who survived, came here and helped both build up the country and a new life. Their lesson of survival, which includes the ability to enjoy the opportunities that they created for themselves, is no less important to us than the other, grimmer lessons of the Shoah.” Jeff Barak, JPO 12.04.10 2. Affäre um Anat Kam und Uri Blau Anat Kam, eine junge Reporterin für das israelische Internetportal Walla, steht seit vergangenem Dezember unter Hausarrest. Wie nun nach Aufhebung einer Nachrichtensperre bekannt wurde, wird sie beschuldigt, während ihres Armeedienstes Geheimdokumente kopiert und an den Haaretz Journalisten Uri Blau gegeben zu haben. Blau hatte 2008 auf Basis dieser Dokumente einen – vom Militärzensor abgesegneten – Artikel veröffentlicht, in dem der Armee vorgeworfen wurde, entgegen der Anordnung des Obersten Gerichtshofes gezielte Tötungen in den palästinensischen Gebieten vorgenommen zu haben. Seit Bekanntwerden der Affäre befindet Blau sich in London. Laut Haaretz hatte es zuvor eine Absprache mit dem Inlandsgeheimdienst Shin Bet gegeben, der zufolge Blau eingewilligt habe, die gestohlenen Dokumente zurückzugeben. Nach der Verhaftung von Kam sei der Shin Bet jedoch von der Absprache abgewichen und habe gefordert, auch den Journalisten zu vernehmen. Inzwischen haben Medienvertreter an die Regierung appelliert, Blau eine straffreie Rückkehr nach Israel zu ermöglichen. Sollte dies nicht der Fall sein, sei die Freiheit der Presse, die auf anonyme Informanten und Geheimdokumente angewiesen sei, gefährdet. The real scandal of the Anat Kam affair “The IDF chief of staff must have been really furious over Uri Blau's expose in Haaretz in November 2008 to set off such a scandalous wave of investigations and accusations.[…] One may object to or even outright reject the position of Haaretz in this wretched, unnecessary affair.[…] Shin Bet officials[…] would like to shut up Haaretz completely. As far as they're concerned it would be much more pleasant here if we all sang from the hymnbook of the national chorus.[…] They will never understand that when journalists are gagged, elected officials soon follow, even when they have nothing useful to say.” Yossi Sarid, HAA 11.04.10 Hiding behind the secretary “Do the intelligence services here think that we do not know that information on Blau’s computer was almost certainly copied before the computer was destroyed?[...] The Shin Bet has knowingly made a phony deal with a criminal journalist to treat him 2

leniently, and indeed has let him leave the country knowing that he gave them absolutely nothing in return.[…] So we must now ask why it did this.[…] The public has now been shown that there are major security deficiencies present in an IDF Central Command center, which implies that people rather more senior than Anat Kamm are not doing their job properly. So my next question is: Are these senior security officers possibly hiding behind one young secretary? Maybe it is worthwhile for the security services to arrest Kamm and release the Haaretz staff rather that have a public trial that will doubtlessly expose huge deficiencies in the computer security of the defense establishment and risk bringing down some of its most senior officers.” Jacob Vecht, JPO 12.04.10 The Haaretz spy scandal “In her statements during her investigation published in court documents, Kamm revealed that she is a messianic leftist. She came to the army not to serve the country, but to transform it.[…] Kamm’s treachery is a deeply disturbing comment on the mindset of the radical Left in Israel. But her crimes are even more alarming when we realize that Kamm is not a lone renegade. In her treasonous activities, she enjoys the support of a massive organization. By collaborating with Kamm[…], Haaretz has demonstrated that leftist traitors have a powerful sponsor capable of exacting painful revenge on the State of Israel for daring to prosecute them.” Caroline Glick, JPO 16.04.10 From a state of the people to one of the privileged “It is not freedom of the press that the colleagues of Uri Blau and Anat Kamm were defending, but the freedom to act lawlessly, to act on unacceptable urges, and to cause great harm to the State of Israel.[…] With the Kamm-Blau affair, the editorial staff of Haaretz has crossed a red line[…]. Rather than being loyal to the country and the law, they have chosen to be loyal to the class that considers itself above the law and above any duty to the country's security.[…] The vast majority of the public now understands that these establishments are fighting not for freedom of speech[…], but in order to transform Israel from a state that belongs to the nation to a state that belongs to the privileged class.” Israel Harel, HAA 16.04.10 Skewed priorities in the Anat Kamm affair “ Haaretz’s behavior deviates from acceptable journalistic practice.[…] This is a matter of life-anddeath national security.[…] The Kamm drama touches on fundamental ethical dilemmas that face the State of Israel as it strives to maintain freedom of press while fighting adversaries that couldn’t care less about such an ideal.[…] A free, inquisitive press helps ensure that the IDF maintains[…] ethical standards. If the targetedkillings policy, or any other IDF policy for that matter, is out of line with the rulings of the Israeli judiciary, this requires our attention. Regrettably, however, the unwillingness of Blau and his newspaper to meet the Shin Bet’s demand to return stolen documents whose content would aid our enemies and render our people more vulnerable raises grave questions about the paper’s priorities.” JPO 12.04.10 Anarchy isn’t democracy “If all the soldier sought to do was help the State of Israel maintain its moral character, we are told by all those people who are seemingly concerned about freedom of press and its ability to function in a state run by, lo and behold, the rightist camp, why was it wrong?[…] Yet there’s no greater foolishness than uttering these words. The IDF’s combat doctrine is the business of the elected government. In a democratic state, this is how things should work.[…] Anarchy is the opposite of democracy. Nihilism is the essence of the anarchist, and this is how rather large groups belonging to the radical leftist camp conduct themselves at this time.” Haim Misgav, JED 09.04.10 Harrass the IDF, not alleged whistleblower Anat Kam “Are Israelis entitled to know that the IDF's highest ranking officers gave advanced written permission to fire at innocent people during‘targeted assassinations?’[…] Aren't we entitled to know about a secret Defense Ministry report saying about 75 percent of settlements construction has been carried out without a permit?[…] These are but few of the goings on exposed by journalist Uri Blau and which the state wanted to conceal.[…] A security service that destroys journalists' computers and threatens them has no place in a democratic state. The defense establishment is[…] trying[…] to cover-up grievous acts committed in the territories.[…] 3

The Shin Bet has won again. Instead of dealing with the outrageous acts that were exposed, finding those responsible and bringing them to trial, everyone is preoccupied with persecuting the messengers and hunting down the whistleblowers.” Gideon Levy, HAA 09.04.10 3. Netanyahu in Washington Im Bestreben, die Krise zwischen Israel und den USA beizulegen, war Premierminister Netanyahu Ende März nach Washington gereist. Spannungen hatten sich zuvor verstärkt, nachdem das israelische Vorhaben, neue Wohneinheiten in Ostjerusalem zu bauen, just während eines Besuches des amerikanischen Vizepräsidenten Biden bekannt geworden war. Im Rahmen von zwei Treffen mit Präsidenten Obama gelang es Netanyahu jedoch nicht, die Uneinigkeiten zu überbrücken, so dass es nach den Gesprächen zu keiner gemeinsamen Erklärung kam. Stattdessen forderte Obama eine schriftliche Zusage zu einer Reihe von vertrauensbildenden Maßnahmen gegenüber den Palästinensern von Netanyahu. President Obama is right “The diplomatic rift vis-à-vis the United States, which among other things was manifested through Netanyahu’s humiliation by Obama during the PM’s recent Washington trip, did not start now.[…] What we’re seeing is a clear and incisive demand from the Administration to Israel: Stop dressing up! Tell us who you really are. Because it’s so scared of Obama and his Administration, for a whole year the government of Israel had adopted a‘yes and no’ policy coupled with ambiguity and secrecy, as if exposing its policy on the Palestinian front is similar to revealing our nuclear secrets in Dimona.[…] Hence, Obama is right to press Netanyahu.[…] Netanyahu’s ambiguity policy utterly failed.[…] Obama’s humiliating conduct brought the Israeli government back to the ground.[…] And so, a year into the Netanyahu government’s term in office, it must tell Obama clearly: We are back in the land of Zion and Jerusalem.[…] Indeed, Jerusalem is being built, and it will continue to be built.” Adi Mintz, JED 08.04.10 The single payer option “Has the Obama administration, against US interests, declared diplomatic war on Israel?[…] It has become reasonable to ask whether the Obama White House is running amok, whether it is pushing friction so far out of proportion that it is starting to look like a vendetta based on hostility and ideology. […] The administration seems to envision Israel paying for everything: supposedly getting the PA to negotiate,[…] keeping Iraq quiet, making Afghanistan stable and solving just about every other global problem. During his visit to Washington last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu tried to defuse the tension.[…] But according to reliable sources, Obama went out of his way to be personally hostile.” Barry Rubin, JPO 28.03.10 Redirect the pressure “US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made it crystal clear that the US intends to keep pressing Israel to do more to advance what it believes are Israeli, American and Palestinian interests.[…] Back home, meanwhile, there has been a worrying deterioration in the security situation.[…] It’s hard to escape the conclusion that the new spurt of violence is connected, at least in part, to the Obama administration’s deliberately reignited public criticism of Israel for the Ramat Shlomo blunder. And we are concerned that disproportionate ongoing criticism[…] can only further embolden intransigence and violence.” JPO 22.01.10 Obama is pro-Israel “US President Barack Obama is pro-Israel, even though he does not shower Israel with love on a daily basis.[…] The price required of Israel is not genuinely high and does not undermine its vital interests. Beyond the dourness and cool reception accorded to Netanyahu by Obama, we should note that the Administration’s demands of Israel are not new and do not constitute a radical change in policy; rather, they constitute a repetition – which is certainly more incisive and unequivocal – of demands presented by previous Administrations.” Alon Pinkas, JED 29.03.10 Break up the government “[US] lack of trust in the Israeli prime minister has reached a new low.[…] It may be that Netanyahu's failed visit to Washington has made it clear to him that what is landing on his head is not exactly rain, but as long as he believes that the political composition of his coalition will save him from a decision, it seems he would prefer to 4

wipe his forehead and continue maneuvering. Once again, this is the Labor Party's moment.[…] Ehud Barak and his partners must cease playing the role of Netanyahu's agents.[…] Israel is already deep in the abyss and only a genuine threat to the government's integrity may somehow rescue it. Labor must make it clear to Netanyahu that there is no third way. The government must adopt the American demands or risk breaking up.” HAA 28.03.10 Where Obama and Netanyahu diverge “It is widely known that the poor relationship between U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stands at the center of U.S.-Israeli tension.[…] It is hard to be overly optimistic about the basis of a new relationship. Yet neither leader has the luxury of disengagement. Obama and Netanyahu have to find common ground in addressing the massive challenge of Iran's nuclear weapon program, or else the consequences could be disastrous.[…] Trust needs to be built, and not as a favor to either leader, but because it is a necessity for anyone who wants to see a more stable Middle East.” David Makovsky, HAA 13.04.10 The right to our opinion “Now that the latest meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ended, we would do well to accept the not-so-bitter truth: At this time there are disagreements between the United States and Israel.[…] Of course, there is no reason to panic. Yet there is definitely room for regret. It is regrettable that the American Administration comprises figures who do not respect Israel’s right to think differently than them. It is regrettable that officials around Obama have embarked on a rash effort to turn the US, within a short period of time, into a friend of the Muslim world even if this means clashing with their ally.” Hanoch Daum, JED 28.03.10 4. Medienquerschnitt Die Vielfalt der in Israel relevanten Themen kann in einem Medienspiegel natürlich nicht umfassend wiedergegeben werden. Um den deutschen Leser/innen dennoch einen Einblick in das große Themenspektrum, das in den Medien behandelt wird, zu gewähren, veröffentlichen wir in dieser Schlaglichtausgabe wieder eine kleine Auswahl an weiteren Themen, die in den letzten Wochen die israelische Gesellschaft bewegten. Über die Korruptionsaffäre um den umstrittenen Jerusalemer Wohnkomplex„Holyland“, bei der der ehemalige Premierminister und Bürgermeister von Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, der hochrangigste Verdächtige ist: Unholyland “Being all too familiar in these parts with the nexus of politics and business, it is likely that few Israelis were terribly surprised to discover this week that the construction monstrosity perched on a hill overlooking Jerusalem’s Malha neighborhood was allegedly built with the help of graft, bribery and local government corruption.[…] If the allegations are true, narrow business interests of a select few, wellconnected insiders trampled the rights of the many. […] If nepotism is rewarded over merit, if bribery overrides checks and balances, cynicism and fatalism are liable to crush motivation and dampen private initiative, which is the cornerstone of capitalism..” JPO 08.04.10 Unholyland “How come the supposed giver of the alleged bribe is under arrest, the supposed go-between in the alleged bribe is under arrest, but the supposed receiver of the alleged bribe is not under arrest?[…] Is someone still afraid of the supposed receiver of the alleged bribe?[…] What are all these gagging orders that have fallen on us lately? Whom are you kidding? What child in Israel doesn't know who is being talked about?[…] Does this ban serve some purpose for the investigation, or is it just another dubious headlinecatching device by the law enforcement agencies?” Stella Korin-Lieber, GL 08.04.10 End of his public career “Ehud Olmert concluded his career as a public figure in a sad television announcement on Thursday.[…] It’s over.[…] He is the main suspect in the most serious corruption case ever investigated in Israel. […] Olmert described the claims against him as‘an unprecedented effort’ at character assassination and declared that he never asked for or received bribes. […] But even if Olmert is right and he is being victimized, he did not try to protect the other 5

suspects in the case. But if suspicions against them are correct, then criminals ran the municipality under Olmert. If he was blind to what was happening, he is still responsible, and such a silly man should not be elected to office.” Aluf Benn, HAA 16.04.10 Über das internationale Gipfeltreffen zur Nuklearsicherheit, das vom 12.-13. April ohne Teilnahme Netanyahus in Washington stattfand: Nobody dropped a bomb on Israel at nuke conference “With the Washington nuclear conference concluded, it is regrettable that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opted out of attending[…], and one can only wonder why.[…] Jerusalem resisted calls on Wednesday to join the nuclear NonProliferation Treaty, stressing that unlike other countries, Israel had never threatened to destroy another nation.[…] If any message was meant for Israel, it came[when] Obama said efforts must be made to solve international conflicts, especially those in the Middle East, since they endanger American national security.[…] This was a crystal clear signal to Israel not to attack Iran and drag the United States into an unwanted war.” Yossi Melman, HAA 15.04.10 We’re not nearing a Holocaust “If Netanyahu wanted to encourage world leaders to act against Iran, he should have taken part in the nuclear conference in Washington this week and voiced his poignant warnings directly to his counterparts. But Netanyahu was concerned about criticism of Israel's nuclear capability, so he opted to stay home[…]. He thus missed out on a chance to join the international effort, which only highlights Israel's growing isolation.” HAA13.04.10 Über das Barzilai Krankenhaus in Ashkelon und die Forderung des Koalitionspartners United Torah Judaism, den Bau einer neuen Notaufnahme nicht wie geplant durchzuführen, um auf dem Gelände gefundene antike Gräber zu schützen: The battle for sensible government “Last month, Deputy Health Minister Ya’acov Litzman decided to revamp construction plans for a much-needed reinforced emergency room at Ashkelon’s Barzilai Medical Center on the grounds that old bones found on the site might be Jewish and therefore‘cannot be removed.’ The Israel Medical Association opposed the decision, emphasizing that moving the emergency room further away from the rest of the hospital could endanger lives.[…] Yet, when the matter came to a vote, Netanyahu’s cabinet endorsed the Barzilai relocation, albeit by a slim margin of 11-10.[…] It is no great revelation that small parties and narrow interest groups such as Litzman’s United Torah Judaism have long wielded disproportionate power in our fractious political system. Yet the cabinet’s cowing and Netanyahu’s subsequent procrastination over such an illogical, unpopular and frankly dangerous plan expose the extent to which the government is held to ransom by those who do not represent the public interest.” Dan Kosky, JPO 14.04.10 Undermining liberty “The ultra-Orthodox community's growing strength is spurring it to dictate behavior patterns to the public majority. In matters like the graves under Ashkelon's Barzilai Medical Center, this dictation proves how powerful- and absurd- the ultra-Orthodox leaders' sense of power is. Perhaps this will be a turning point that will bring us all, religious and secular, to block the ultra-Orthodox community's ambition. We have seen how the majority's outcry forced the prime minister to come to his senses about the Ashkelon graves.” Israel Harel, HAA 25.03.10 HAA= Haaretz HZO= Ha Tzofe IHY= Israeli HaYom JED= Jedioth Ahronoth JPO= Jerusalem Post MAA= Maariv GLO= Globes Veröffentlicht im: April 2010 Verantwortlich: Dr. Ralf Hexel, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Maike Harel Niko Pewesin Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 6