Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 10/13 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 15.- 26. Mai 2013 1. Russische Waffen für Syrien Israelischen Angaben zufolge plant Russland hochentwickelte Flugabwehrsysteme des Typs S-300 an Syrien zu liefern. Dadurch würde sich Syriens strategische Situation bedeutend verbessern. Gleichzeitig warnten israelische Militärs, dass Israel das Assad-Regime zu Fall bringen könnte, sollte Syrien Israel angreifen. Bereits mehrere Male ist es zu Scharmützeln an der syrisch-israelischen Grenze auf den Golanhöhen gekommen. Zudem hat Israel mehrere Angriffe gegen Ziele in Syrien geflogen, bei denen Waffenlieferungen an die libanesische Hisbollah unterbunden werden sollten. Als Reaktion auf die Berichte von russischen Waffenlieferungen reiste Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu zu einem Treffen mit Präsident Wladimir Putin nach Moskau. Russland unterstützt Assad, setzte sich aber zuletzt zusammen mit den USA für eine Friedenskonferenz mit den syrsischen Rebellen ein. Putin beharrte zugleich darauf, dass es Russlands Recht sei, Syrien strategisch wichtige Waffen zu liefern. Playing Russian roulette with Syria "The recent developments in Syria have been overshadowed by the direct clash of interests between the United States and Russia, in which Israel plays a minor, if inadvertent, role. While Washington continues to hesitate over the degree of force needed to affect regime change in Damascus, Moscow[…] continues to warn against its possible replacement by a Sunni extremist government.[…] Russia has two goals: To keep the regime in place […] since it maintains its hold on Tartus as Mo scow's private port in the Mediterranean Sea, and to subvert U.S. influence in the region.[…] Russia finds it comfortable to also flex its muscles over the three aerial strikes in Syrian territory that have been attributed[…] to Israel. That is the re ason for the current talk of delive ries[…] of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Syria." Amos Harel, HAA 19.05.13 Putin is unreliable; on to direct messages to Assad "What is, then, Russia's vested interest? Exaggerating the threat looming upon its trade partner in order to increase its dependence on Russia's shipments of weaponry and diplomatic patronage. It was thus during the Cold War with Assad senior, and it is the case with his son today. Russia is thus anything but a reliable messenger." Ron Ben-Yishai, JED 23.05.13 Israel's mixed messages "Jerusalem has yet to decide if it is interested in Assad's downfall or whether it wants, along with Hezbollah, Iran and Russia, for him to stay. Israel also has not decided if preventing Hezbollah from acquiring more missiles, beyond the tens of thousands it already has, justifies the risk of starting an all-out war with Syria." Eyal Zisser, IHY 23.05.13 Keeping Assad in the picture "A year ago, then Central Intelligence Agency director Gen. David Petraeus suggested to U.S. President Barack Obama that he arm the Syrian opposition. Obama[…] refused.[…] There is a two-fold fear that prevented this: First, the response from Russia, which put its foot down to prevent a recurrence of Libya in Syria, and second, that such an attack would likely instigate an antiWestern response in general and an anti-American response in particular in the Middle East.[…] For a while now, this war has not been about a regime change in Syria but about Arab and Western control and influence there, or at least an attempt to preserve the historical distribution of Western and Russian spheres of influence in the Middle East." 1

Zvi Bar'el, HAA 23.05.13 Thank you, Hafez Assad "Syria’s advanced anti-aircraft batteries, which will threaten Israel’s air superiority, will increase in a profound way the probability that Assad will attack Israel. In the face of American rank incompetence, Assad has already broken all the red lines he and his father followed for more than 40 years. He has already used chemical weapons. He has proliferated advanced weaponry to Hezbollah. And he has already attacked Israel on the Golan Heights. Now that he has already crossed all of these red lines, the only question is how much he will escalate. Equipped with the S-300, the probability that he will escalate drastically has risen precipitously." Caroline Glick, JPO 23.05.13 Russia knows exactly what the fuss is about "Netanyahu reportedly told[…] Putin, when they met for emergency talks about Syria last week, that the delivery of S-300 batteries to Assad'is likely to draw us into a response, and could send the region deteriorating into war.' Worryingly, Putin reportedly responded by warning Netanyahu that any further Israeli airstrikes in Syria could have the same result." David Horovitz, TOI 19.05.13 Syria: Time for Israel to reassess "Israel clearly now finds itself in the midst of a far more complex regional and international game.[…] The results of Netanyahu’s mission[to Russia] have yet to be clarified but the very trip reflected Israel’s concern with the turn of events in the Syrian crisis and its more salient role as both a concerned stake holder and actor in the Syrian arena.[…] The Russians feel empowered in the Syrian context and have now put on the table a new card, the delivery of the SS 300 missiles.[…] It is a potential game changer and a potential trigger for a military escalation involving Israel.[…] These developments compound the Israeli calculus. Interdicting arms transfers to Hizbullah is now going to be a more difficult exercise, entailing risks in the regional arena and affecting the international power game. It is high time for Israel to reassess its Syrian policy and tread firmly but cautiously." Itamar Rabinovich, TOI 17.05.13 S-300 deal not necessarily a tiebreaker "One must ask if a single system can truly constitute a tiebreaker in the weapons and munitions equation, especially on Israel's northern border. […] There are no parameters by which Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Syria's military capabilities are equal to Israel's. Syria's air force all but ceased to exist 31 years ago.[…] The Syrian military is incapable of assuming the task of mastering the advanced system without the help of Russian advisers." Gabi Avital, IHY 22.05.13 Putin taught Bibi a lesson "Netanyahu failed to control himself, and several days before traveling to Putin's residence[…] he announced that he would demand that his host avoid transferring the advanced weapons to Assad's regime.[…] Putin was not happy, to say the least, to hear Netanyahu's public statements even before the two met. Neither was he satisfied with the threats Israel made against Assad, Russia's'client.'[…] He should have saved his requests from the Russian leader for a quiet rather than public dialogue. The result was soon to come: Immediately after the meeting between Putin and Netanyahu, the Kremlin spokesman rushed to announce that Russia was planning to supply the Syrians with the missiles Israel is so concerned about. After all, a world power as big as Russia cannot appear to be giving in to public Israeli pressure." Shimon Shiffer, JED 20.05.13 The arms hunter " Russia seeks to arm Bashar Assad’s ruthless r egime with antiaircraft missiles − defensive weapons by every measure − and Israel screams to the high heavens. It does so not to benefit the Syrian civilians it sees slaughtered in the civil war there. That’s the last thing that interests Israel, which is only concerned that this military hardware could be transferred to Hezbollah, depriving Israel of its ability to fly over Lebanon as it sees fit. It has been doing that for years in brazen violation of Lebanese sovereignty.[…] Frankly, there’s a measure of chutzpah, hypocrisy and arrogance here. If Israel had pursued peace along with its policy of hunting down weapons in the region,[…] if Israel weren’t the world’s f ourth largest arms supplier and a similar recipient of weaponry, one could live with its disarmament policy. But when 2

heading off weapons supplies becomes the only aim, it prompts a burning question: By what right?" Gideon Levy, HAA 16.05.13 2. Untersuchungsbericht zu Mohammed Al-Dura Im September 2000 wurde auf der Netzarim Kreuzung im Gazastreifen der zwölfjährige Mohammed Al-Dura im Kreuzfeuer zwischen der israelischen Armee und bewaffneten Palästinensern getötet. Die Bilder des Jungen und seines Vaters, die hinter einer Tonne Schutz suchten, wurden von der französischen Fernsehanstalt France 2 am selben Tag gesendet und gingen um die Welt. Al-Dura gilt seitdem als eine politische Ikone der Zweiten Intifada, die zu diesem Zeitpunkt ausbrach. Die israelische Armee übernahm zunächst Verantwortung für den Tod des Jungen, gab aber später an, dass Al-Dura vermutlich palästinensischen Kugeln zum Opfer gefallen sei. Nun hat eine von Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu einberufene Untersuchungskommission unter der Leitung von Yossi Kuperwasser, Generaldirektor des israelischen Ministeriums für Strategische Angelegenheiten, einen Bericht veröffentlicht. Dieser kommt nicht nur zu dem Schluss, dass Al-Dura nicht von israelischem Feuer getroffen worden sei, sondern legt außerdem nahe, dass der Junge überlebt hätte. Das Kommittee hat jedoch weder Jamal AlDura, den Vater des Kindes, befragt, noch den französischen Journalisten, der die Bilder in Umlauf brachte. Infolgedessen erklärte sich Jamal Al-Dura zu einer internationalen Untersuchung und einer Exhumierung seines Sohnes bereit. Wonders never cease " If I were prime minister I would order[…] the esta blishment of a committee to investigate whether the members of the al-Dura panel were actually hostile agents trying to make the army look like a joke in the eyes of the people. It's enough that the army is seen as an occupying army that abuses another nation; we don't need people to think it needs psychiatric treatment as well.[…] Dear committee members, as you wish, Mohammed al-Dura wasn't killed; he's safe and sound and hiding somewhere. But what about the 951 children that human rights group B'Tselem says were killed during the second intifada? Are they also alive and well and hiding with al-Dura somewhere?" Oudeh Basharat, HAA 26.05.13 The Palestinian industry of lies "Some journalists among us claimed that the attempts to debunk the reports saying that al-Dura was killed by IDF fire were meant to distract from the debate surrounding the deaths of 850 Palestinian children. Nothing can be further from the truth! If anything, this case proves that the deaths of other children should also be investigated. Every report by these liars should be taken with a grain of salt. This is a culture that perceives lying as a legitimate measure in its fight against the Yahud-- the Jew. […] The al- Dura affair[…] fed and justified the terror inflicted on Israeli civilians." Dror Eydar, IHY 20.05.13 A belated victory for justice "Why has it taken 13 years to compile? Why has so much time passed since that image was broadcast across the globe until the inquiry commission's conclusions were finally released?[…] Through the years Mohammed al-Dura has become a symbol of the Palestinian uprising against Israel. The image[…] fanned the flames of more and more terrorism and was immortalized by Palestinian propaganda.[…] We can only hope that the lessons have been learned if we are confronted with similar events in the future." Yaakov Ahimeir, IHY 21.05.13 Harmful propaganda "'There is no evidence that Jamal[the boy’s father, who was wounded in the incident] or the boy were hurt,' says the abstract at the beginning of the report. The report’s authors arrive at that dubious conclusion using a collection of circumstantial evidence, some of it barely serious, like the impressions of an Israeli pathologist who watched the video.[…] This report doesn’t lift the fog off this case, if there ever was any. Instead, it raises a more painful issue: the many young people killed by IDF soldiers during the second intifada.[…] Focusing only on[al-Dura] is mere propaganda that won’t in any way improve Israel’s problematic image of being responsible for too many children’s deaths." HAA 21.05.13 Editorial Another battle of hearts and minds "Now comes the most intriguing and significant stage: How will the international media cover this announcement[…]? Throughout the intifada, there 3

was extensive evidence that the international media were being pressured and sometimes even threatened by the Palestinian Authority.[…] It is essential to examine whether the tragedy that occurred at the Netzarim junction was dealt with according to internationally accepted journalistic standards. Did the international media take these questions and the doubt about the veracity of these reports into account? And now that Israel has made its new official decision public, will media around the world admit their mistake? This is how battles of hearts and minds are waged." Nachman Shai, JPO 22.05.13 Thanks to Kuperwasser al-Dura report, truth is on its way "Now that the State of Israel has taken the official decision to fight for its good name, it is important to encourage it to continue and to analyze how this huge PR failure has been allowed to go on for so long.[…] One day or another, Israel will face another lie, another blood libel or other false accusations during military operations. Israel was not prepared for this war, and Israel lost.[…] The official Israeli report, which was issued on Sunday, shows a tu rning point in the Israeli authorities’ state of mind: they decided to fight for their good name. This is good news, and will be effective only if they are able to analyze their mistakes and draw conclusions in order not to repeat past mistakes." Philippe Karsenty, JPO 22.05.13 Palestinian fairytales "The Israeli Army and the Government learned a very harsh lesson that day. At the time, they admitted to something Israel had not done, without checking the facts or having the ability to challenge the authenticity of the France2 images in real time. In doing so, it allowed the image to become one of the most powerful pieces of propaganda in the history of photographic imagery.[…] The moment the al-Dura image hit the screens it became iconic, and while a picture is worth a thousand words, this one cost a thousand lives. Al-Dura became the poster child for the Palestinian wave of terrorism that followed over the next few years." David Katz, TOI 21.05.13 A slanderous farce and a'blood libel’- against Palestinians "Even if there was anti-Jewish prejudice in some of the propaganda purposes to which the dead boy’s image has been used, is Israel’s alternative version of events any better?[…] You could say that, in some ways, the'maximalist' Israeli version reads like an adapted blood libel in reverse. The idea that a father would be heartless enough to agree to his son’s murder, or at the very least be parted from him for life, just to incite others to kill Jews is not only insulting, it is also troublingly dehumanizing of a largely defenceless and hostage civilian population.[…] If Israel is serious about getting to the truth, it should take up al- Dura senior’s suggestion to launch an independent international investigation[…]. Arabs and pro-Palestinians have interpreted the report as little more than cynical political spin designed to cover up a damaging incident, described by some as Israel’s'greatest PR failure'." Khaled Diab, HAA 26.05.13 3. Verschärfung der Waffengesetze In Beersheva sind bei einem Banküberfall vier Menschen getötet worden. Der Täter, dem zuvor ein Darlehnen von der Bank verweigert worden war, erschoss sich zum Schluss selbst. Die Tat sowie eine Reihe von Morden, die in letzter Zeit von Sicherheitsleuten mit Zugang zu Handfeuerwaffen begangen wurden, haben eine Debatte über die Kontrolle von Waffen in Israel losgetreten. Der Täter hatte in der Armee und der Grenzpolizei gedient und seinen Posten aufgrund von Ausschreitungen gegen Palästinenser verloren. Auch seine Arbeit als Wachmann verlor er wegen Verhaltensauffälligkeiten. Nach der Tat kündigte das Ministerium für Öffentliche Sicherheit Verschärfungen der Waffengesezte an. Es ist vorgesehen, dass Sicherheitsleute ihre Waffen nach Dienstschluss abgeben müssen. Auch psychologische Tests als Voraussetzung für Waffenbesitz werden in Erwägung gezogen. Controlling guns "Undoubtedly, the fact that Itamar Alon had access to a handgun at a critical time when he was overcome by anger made possible the shooting rampage.[…] But in Israel[…] bearing arms is prohibited to all but those with special permission: security guards, residents or employees in settlements, citizens who regularly work with large sums of cash or jewels, 4

IDF officers of certain ranks, and select few others. Ammunition ownership is greatly restricted.[…] They can be – and for the most part are only – used by Israelis for protection and defense. But sometimes they are misused.[…] In a way, Itamar Alon encapsulates this potential for doing either good or evil with firearms. Ironically, the last time Alon made headlines over a decade ago, the context was altogether different: He was honored for bravely rushing to the scene of a terrorist attack and shooting dead the perpetrator. Guns are, unfortunately, a necessary evil. We cannot do without them." JPO 21.05.13 Editorial The crime that can't be stopped "Organized plots to carry out attacks can sometimes be uncovered, and therefore foiled. That’s not po ssible in the case of a lone attacker, whose plans are known only to himself and whose actions sometimes aren’t planned at all, but come together only at the last minute.[…] Monday’s bank killings are yet another reminder of the legal limits in which the police operate. There is no realistic way to prevent a man who has no criminal record[…] from getting up one fine morning and deciding to go crazy and set out on a killing spree." Amir Oren, HAA 21.05.13 Nothing justifies violence "The very kind of violent incident that we thought could only occur in faraway lands finally happened within our borders. Such incidents demand taking a hard line, so that they do not ever happen again.[…] Now is the time to make a distinction between criticism and a systematic, methodical call to violence. We've all seen enough violent demonstrations, people extolling violent means, preaching that'this is the only way they'll understand us.' Such slogans, spoken on street corners, creates a certain kind of atmosphere, one that is particularly explosive.[…] Personal debts, financial difficulties and the desire for instant justice all led to Moshe Silman's decision to commit suicide during the protests over Israel's welfare system in July 2012. This combination did the same to the murderer in Beersheba on Monday. These are the real dangers. We have to keep public discourse rooted in an equitable and fair environment, so that society doesn't dissolve into violence and bloodletting." Hezi Sternlicht, IHY 21.05.13 The blurred line between hero and murderer "Everything following Alon’s military service screams failure. From this it can be assumed that something went wrong somewhere along his way from the army and Border Police to civilian life.[…] The Border Police is the sickest corps of the occupation administration.[…] In the Border Police, Alon learned not just how to shoot but how to behave rudely, violently and to solve problems with weapons while receiving respect and glory for doing so.[…] The line between hero and murderer in the territories is a very blurry one. Many cannot identify it, and there are those, like Officer Alon, who do not recognize the blurry boundary between the territories and Israel proper. For Alon, the bastards changed the rules: What is almost allowed in Hebron is forbidden in Be’er Sheva." Gideon Levy, HAA 23.05.13 4. Medienquerschnitt Die Vielfalt der in Israel relevanten Themen kann in einem Medienspiegel nicht umfassend wiedergegeben werden. Um den deutschen LeserInnen dennoch einen Einblick in das breite Themenspektrum, das in den Medien behandelt wird, zu gewähren, veröffentlichen wir in dieser Schlaglichtausgabe wieder eine kleine Auswahl an weiteren Themen, die in den vergangenen zwei Wochen die israelische Gesellschaft bewegten. Über den Mord an einem britischen Soldaten durch islamistische Fundamentalisten: UK’s Islamist problem "The vast majority of Muslims in Britain and in other European countries are law-abiding, upright citizens who are undoubtedly appalled that the two men have claimed to be acting in the name of Islam.[…] Nevertheless, Britain and other European countries do have a problem with radical Islamists. And they have for some time now.[…] In a 2006 survey[…], a quarter of British Muslims said the July 7, 2005, bombings in London[…] were justified because of the British government’s support for the war on terror.[…] There is no evidence that these sorts of sentiments among some Muslims have significantly changed. In an atmosphere in which murderous terrorist attacks are seen as justified, the sort of seemingly random lone wolf attack[…] becomes all the more likely. It 5

should come as no surprise that random terrorist attacks have been, and will remain for the foreseeable future, MI5’s greatest security threat." JPO 23.05.13 Editorial Europe's lost generation acts in the name of despair, not Allah "The two suspects[…] indeed converted to Islam and came under the sway of the outlawed fundamentalist movement, Al-Muhajiroun, but this small group is ostracized by most of the Muslim community in Britain. What motivated them[…] was not Islam but'a huge identity crisis not just in the Muslim community, but across British communities. This guy in the video says bring'our soldiers' back from'our lands.' Well, it can't be both.[…] It's about identity issues, people rebelling against their parents, conversion issues, all these issues in a 21st century society that comes about in a toxic mix.'[…] The two suspects in London claimed to be acting in the name of Allah and on behalf of Muslims suffering in the Middle East, but they had a great deal in common with another murderer – one who despises Islam. Anders Breivik, who in two terror attacks murdered 77 people in Norway two years ago.[…][They] are all extreme cases, but they are faithful representatives of a disconnected and estranged generation growing up over the last two decades throughout Europe. They are a generation of young people who can't find jobs." Anshel Pfeffer, HAA 27.05.13 HAA= Haaretz JED= Jedioth Ahronoth JPO= Jerusalem Post IHY= Israel HaYom TOI= Times of Israel GLO= Globes Veröffentlicht am: 28. Mai 2013 Verantwortlich: Dr. Ralf Hexel, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Maike Harel Stefan Pantekoek Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 6