Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 12/14 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 10. Juni – 01. Juli 2014 1. Entführung und Ermordung von drei jüdischen Teenagern Die Entführung von drei Jugendlichen im Alter zwischen 16 und 19 Jahren nahe der israelischen Siedlung Gusch Ezion in der Westbank hat die Nachrichten seit dem Tag ihres Verschwindens am 12. Juni dominiert. Die Talmudschüler Naftali Fraenkel, Gil-ad Shaar und Eyal Yifrach waren als Anhalter in einen Wagen eingestiegen, und wurden, wie sich 18 Tage später herausstellte, unmittelbar danach erschossen. Die Leichen hatten die Täter nahe Hebron, nur wenige Kilometer von der Stelle, an der sie zugestiegen waren, verscharrt. Israels Premierminister Netanyahu beschuldigte die Hamas, für die Entführung verantwortlich zu sein. Tausende Soldaten wurden für die Suche nach den drei Jugendlichen eingesetzt, hunderte Häuser in der Westbank durchsucht, über 400 Palästinenser festgenommen. Underhanded opportunism in the search for kidnapped Israeli teens „It seems that, alongside focusing our intelligence and military abilities on the main effort, there are those who see this kidnapping as an opportunity to engage in underhanded opportunism.These creative minds, mostly operating from within the government, are full of crazy ideas: Swift approval of a bill to prevent pardons for prisoners – a bill whose stupidity is now becoming clear; complete severance of relations with the Palestinian Authority; expelling dozens, if not hundreds, of Hamas members from the West Bank to Gaza; demolishing homes; imposing a total curfew on West Bank and Gaza's cities, and more. Alongside these ideas, the government is accelerating a bill for the forcefeeding of hunger-striking prisoners and – to top it all – Habayit Hayehudi MKs are expressing their support for annexing territory to Israel. These ideas have nothing to do with our ability to find the kidnap victims. At best, they are the growing expression of a desire for vengeance against the Palestinian people. At worst, they are cynical exploitation, fulfilling the urges of those who wish to destroy the peace process. They are endeavoring to turn the abductions into a seminal moment that will redefine Israel’s relations with the Palestinians and their leaders.[…] This wave did not come from nowhere. It came against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence that the PA and President Mahmoud Abbas should now be seen as hostile forces. He preaches this attitude even though Abbas and the PA’s security forces have continued to coordinate with Israel’s own forces, helping Israel as much as they can. At this point, there could not be a harsher blow to Israel’s security than placing a dartboard on our Palestinian partner’s chest.“ Editorial, HAA, 17.06.2014 The vicious circle goes on and on „There is no other country whose leaders will use all the power at their disposal to save three citizens. But a deeper look reveals a further significance: The [...] leaders are not dealing with a fatal issue, but with a crime which in other countries concerns the district police investigators only. Here the incident is a strategic problem. It's enough for three fine young men to disregard the warnings against kidnapping in order to create a serious crisis which we are now losing sleep over.[...] We can draw conclusions from the past about what is expected in the future: The hostility will grow stronger, the land theft will be expanded, riots will be ignited, protestors will be 1

killed, prisoners will multiply, Jews will be murdered – and so on and so forth.[...] Whether the current crisis ends with a sigh of relief or with lamentations, it shows us what our routine life will look like in a state where evicting Jews and evicted Arabs, oppressing Jews and oppressed Arabs, powerful Jews and powerless Arabs live side by side. Many of Israel's Jewish citizens witnessing this feel as though they have been kidnapped themselves by a group of zealots, and their reservations are so strong that they don't fully share the concern surrounding most Israelis. There are those who, out of painful patriotism or lack of choice, accept their bitter fate, and there are those who slide down the windows or push their children out.“ Yaron London, YNN, 20.06.2014 Why the boys were kidnapped „ The kidnapping is the result, not of the fog of war, but rather of our denial that we are, indeed, currently engaged in one. Israel continues to treat an implacable enemy – including the rabidly antiSemitic Palestinian civilian population – as everything other than what it is, leaving our people to incur ongoing tragedies until such time that cold, hard reality sinks in: There is no Palestinian peace camp. The three youths were abducted in what should be considered enemy territory. If they felt safe, it was a sentiment borne of a delusional process premised on the false conviction that Palestinians are committed to coexistence.[…] The belief that the Palestinians’ genocidal hatred can be contained, within any borders, is the byproduct of wishful thinking endemic to the peace process. More perverse is that this warped worldview whitewashes the second major factor accounting for the boys’ kidnapping: Islam.[…] Overall, the latest tragedy is further proof that Israel is in desperate need of a paradigm shift. Jerusalem must begin relating to the Palestinians for who they are: our sworn enemies. It must also abandon a tired and futile peace process, the ramifications of which increasingly threaten the safety of all Israelis. Only then can a clear-eyed public debate be held as how best to proceed.[…] But Israel can only move forward by first coming to terms with why it has lost three sons: the Jewish state is at war with a radicalized Palestinian people that has no interest in peace.“ Charles Bybelezer, JPO 01.07.2014 2. Die Gefahr durch die ISIS-Kampftruppen im Irak Die Eroberungen und das Vorrücken der dschihadistischen Terror-Gruppe ISIS(Islamischer Staat im Irak und Syrien) im Irak beunruhigt auch Israel. Vor allem deshalb, weil die ISIS-Anführer das benachbarte Jordanien als weiteres mögliches Ziel benannt haben. Dass die USA ausgerechnet den Iran als Partner erwägen, um die Terrorgruppe zurückzudrängen, bewerteten israelische Beobachter jedoch als langfristig strategischen Fehler der Obama-Regierung. Hamas and ISIS „The real dang er of Baghdad falling to ISIS, an offshoot of al-Qaida, is not only a devastating blow to the US[...] but it is a threat to the stability throughout the region.[...] True, we must not overstate the threat to Jordan. Both the US and Israel have a cardinal interest in making sure the Hashemite regime remains in power. But the US is increasingly reluctant to assert itself, even in Iraq where it has invested so much. Another worrying development is the prospect that Washington might cooperate with Iran to fight ISIS[...] Admittedly, Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told Reuters the US and other major powers have pledged that any cooperation with Iran in Iraq would not set back the drive to curb Tehran’s nuclear weapons program. Nevertheless, the sudden dovetailing of US and Iranian interests in Iraq, which has a Shi’ite majority, is worrying. ISIS has no direct connections with Hamas. Indeed, ISIS is a globalized movement that lacks deep roots in any particular society and has no nationalist project. In contrast, Hamas, as well as Hezbollah, are nationalist movements. What they do have in common, however, is the use of violence and intimidation to implement a reactionary version of Islam that persecutes women and other religions. Whether or not Hamas leaders are emboldened by ISIS’s victories in Iraq, the two terrorist organizations share many of the same objectives, such as the establishment of a Muslim caliphate that operates according to Shari’a(Islamic law). In the wake of the kidnapping, Israel has launched a major crackdown on Hamas operatives and affiliates in the West Bank, because, according to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Hamas is responsible. One former military official told The Jerusalem Post that security forces are“taking advantage” of the kidnapping to“clean up” Judea and Samaria. One wonders why this“clean up” was 2

not launched long ago, before Hamas succeeding, after several foiled attempts, to carry out a kidnapping. Perhaps it is the same sort of selfdefeating“wait and see” strategy that has allowed ISIS to grow so dangerous.“ Editorial, JPO, 17.06.2014 Out of the frying pan, into the fire “There is no doubt that ISIS, which, incidentally, grew in strength due to a lack of adequate American support for secular elements struggling against Syrian President Bashar Assad-- is the sworn enemy of the United States and the West in general. However, the claim that this necessarily justifies cooperation with Iran is foolish and immoral.[…] One of these sides, Iran, is striving to acquire nuclear weapons and has threatened to commit genocide;[…] the warming of relations with the U.S.- and this will be the immediate outcome of American-Iranian synergy- will grant further legitimacy to the ayatollah's regime, strengthen its hand in nuclear negotiations and will lead to the permanent deployment of Iranian military forces in Iraq, meaning the"Eastern Front" will draw even nearer to the Jordanian and Israeli borders. Another by-product is the shot of encouragement Hezbollah will receive in Lebanon and Syria. It is normally illadvised for Israel, when it comes to its diplomatic and public relations campaigns, to publicly voice its views on the policies of its American friend, but in all areas pertaining to Iran, this hesitation does not exist.” Zalman Shoval, IHY, 24.06.2014 It's time to be proactive against ISIS „With ISIS poised on the border with Jordan and a quick drive to the Saudi border, the threat is tangible. As Professor Efraim Karsh demonstrated in a recent article, Palestinian leaders, from the Great Mufti Haj-amin Al-Husseini to Azmi Bishara, have accepted the formulation that Palestine is South Syria. After Iraq, the already preposterous idea of an American-trained Palestinian force guarding the Jordan can be seen as another example of the “stupid s---” done by the Obama administration. Does anybody expect an American-trained Palestinian force to perform better than the Iraqi army, the recipient of billions of American dollars in training and equipment? More importantly, can they be expected to perform at all given the enthusiasm over ISIS’ successes? The first Israeli response should be a declaration that the Jordan River is Israel’s eastern boundary. Additionally, Israel must consider a more proactive role in the region, which poses a problem. Just as America was badly scarred by its interventions in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel’s intervention in Lebanon when it sought to empower the Maronites evokes similar bad memories. This should not make us oblivious to Israe l’s previous successes.[...] In a more radical step, Israel should go beyond the humanitarian assistance that it has provided the non-Islamist Syrian insurgents. The Free Syrian Army is strongest in southern Syria near the Golan Heights. Israel has so f ar followed the“plague on both your houses” strategy in Syria, but this has produced a Hobson’s choice between ISIS and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Given the Lebanese trauma, one can understand the hesitancy on Israel’s side, just as Syrian progressives will be fearful that an alliance with Israel could discredit them, but the option deserves further exploration for Israel’s and Syria’s sake.“ Amiel Ungar, HAA, 27.06.2014 ISIS crisis has more chaos to spare „If we can learn anything from history, it’s that things change. ISIS is not unstoppable, and will likely reach its limits in the coming months in Iraq, Syria, or possibly Jordan. It will most probably collapse under its own weight in the future, leaving a vacuum that could either create fertile ground for democracy, or, more likely, several more years or even decades of unforeseen chaos. What can be said unequivocally is that the presence of ISIS will change not only political ties and possibly borders in the Middle East. These events will undoubtedly play a large, though perhaps subtle role in changing the mindset of the world, for better or worse. For example, ISIS could be the death blow of the world’s reliance on the US to serve as global policeman, making further room for China, Russia, and other, even less savory characters. Also, talks on the definition of terrorism, along with its implications and effects, will be renewed in international debates. How can the world combat these forces? A growing number of people may even suggest that such groups are left alone to evolve into semi-legitimate entities while the world ignores them. The rapidly changing situation demands a newoutlook, and such questions will become even more important as the US and Europe struggle with the threat of citizens who fought with ISIS and then returned home to bring jihad to the West. No matter how the world decides to view terrorism in the future, discussions must be centered 3

on creating Democracy 2.0- a political force that is agile, secure, andcapable of rapid movement to counter a movement like ISIS without surrendering reason and level- headedness.“ John-Michael Kibrick, YNN, 29.06.2014 3. Kontroverse über ein Gesetz zur Zwangsernährung palästinensischer Gefangener Die beabsichtigte Verabschiedung eines Gesetzes, das die Zwangsernährung von politisch Inhaftierten ermöglichen soll, wurde sowohl von Ärzten als auch NGOs heftig kritisiert. In den vergangenen Jahren haben vor allem inhaftierte Palästinenser immer wieder den Hungerstreik als Mittel des Protests gegen Monate lange Inhaftierung ohne Verurteilung und als Druckmittel zur Verbesserung ihrer Haftbedingungen gewählt. 2012 hatten 2.000 inhaftierte Palästinenser so z.B. erreicht, dass ihre Familien sie öfter besuchen können. Force-feeding hunger-striking prisoners – another view „I believe that it is permissible, and perhaps mandatory, for each country to act according to its unique culture. Unlike many countries, including the United States, we do not impose death sentences even for the most heinous crimes, and appropriately so.Our law entitled“Do not stand idly by your neighbor’s blood” mandating every citizen to come to the aid of even a stranger in danger, does not exist in the United States. There the culture of individualism is predominant whereas we are more of a communitarian culture. The death of any individual adversely affectsus all.What are my practical suggestions? We should definitely permit prisoners to engage in hunger strikes to protest their grievances, since at times that may be their only way to bring their situation to the public. But wemust make it clear to them up front that under no circumstances will we allow them to endanger their lives and health; that when they reach a stage of danger to themselves they will be hospitalized and fed even against their express will.I believe that this approach represents a humane, ethical and Jewish approach which respects human life in the spirit of our culture.“ Shimon Glick, JPO, 16.06.2014 Battle against force-feeding law is battle for democracy „The force-feeding bill that the government is trying to fast-track continues to spawn preposterous ideas that are an affront to the law, to international declarations and to democratic values.[…] Israel Medical Association chairman Dr. Leonid Eidelman warned that the bill goes against medical ethics and the medical norms of the doctorpatient relationship. On Wednesday it became apparent that in anticipation of a legal and public onslaught, the wording of the bill was made vaguer, calling for “lifesaving treatment” to be given to hunger-strikers, with no mention of the term“force- feeding,” as appeared in the initial version that passed its first reading. Even so, the legal adviser to the Interior Ministry told the Knesset Internal Affairs Committee that doctors would have the possibility of placing hunger-strikers under anesthesia to enable them to be fed without their consent. The more vaguelyworded bill and the comments by the Interior Ministry’s legal adviser do not constitute an improvement. On the contrary, they push the government toward a new abyss in terms of human rights violations. Putting people under in order to feed them against their will is considered unacceptable, as doctors believe it further endangers the health of hunger-strikers, who are already in poor physical condition.The hunger strike being waged by administrative prisoners in Israeli jails is a serious human and political problem.“ Editorial, HAA, 20.06.2014 Palestinian hunger strikers are only trying to get our attention "I am irritated by the way the law on force-feeding prisoners is being handled. The Patient's Rights Act determines that when a patient firmly refuses to get treatment, the physician can convene an ethics committee. The committee hears the doctors and the patients. At the committee's approval, the patient can be treated against his will. We are very far from this situation. As far as I can judge, the law is a meaningless, populist maneuver. What bothers me is that there is quite a difficult problem here, and there is no public buzz. The hospital's accounts department is satisfied with this situation. People are hospitalized here with full pay, without objections from HMOs and without any unnecessary expenses. It's worth it. The force-feeding law was supposed to be submitted to the Knesset on Monday for fasttrack approval. If okayed, it will join other laws with ad hoc approval, under the pressure of headlines, which did nothing to help the situation for which they were created, and served to put legislation in 4

theState of Israel to shame. As for the hunger strikers, the IPS says that 200 out of 300 went back to eating over the weekend. There are about 70 hunger strikers left in the hospitals, maybeless. If the physician treating them is right, they don't want to die, they just want our attention.“ Nahum Barnea, YNN, 23.06.2014 4. Medienquerschnitt Die Vielfalt der in Israel relevanten Themen kann in einem Medienspiegel nicht umfassend wiedergegeben werden. Um den deutschen Leser_innen 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. Meinung zu einer Neuregelung im Gesundheitssystem, die Ärzten die bevorzugte Behandlung von Privatpatienten in öffentlichen Krankenhäusern untersagt. Welcome ban on private medicine at public hospitals „The proponents of private medical services asserted that without them senior doctors would flee the public health system and unmoneyed patients would be left without proper care. Hadassah’s collapse and the exploiting of public infrastructure for amassing personal profits, as top doctors did at Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospit al, exposed the dangers of privatizing such a vital service as health. The Hadassah case proved that private medicine mixed in with public services not only increases inequality but is also a recipe for economic failure whose price the state and taxpayers ultimately pay. The committee is to be commended for preferring the greater good, especially that of the weaker classes who don’t have anyone lobbying for them. If private medical services were officially part of the public system, these classes would be the first to be stung. They would be pushed to the end of the already toolong waiting lines for doctors’ appointments and surgery. The committee has budgeted around 700 million shekels($204 million) a year to shorten the waiting times for these services. The committee should also be commended for its allocation of 300 million shekels to the hospitals to strengthen their infrastructure, increase their number of operations and improve their emergency rooms. The health system has many more failures that must be addressed, first and foremost the health maintenance organizations’ huge deficits. The committee offered these problems a partial solution at best. But the general thrust— accepting responsibility for public medicine in Israel— is beneficial for both patients and the system overall.“ Editorial, HAA 27.06.2014 Die Bewertung des jüngsten Berichts einer Kommission zur Bekämpfung von Armut in Israel. How to make sure Israelis stay poor „The rate of poverty among Israeli Jews overall in 2012 was 14.1%, which is not much higher than the OECD average the committee aspires to. But among Haredim, the poverty rate soars to 53.2%, and among Israeli Arabs to 54.3%. In other words, the Israeli poverty problem is concentrated in two distinct minorities. The report makes only the barest reference to that. We know quite well that the Haredim are impoverished because they prefer a life of study over work. Offering them more generous allowances and benefits, as the War on Poverty panel proposes, will only encourage them to continue this way and ensure that future generations will live in even deeper poverty. Israeli Arabs are poor because they live on the outskirts of Israeli society, deprived of the same educational and job opportunities that Israeli Jews enjoy. Offering them more benefits would enable Israel to supply the OECD’s economists with more enviable poverty statistics, but it would do nothing to actually lift Israeli Arab families out of poverty in a real sense. Interestingly, neither group suffers from the severe social maladies that usually accompany impoverished communities, so the armies of social workers the War on Poverty committee is urging the government to deploy aren’t needed. What the Haredim need is to be forced into the labor market against their will; what Israeli Arabs need is relief from prejudice and discrimination. What all of Israel needs is a better education system that ensures that the next generation has the learning and skills to succeed in a technology-based economy. The upshot is that Israel is not quite the basket case it is depicted as being by the War on Poverty people. There is widespread poverty, and the level is unacceptable. It needs to be reduced, but that is slowly happening on most fronts, even if addressing the Israeli Arabs is still consigned to the back burner despite the fact that they comprise a far bigger part of the population than Haredim. Israel’s poverty 5

problem is gradually being contained because the government is not doing what the War on Poverty committee is recom mending. It’s a pity that the War on Poverty committee failed to identify the real gaps in Israel’s policies and propose solutions to fill those gaps. Instead, by producing such an irrelevant and tendentious document, the panel has undermined its declared goal of making the fight against poverty a top priority.“ David Rosenberg, HAA, 25.06.2014 HAA= Haaretz JED= JediothAhronoth JPO= Jerusalem Post IHY= Israel HaYom TOI= Times of Israel GLO= Globes YNN= Ynetnews Veröffentlicht im: Juli 2014 Verantwortlich: Dr. Werner Puschra, Leiter der Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Israel Redaktion: Judith Stelmach Homepage: www.fes.org.il Email: fes@fes.org.il 6