Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 02/10 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 26. Januar- 08. Februar 2010 1. Syrien Syrische und israelische Politiker lieferten sich Anfang Februar einen mehrere Tage währenden Schlagabtausch, der die Debatte um eine erneute Eskalation zwischen den beiden Nachbarstaaten in den israelischen Medien anfachte. Verteidigungsminister Ehud Barak hatte in einer Rede vor hochrangigen Offizieren gesagt, es könne zu Krieg kommen, wenn kein Arrangement mit Syrien gefunden werde. Während dies in Israel als Aufruf verstanden wurde, Verhandlungen mit Syrien zu beginnen, interpretierten syrische Stellen die Aussage als Kriegstreiberei. Syriens Präsident Bashar Assad erwiderte daraufhin in einem Gespräch mit dem spanischen Außen­minister, Israel führe die Region an den Rand eines Krieges. Der israelische Außenminister Avigdor Lieberman fachte die Flammen weiter an: Den nächsten Krieg werde das Regime Assad nicht überleben. Premierminister Netanyahu bemühte sich inzwischen, die Wogen zu glätten und erklärte, Israel sei jederzeit zu Verhandlungen mit Syrien ohne Vorbedingungen bereit. We need a statesman “Syria holds an asset that Israel does not recognize. Peace at this time means the possibility that Israel's strategic position in the Middle East and the world will change. Syria is a key country along a new axis being formed in the Middle East, which includes Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.[…] So a very important arena of interests is forming, not only for Israel.[…] The expression‘we want peace,’ which is void of substance, cannot even begin to express the folly and shortsightedness of Israel, which is shrugging its shoulders at a chance to reach peace with Syria, if for no other reason than to prevent a damaging blow from this new axis. To this end, we need a statesman[…] who can make Israelis understand that peace with Syria does not mean eating humus in Damascus but is an existential interest, no less important than blocking Iran's nuclear ambitions.” Zvi Bar’el, HAA 07.02.10 Tensions in the Middle East “The repeated Israeli messages in recent weeks meant to lower the level of tension vis-à-vis Syria are falling on deaf ears. The Syrians don’t believe us.[…] This is very reminiscent of the period ahead of the Six-Day-War, when the Russians made sure to fan the flames and feed the Syrians with horror stories. A hint regarding the identity of the war-monger at this time may be found in the words of US National Security Advisor Jim Jones last week. The American general spoke about the planned US sanctions against Iran. In response to the sanctions, he said, there is a possibility that Tehran will encourage its satellites in the region – Syria, Hizbollah, and Hamas– to attack Israel and set the whole region on fire.[…] What about the Syrians and the Lebanese? They are merely pawns on the Iranian chessboard.” Alex Fishman, JED 04.02.10 Frustration in Damascus “Bashar Assad understands the price he and the ruling Alawite minority would have to pay, in a country that is 74 percent Sunni, for a genuine peace with Israel.[…] He’d have to expel Hamas leaders from Syria, a step the[Muslim] Brotherhood would find insufferable. A bad divorce with Teheran would ensue. Hizbullah would reorient Lebanon’s policies accordingly.[…] Naturally, if Assad got the Golan Heights on his terms, the legitimacy of his regime would be bolstered. But no Israeli government[…] can come down from the Golan in return for a sham peace. Assad will not risk a real peace that would force 1