Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 14/10 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 13. – 25. Juli 2010 1. Die Zukunft des Friedensprozesses Der Friedensprozess zwischen Palästinensern und Israelis scheint festgefahren. Der Präsident der palästinensischen Autonomiebehörde Mahmoud Abbas lehnt direkte Gespräche derzeit ab. Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu hatte seinerseits mehrmals zu direkten Verhandlungen aufgerufen, die palästinensische Führung kritisierte jedoch, er zeige keine Bereitschaft, die zentralen Punkte eines endgültigen Friedensabkommens zu diskutieren. Der US-Nahostgesandte George Mitchell versucht seit Mai zwischen den Parteien zu vermitteln, erzielte jedoch bisher keine Fortschritte. Angesichts dieser Pattsituation werden in den israelischen Medien verschiedene Szenarien diskutiert, wie der Friedensprozess angekurbelt und eine Lösung des Konflikts gefunden werden könnte. The missing link in the peace process: Trust “About the only thing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas have in common these days is a conviction that the other is bluffing when he says he is ready to make peace.[…] Abbas seems to change his conditions for moving to direct talks almost daily.[…] It’s easy to get the impression that he wants to stall long enough for the Obama administration to get frustrated enough to step in with an American peace plan that it will impose on Israel[…]. Netanyahu has never had much enthusiasm for the peace process and only under great pressure and begrudgingly was he compelled to endorse the two­state solution[…] Like Abbas, he also hopes the Americans will grow frustrated with the stalled process, but instead of stepping in he wants Washington to walk away from a situation it deems hopeless.” D. Bloomfield, JPO 21.07.10 A true peace from true leaders “There is not, and cannot be, any alternative to a sincere peace initiative stemming from the hearts of the region's peoples and orchestrated by true leaders. External pressure might also be needed, but without an internal revolution that will lead to a peace agreement- one that will restore Israel to its original borders, voluntarily and out of respect for democracy- nothing will stabilize in the Middle East. The alternative into which Israel is now being dragged[…] is both clear and imminent: The two worlds of radicalism, one Jewish and one Islamic, will keep egging each other on and proving to each other that‘only force can win.’ Each side will make concessions only when force is applied.[…] In this poisoned, aggressive atmosphere, even a forced decolonization would not prevent a further round of messianic violence.” Sefi Rachlevsky, HAA 14.07.10 A midsummer night’s dream? “The formal excuse for the current situation is the refusal of the Palestinian leadership to enter into direct talks with Israel.[…] But for now Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas[…] and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad can show considerable achievements in actively promoting peace.[…] The wall of hatred between the two peoples has become shorter; today there is no reason not to sit and talk to each other.[…] We must strengthen Fayyad and Abu Mazen, encourage direct talks in exchange for a continuation of the freeze beyond the scheduled date- perhaps not a total freeze, but a kind of consensual freeze in the territories.” Yoel Marcus, HAA 23.07.10 One-state or two-state solution “It appears increasingly likely that all might boil down to a single resolution enacted by the UN Security Council. When in August 2009, Palestinian Authority Prime 1