Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 08/11 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 11. April – 01. Mai 2011 1. Debatte um palästinensische Staatsgründung Die palästinensische Führung plant, im September die Unabhängigkeit Palästinas in den Grenzen von 1967 zu erklären und die Vereinten Nationen zu einer Abstimmung darüber aufzufordern. Während dieses Datum näher rückt und sich bereits mehr als 100 Staaten für einen palästinensischen Staat ausgesprochen haben, wächst in Israel die Sorge über einen solchen Schritt. Verteidigungsminister Barak bezeichnete eine Aner­kennung palästinensischer Unabhängigkeit durch die UN als"diplomatischen Tsunami". Die Frage ist, ob Israel sie noch abwenden kann. Verhandlungen mit den Palästinensern haben seit Monaten nicht mehr stattgefunden. Ende Mai wird Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu jedoch eine Rede vor dem amerikanischen Kongress halten. Gerüchten zufolge könnte er darin einen Frie­densplan vorstellen, der israelisch-palästinensische Gespräche wieder ankurbeln könnte. Bestätigt wurde dies von Netanyahu jedoch bislang nicht. Stand beside her cradle "If the land is destined to be divided, maybe Israel will benefit by standing genially beside the nascent Palestinian state’s cradle, even as one of its nurturers.[…] It can be the first to welcome the establishment of a Palestinian sister-state, wish it luck, hold out its hand in peace and express a desire to discuss borders, refugees and settlements issues, this time on an entirely different level − as two sovereign states." HAA 20.04.11 Editorial Debunking the 2-state myth "One of the assumed benefits of the proposed two­state solution is that the creation of a Palestinian state will finally make the Palestinians fully accountable for their actions.[…] It is this distinction, so we are told, that will not only allow Israel to forcefully respond to any acts of Palestinian aggression but also do so with the full support and understanding of the international community.[…] We shouldn’t buy it.[…] It is far more plausible to assume that acts of aggression emanating from a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria will be met with the usual limited Israeli response. Moreover, even in the rare instance where Israel responds more forcefully, it is safe to assume that the world will quickly condemn the Jewish state regardless of the circumstances." Yoel Meltzer, JED 28.04.11 Good Morning Palestine "The Palestinian Authority is conducting its independence drive in way that would do Harvard Business School proud and might even show the Israeli government a thing or two about long-term planning.[…] The state is emerging slowly and uneventfully because the Palestinian Health Ministry now delivers medical services, the Finance Ministry decides spending priorities and allocates money according to established systems, and the security services preserve law and order rather than aiding and abetting terrorism.[…] The fact is Palestine[ …] is becoming a member of the community of nations. The argument that there is no one to talk to and that a Palestinian state is an existential security threat ring increasingly hollow against the evidence." David Rosenberg, JPO 22.04.11 A trapped prime minister "The third intifada is inevitable. It will erupt if the United Nations recognizes a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders because the decision will not be implemented automatically, and the Palestinians will go to war to demand their sovereign rights[…]. It will also erupt if the United Nation is deterred from 1