Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 04/12 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 21. Februar – 7. März 2012 1. Iran – Netanyahu trifft Obama in Washington Israel und die USA ringen weiter um die angemes­sene Strategie im Umgang mit dem Iran und dessen Atomprogramm. US-Präsident Barack Obama will weiter vorrangig auf Diplomatie und bereits verhäng­te Sanktionen setzen, die israelische Regierung diskutiert Militärschläge gegen iranische Atomanla­gen. Sie fürchtet, dass für das eigene Militär die Zeit abläuft, in der es dem iranischen Atompro­gramm noch nachhaltig schaden könnte. Die Reise des israelischen Ministerpräsidenten Benjamin Ne­tanyahu und Präsident Schimon Peres nach Was­hington sollte ausloten, wie auf das iranische Atom­programm zu reagieren sei, inwieweit Israel mit poli­tischer und ggf. militärischer Unterstützung der USA rechnen kann. Neben den vertraulichen Gesprächen im Weißen Haus waren jeweils Reden von Obama, Netanyahu und Peres vor der pro-israelischen Lob­byorganisation AIPAC Teil des Programms. Now comes the real test „In his fantasy, Obama sees Tehran abandoning its nuclear ambitions in the wake of diplomatic pressure and stiffer sanctions. He really believes this will work, despite the nuclear North Korea precedent. […] Obama referred to the threats against Iran as a factor that is driving up oil prices – in other words, Iran may want to destroy the world, but Israel, no less importantly, is responsible for the increase in gasoline prices.[…] Obama’s speech left little doubt as to the identities of the forces of good and evil in this story. No surprises there. But Obama’s speech failed to explain how he was going to stop the Ira­nian nuclear program. He didn’t detail the sanctions his administration is considering, nor did he draw a clear red line. It is still unclear, in Jerusalem as well as in Tehran. There is no doubt, however, that Ob­ama wanted to communicate one very clear mes­sage: U.S. Jews, vote for me! IHY, Boaz Bismuth, 5.3.2012 Obama sets out the case for an Israeli strike „Once Iran's nuclear project is immune from an Israeli strike Obama will effectively hold the key to Israel's survival. Israel will be completely at his mer­cy.[…] Obama's behavior has served to help rather than hinder Iran's pursuit of nuclear capabilities. The fact is that Obama's actions and his words have made clear that Israel cannot trust him, not on Iran and not on anything. The only thing that has been consistent about his Israel policy has been its hostili­ty. As a consequence, the only messages emanating from his administration we can trust are those telling us that if Obama is reelected, he will no longer feel constrained to hide his hatred for Israel. What these messages make clear is that if our leaders are too weak to stand up to Obama today, we will pay a steep price for their cowardice if he wins the elec­tions in November.“ JPO, Caroline B. Glick, 6.3.2012 Yes, prime minister „However, what became evident was that Netanya­hu was not directing his threats at the regime in Te­hran.[…] Though he paid the necessary lip service to the big lie that he and Obama are on the same page when it comes to preventing Iran from acquir­ing nuclear weapons, he was in effect going around the American president’s back to beg for approval among the rest of the conference attendees. Without that, he knows, he will have a much harder time undertaking the risky, gargantuan task of making the Free World safe from a nuclear global jihad that would make even the Holocaust pale in comparison. Ironically, tackling the West’s gravest threat since Hitler seems to be less daunting to the Israeli war hero and terrorism expert than having to kowtow to the man in the White House who has the power to clip his wings in the name of“diplomacy.” IHY, Ruthie Blum, 6.3.2012 1