Saban-Forum Part II - The Art of Hawkish Galvanism and why Israeli sheeps miss Condi

[Update: Tuesday, 6 November 2007, 9:43 am. Press Release: US State Department. Secretary Rice, Remarks At Saban Forum Dinner: "How do you like my farm?" I said, "Well, Prime Minister, actually, I'm kind of a city girl," and he said, "Oh, we can fix that," and he took me around, he introduced me to his sheep. And I called him about something a while later. It was actually, I think, the last time we spoke and I said, "How are your sheep?" He said, "Well, actually, they miss you." Now, listen! Wenn diese Geschichte stimmt, das eine Frau die für einen texanischen Cowboy arbeitend von ihm nicht ordentlich zum cowgirl umerzogen wurde, aber eine israelische Gehirnwäsche ausreicht um sie zur Schaf-Liebhaberin -und umgekehrt!- umzupolen, dann läuft da in Washington aber Einiges schief!]

Nach dem Abend der Friedensglöcklein durften heute die Männer fürs Grobe beim Saban-Forum ran. Äußerst unbedarft zeigt sich dieser Herr hier, der iÜ ein Land mit Atomwaffen repräsentiert das keinerlei Kontrolle der IAEA zuläßt: The International Atomic Energy Agency is not only neglecting its duties of preventing nuclear proliferation, but acting as an obstacle to those trying to preserve the status quo, the Foreign Ministry's Director-General Aharon Abramovitch said on Monday. Addressing the Saban Forum in Jerusalem Abramovitch said the UN nuclear watchdog provides an excuse to states that prefer not to join the international community's efforts to prevent a nuclear Iran. Israeli officials believe the head of IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei is not forceful enough in the periodic reports he presents to the UN on the Iranian nuclear program. By stressing Iranian cooperation with the inspectors and the need for more time, Jerusalem believes that Elbaredi is playing into Iranian hands [JPost]. [Nun ist uns der Wadenbeißer natürlich bekannt. Vor zwei einhalb Wochen durften wir hören: Das Vorgehen der internationalen Gemeinschaft gegen das iranische Atomprogramm ist alles andere als zufriedenstellend, und in politischen Kreisen Israels äußert man angesichts dessen große Frustration und Pessimismus. Der Generaldirektor des Außenministeriums, Aharon Abramovitch, sagte letzte Woche, dass weitweit "eine besorgniserregende Verzagtheit gegenüber allem, was mit Sanktionen gegen den Iran zu tun hat", bestehe. Wobei damals noch Merkels Deutschland auf der Liste der Bösen stand.] Nun, auch wenn durchaus ein erstaunlich beleidigender Akt der Israelis, namentlich Abaramovitch darauf hinweist das es mit dem Nervenkostüm nicht sehr gut bestellt ist dürfte die Platzierung der "Rede" nur eine message in sich tragen. Die Punkte die uns Raghida Dergham eindrucksvoll analysiert, vornehmlich die Optionen von El Baradei sollen durch Abramovitchs Ausfälle im Keim erstickt werden. El Baradei kann vorlegen was er will, die angebliche Zusage der Chinesen und Russen am Sanktionsspiel teil zu haben führt zu den Sanktionen. Da die iranische Seite in etwa so nervenschwach bestückt ist wäre eine Angriffssituation die nächste logische Folge.

Der andere hawk bei Saban, Avi Dichter wird zitiert: "Many of us confuse information with intelligence – a country that wants to exercise military action needs information; a country wishing to exercise political force needs intelligence," said Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter Monday. "We have information indicating that Syria is preparing for war, but we also have intelligence indicating it is mentally ready to negotiate peace… Syria is Lebanon's back door." [Bei nebenwirkungen beim Lesen solcher Sätze befragen Sie bitte ihren Arzt oder Apotheker.]

Elias Harfouche's, "Where does Gaza Liberation stand?": In this Arab world "united from shore to shore," we have reached a situation where we see a good omen in and are cheered by any meeting between two feuding parties, regardless of its nature or objectives. We are content if Palestinian officials meet with their president in his residence in the "boycott" in Ramallah, and we are overwhelmed with joy if two Lebanese leaders meet in the French capital. We try to look for the motive behind the reconciliation between the Iraqi Prime Minister and the Sunnite tribal leaders in his country; with the hope that it might reinstate a certain sense of internal unity to Iraq. The internal cleavage situation that our countries are experiencing has utterly deteriorated. Thus, every meeting, whatever symbolic it may be, is enough to inject a dose of hope into these poor people yearning for any news that heralds that the Arab political life is regaining wisdom. läutet die Runde recht seltener, verwertbarer Äusserungen der Anti-Israel-Front ein: The leader of Hamas on Monday dismissed a U.S.-sponsored Mideast peace conference planned for later this year, saying it was meant to distract the region as Washington prepared for an attack against Iran. He also warned Palestinian leaders against making concessions to Israel during the meeting. "Strategically, it (the U.S.) is setting the stage and covering up for the upcoming American war in the region," Khaled Meshal told a press conference at a forum of Palestinian intellectuals in Damascus, where the political chief of the militant Palestinian faction has his headquarters. + Delegates to a Syrian-based anti-Israel office began talks in Damascus on Monday on ways to revive momentum for the Arab boycott of Israel. Eight Arab countries stayed away from the four-day meeting, including Egypt and Jordan which have signed peace treaties with Israel.

Ein Bericht zum Manöver der Hezbollah: Hizbullah said Monday that thousands of its fighters - unarmed and out of uniform - held an exercise in South Lebanon over the weekend in response to major maneuvers conducted by the Israeli military across the border. Israeli warplanes carried out intensive overflights along the coast from Naqoura to Zahrani. Last week the Lebanese Armed Forces fired anti-aircraft guns at Israeli jets that had intruded into Lebanese territory. Und ein Bericht über die "Antwort" der israelischen Luftwaffe: Israel Air Force warplanes dropped flares over the southern Lebanon coast Monday, hours after Hezbollah officials confirmed that militants from the group had carried out tactical maneuvers near Lebanon's border with Israel.

Anshel Pfeffer hat meine Überschrift plagiiert: One of the aims of the visit to Israel by Dr. Rowan Williams, head of the Anglican Church and the archbishop of Canterbury, was to improve relations, even partially, between him and the Church he heads, and the State of Israel and its supporters in the West. That is because the Anglican Church, the third largest in the Christian world - it has some 77 million members - is considered today to be the church most hostile in its attitude toward Israel.

Aus Gaza kommen verhandlerische Töne. Aus Gaza-Stadt wird am Abend von einer Explosion am Headquarter der Qassam-Brigaden der Hamas berichtet. Mehrere Verletzte. In Jenin werden zwei ramallahnische Sicherheitskräfte durch die IDF verhaftet. Über die Stadt Qalkillia wird [mal wieder] eine Ausgangssperre verhängt.