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Schlaglicht Israel Nr Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 10/11 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 16. – 30. Mai 2011 1. Obamas Nahost-Rede dangerous unintended consequences. […] For Ob- ama, the 'Arab Spring' recalls […] the fall of the Ber- Am 19. Mai hielt US-Präsident Barack Obama im lin Wall in 1989 and the Eastern European transition State Department eine Grundsatzrede zum Nahen to democracy. Osten und dem "arabischen Frühling." Darin sprach Unfortunately, […] in the Middle East of 2011, al- er sich für die Volksaufstände der letzten Monate though many demonstrators are driven by the de- aus und versprach "potentiellen Demokratien" wie mand for reform, they lack the deep ideological and Ägypten und Tunesien seine Unterstützung. civil society institutional foundations that under- Obama widmete nur einen kleinen Teil seiner Rede girded success in 1989. […] Islamism represents the dem palästinensisch-israelischen Konflikt. Verständ- most popular alternative ideology to the status quo, licherweise erhielt dieser Teil jedoch die größte Me- and the Islamists are inestimably better organized dienaufmerksamkeit in Israel. Für Kontroverse sorg- than the democratic reformers." te insbesondere sein Aufruf, einen palästinensi- Jonathan Rynhold, JPO 25.05.11 schen Staat auf Basis der Waffenstillstandslinien von 1967 zu gründen – bisher hatten die USA immer Che Obama betont, bei der Grenzziehung müsse Israels Sicher- "Obama […] believes in the strength and ability of heit im Vordergrund stehen. the masses to impose change on leaders. […] The Premierminister Benjamin Netanyahu bezeichnete role of the United States is to serve as a model to die Grenzen von 1967 in einer öffentlichen Reaktion them, to encourage them and to support democratic auf die Rede dementsprechend umgehend als "nicht movements replacing despotic tyranny, but the re- zu verteidigen". sponsibility for change lies with the nations. If they In einer zweiten Rede vor der pro-israelischen Lob- take to the streets and demand what is theirs, they bygruppe AIPAC wiederholte Obama drei Tage spä- will defeat tyranny. […] ter seine Ausführungen zu den 1967er Grenzen, Therefore, his speech should be interpreted as a call betonte jedoch, dass jede Grenzziehung mit "Ge- to the Palestinians to take to the streets and bring bietsaustausch" und Verhandlungen einhergehen down the occupation, which Obama considers im- müsse. moral no less than the tyranny in Arab states. […] They must behave like Tunisians and Egyptians - Presenting the Obama Doctrine embark on a mass, non-violent struggle, a popular "The Obama Doctrine for the Middle East prioritizes revolution. They must trust that America will back the engagement of the public, rather than engage- them and will prevent Israelis from shooting them in ment with the states in the region. […] the streets. The doctrine’s primary tool for supporting reform This is the practical translation of Obama's doctrine." appears to be grand political rhetoric, although Ob- Aluf Benn, HAA 25.05.11 ama has also pledged to support economic and po- litical reform by rallying the international community The hitchhiker's guide to the Mideast to provide financial support and technical expertise. "Obama's speech is […] a very important text in a All this adds up to a foreign-policy doctrine of region that has been conditioned to rely on every 'defensive liberalism.' […] utterance by a U.S. president to determine reality. The problem lies in Obama’s grossly over-optimistic But it's not too late to note that the United States is assessment of regional realities, which could have perhaps still unwilling to determine reality. […] 1 Is it really possible […] that peace, as Obama said, and the Palestinian issue are a root cause of Middle can't be imposed on the sides, just as democracy East turbulence, the crown jewel of Arab policy- can't be imposed? This is the hitchhiker's approach, making and a core cause of anti-US Islamic terror- which a superpower that is capable of going to full- ism. […] blown war for lofty ideals can't allow itself to adopt. Obama pressures the Jewish State to partition Jeru- A superpower that considers 'nation building' in Iraq, salem and to retreat to the 9-15 miles wide pre-1967 Afghanistan and Somalia as essential for stability lines, in defiance of precedents which document that and security can't turn its back on things when it the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has never been over comes to the Palestinians. […] the size – but over the existence – of the Jewish On the other hand, hitchhikers, like guests, don't State. Thus, Obama radicalizes Palestinian expecta- rearrange the furniture in their host's house. At tions and demands, distances them from – and re- most, they can show dissatisfaction or suggest, very placing them at - the negotiation table, and signals gently, that changes should be made. Obama is to the Palestinians that terrorism is rewarded. By turning out to be the ultimate hitchhiker." doing so, he forfeits the role of an honest broker." Zvi Bar'el, HAA 22.05.11 Yoram Ettinger, JED 21.05.11 Obama the Zionist When peace met partisanship "In the last third of his speech, he addressed the "The criticism of President Obama’s speech this Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and anyone week, in particular the reaction to the statement that else who slammed the president’s words the other 'the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based night should closely review his words. Obama, an on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps,' un- Afro-American president considered a 'leftist,' une- derscores the lamentable, polarized discourse in our quivocally adopted the essence of the Israeli-Zionist nation. […]. narrative in his speech. I doubt whether we will find As Israeli military officials themselves have attested, even one serving Palestinian politician who would Israel’s security is not jeopardized by 'mutually be willing to accept the wording offered by Obama. agreed' land swaps based on the 1967 border. It is […] not threatened by a President who consistently reaf- There are elements and camps out there that for two firms his 'unshakeable' commitment to Israel’s secu- years now have been trying to portray Obama as an rity, or to enhancing U.S.-Israel security cooperation Israel-hater who curries favor with the Arabs while to historic levels. […] disguising his communist tendencies. Yet none of If articulating the mere date '1967' causes such a the above is true, and the president’s latest speech politicized backlash [...] the President may yet be proved it yet again. It was a speech delivered by a driven to stand down from the pursuit of a two-state wide-ranging thinker, a liberal Democrat, a leader solution—and that, we’re afraid, is exactly what the with principles and an Israel fan." President’s detractors have in mind." Sever PLocker, JED 20.05.11 D.A. Halperin, JPO 22.05.11 Obama's virtual reality Just what was Obama asking of Israel? "President Obama is determined to introduce de- "Indeed, there were several items no doubt per- mocracy to Arab countries, in spite of their 1,400 ceived by the White House as gestures that would year old systemic track record of tyranny, terror, make Israel happy. political violence, uncertainty, volatility and trea- First, his tough line opposing the Palestinian Au- chery. He prefers the virtual reality of the 'Arab thority’s efforts to get unilateral recognition of a state Spring,' rather than contending with the Middle from the UN General Assembly. […] Third, his ac- Eastern reality of the 'Stormy Arab Winter.' […] He knowledgment that the US isn’t […] going to try to downplays the absence of an appropriate infrastruc- impose a settlement or even propose a detailed ture of values and education in the Arab Middle plan. He’s simply urging the two parties to act. […] East, which is a prerequisite for democracy and a Fourth, he takes a tougher line on the Fatah-Hamas free market economy. […] agreement. […] Fifth, he says a Palestinian state Like a deer caught in a headlights-look, the Ameri- must be 'non-militarized,' [...]. can president is glued to the Palestinian 'screen Why, then, did he so upset Israel and its suppor- saver.' He is convinced that the Arab-Israeli conflict ters? […] 2 There's Obama’s patronizing attitude – that he sprachen vor der Lobbygruppe AIPAC und dem knows what Israel needs better than Israelis or amerikanischen Kongress. Israeli leaders do. [...] Nachdem Netanyahu Obamas Nahost-Rede (siehe It’s not enough to keep repeating that the status quo oben) kritisiert hatte, verlief das Treffen der beiden is untenable. One must provide a convincing vision am Folgetag angespannt. Bei einer gemeinsamen of a better status quo. And in that, Obama […] Pressekonferenz wies Netanyahu nochmals darauf- fail[ed] totally." hin, dass eine Rückkehr zu den Grenzen von 1967 Barry Rubin, JPO 22.05.11 für Israel nicht annehmbar sei. Vor dem Kongress erntete Netanyahu mit seinen US president must do more Standpunkten Applaus. Er präsentierte jedoch kei- "On Thursday, he finally uttered the simple truth nen Friedensplan, sondern legte dar, was er von right to our face: There is no other way to secure a den Palästinensern erwarte, um Frieden möglich zu peace deal. Israel must return what it took in 1967, machen – darunter die Anerkennung Israels als jü- and the Palestinians must recognize Israel’s exis- dischen Staat mit Jerusalem als ungeteilter Haupt- tence. […] stadt. However, after hurling the truth in everyone’s face, In Israel führte Netanyahus Washington-Reise und the president disappointed us: He spoke like a seine Konfrontation mit Obama indes zu einem Po- commentator, rather than as the leader of a super- pularitätsschub. Laut einer Umfrage der Zeitung power. He did not impose a timetable, he did not Haaretz zeigten sich 51% der Israelis zufrieden mit offer carrots, and he did not threaten with sticks.
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