Schlaglicht Israel Nr. 22/12 Aktuelles aus israelischen Tageszeitungen 27. November – 10. Dezember 2012 1. Palästina erhält Beobachterstatus bei Misguided UN bid den Vereinten Nationen "By emphasizing unilateral declarations – empty of any but symbolic meaning – over dialogue and Am 29. November hat die UN-Vollversammlung für compromise, the UN bid further delays the day when die Anerkennung Palästinas als "Nichtmitgliedsstaat both sides – Israelis and Palestinians – sit down at mit Beobachterstatus" gestimmt. Nur neun Länder the negotiating table and hammer out their differ- stimmten gegen den von Präsident Mahmud Abbas ences. […] eingebrachten Antrag, den er als "letzte Chance" für The UN bid creates the false impression that the eine Zwei-Staaten-Lösung bezeichnete. Palestinian people […] are prepared for statehood Israels Reaktion auf die Abstimmung wurde seitens […]. In reality, Palestinian political leadership is der US-Regierung und der EU stark kritisiert. Insbe- irreparably split between the Hamas terrorist regime sondere die Ankündigung des Baus von 3.000 that runs Gaza Strip and the PLO, which controls Wohneinheiten in Westbank-Siedlungen und die the West Bank. It is a sad irony that Palestinians Forcierung der Planungen für das umstrittene soge- may very well achieve UN recognition of 'a unified nannte “E-1 Gebiet“ zwischen Ma’ale Adumim und and sovereign' Palestinian state at almost exactly Ost-Jerusalem. Medienberichten zufolge drohten the moment when internal conflicts between Hamas Großbritannien und Frankreich daraufhin mit einem and the PLO make the realization of such a state Abzug ihrer Botschafter. Dies wurde jedoch von den more impossible than ever." betreffenden Regierungen dementiert. 27.11.12 JPO Editorial Zu Spannungen kam es auch bei einem Treffen von Premier Netanyahu mit Bundeskanzlerin Merkel. Why I back Abbas's UN initiative Netanyahu kritisierte, dass Deutschland sich bei der "I back Mahmoud Abbas’s initiative. […] UN-Abstimmung enthalten hatte. Merkel hingegen I am for the Palestinian people. They are my neigh- hatte schon vorher gesagt, dass mit fortgesetztem bors and we are going to live together side by side Siedlungsbau "nichts zu erreichen" sei. forever. In the fight for peace, we have to strengthen the The stage is set for the final act moderates, and I believe that the PLO under "Abbas’s speech at the UN was a bad one. […] Mahmoud Abbas’s leadership is interested in peace. Great speeches are those used to launch a new […] We in Israel should have been doing this over policy, to change consciousness, and to signal new the last few years, but instead Netanyahu and Co. opportunities. The Palestinian and Israeli UN have done the opposite. They have weakened and speeches were old news, bad news and missed discredited Abbas with continued settlement build- opportunities, once again. […] ing." We have moved into the 'lose-lose' phase of this Meir Javedanfar, TOI 28.11.12 conflict and leaders on both sides seem to have adopted it fully within the mindset of, 'We will think A sad, sad day about tomorrow, tomorrow, or the day after that.' […] "I was hoping that the Palestinian leader would talk Our two societies are in desperate need for a game of reconciliation and peace. Instead […] Abbas changer, a new voice, a vision of hope with the slandered and accused Israel of ethnic cleansing, ability to deliver." war crimes, racism, hatred, incitement and aggres- Gershon Baskin, JPO 03.12.12 sion, and called for the rescue of the Palestinian 1 'victim' from the demonic Israeli 'executioner. […] Palestinian conflict. Things will not become easier in There was nothing in his speech about blowing up the future. But we have survived worse." buses, bombing coffee shops, or stabbing woman Boaz Bismuth, IHY 04.12.12 and children in their beds. […] Listening to Abbas, I realized that he is not seeking When being right isn't always the smartest thing reconciliation. It seems that he wishes to achieve "If the government could take back the last 48 internationally imposed statehood, as a phase in hours, it would reconsider its decisions to expand realizing the ultimate vision of annihilating the Jew- construction beyond the Green Line […] and freeze ish state." the transfer of tax money it collects for the Palestini- Reuven Ben-Shalom, JPO 06.12.12 an Authority. […] The government should have trodden carefully in Give them a state this diplomatic territory, which is seen as the litmus "Non-member status does not threaten Israel; it test for Israeli willingness […] to negotiate the two- angers it. Israel prefers to work opposite an organi- state solution. […] zation, an authority, an entity or a cell. It likes to With the public relations skills possessed by Netan- have an 'address' on which to hang responsibility, as yahu, it is possible to convince people that changing long as that address is not a state […] that would course is preferable to staying on a dead-end road. have equal status. […] It's a shame to persist along this path of unneces- Upon 'territories' it is possible […] to settle the citi- sary diplomatic hostility." zens of the occupying power. A Palestinian state, Dan Margalit, IHY 04.12.12 however, could theoretically determine who has a right to live in it. […] Such a Palestine angers Israel, Israel's punishment which believes that the Olso Accords have granted it "Israel's decision is also a slap in the face to another an eternal exemption from actually applying them." loyal friend, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who Zvi Bar'el, HAA 28.11.12 explained Germany's abstention in the vote as stemming from Israel's refusal to stop construction Both sides at fault in the territories. So, even before the next election "Abbas' achievement in the UN does not impress […] Netanyahu has already signaled where he is me, just as I am not enthusiastic over Jerusalem's heading: toward extremism, diplomatic isolation, reaction to the initiative. […] denunciation and ostracism by the world." While Bibi and Lieberman are busy with heated HAA 02.12.12 Editorial verbal exchanges and are setting silly conditions for a real diplomatic process, those around them who European warning shot are not interested in any sort of solution are gaining "Four years of no progress or any real dialogue with strength." the Palestinian Authority, along with repeated Emanuel Rosen, JED 04.12.12 threats to topple Mahmoud Abbas' regime, have turned Europe against Netanyahu. […] Not pleasant, but not terrible The message the European governments sent on "We are nowhere near a point where the British and Monday, in coordination with the US, […] was meant French ambassadors in Israel would be summoned to inform Netanyahu that they too know how to in- to their home countries for consultations. […] tervene in a country's internal elections. During such Europe has many other troubles at the moment — sensitive political times, turning Israel into a pariah severe unemployment, economic recession, illegal state and isolating it diplomatically can affect the immigration — so there is a limit to how angry it can results of the upcoming Knesset elections – not to become about Israeli settlement construction. […] mention what might happen here if the trade and At the meetings in Europe, Israel's ambassadors export agreements between Israel and Europe are were only being reprimanded. Not pleasant, but also hurt." not terrible. […] Attila Somfalvi, JED 04.12.12 The demographic changes taking place in important European nations are worrying. These changes are Our right to build causing the governments of those nations to pay "There is a clear consensus in Israel regarding the heed to Muslim voters on issues like the Israeli- settlement blocs. There are very few Israelis who believe these blocs will not remain under Israeli 2 sovereignty even if a miracle does happen and a Danny Danon's state peace agreement is reached. The decision to build "The extreme right is consolidating its rule over the in these blocs is first and foremost an Israeli right. self-described 'national camp'. While the center-left The fact that it also punishes the Palestinians is of is splintering […], the right-wing is growing ever secondary importance." stronger. […] Hanoch Daum, JED 05.12.12 The new faces of the Lieberman-Netanyahu duo's renewed ruling party are problematic faces. They 2. Vor den Wahlen: Primaries und herald the erosion of the rule of law, the castration of neue Parteien liberal democracy and the loss of national responsi- bility. […] Sowohl die Arbeitspartei als auch der Likud haben It's already clear that Netanyahu's third government mit Blick auf die Parlamentswahlen im Januar Pri- will be that of an Israeli Tea Party and will end in maries abgehalten, um ihre Kandidaten für die 19. disaster." Knesset zu wählen. Im Likud, der mit Außenminister Ari Shavit, HAA 29.11.12 Liebermanns Yisrael Beitenu auf einer gemeinsa- men Liste antritt, gab es einen deutlichen Rechts- The public is shifting Right ruck. Als liberal geltende Abgeordnete wie Benny "70,000 Likud members voted, reflecting the current Begin oder Dan Meridor sind auf der Liste weit nach public mood. hinten gerutscht und werden vermutlich nicht mehr Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may not like it; in die Knesset einziehen. Leftist parties may laugh at it; and senior ministers In der Arbeitspartei unter dem Vorsitz von Shelly may pay the price for it, but the Likud shifted Right Yacimovich hingegen gibt es auf den vorderen Lis- because the public, overall, has shifted Right." tenplätzen einige neue, linksgerichtete Politiker, Mati Tuchfeld, IHY 28.11.12 darunter Führer Organisatoren der sozialen Proteste vom Sommer 2011. Yacimovich ist jedoch bestrebt The good news ihre Partei im Zentrum des politischen Spektrums zu "Labor Party members have selected an impressive positionieren. and varied ticket […]. In a week that Likud chose the Eine neue Partei, HaTnua („Die Bewegung“), grün- extreme right, Labor chose […] the left (and center).