Israel: Growing Concern over Lebanese-American Arms Deal

Israeli officials worry that the arms sale agreement between Lebanon and the United States, made during Lebanese President Michel Suleiman's visit to Washington this week, might strengthen Hezbollah. Under the bargain, the US will provide the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) with 12 Raven unmanned reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft in the coming months.

Israel is concerned that the Lebanese national unity government has allowed Hezbollah to keep its weapons. Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Hizbullah was becoming the "real Lebanese army" as the dominant force in Lebanon. This should be aligned with Netanyahu's past warnings that the Lebanese government is responsible for any rocket attack directed against Israel from Lebanon.

Middle East Inside Line: Israel Plays "Rope-a-Dope" with Turkey

It appears that Israel is focusing on maintaining an open channel to Ankara, despite recent tensions. Foreign Ministry spokesman Yossi Levy has stated that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent criticisms of Israel are merely political manoeuvre:

The impression [in Israel] is that Turkey's prime minister is constantly attacking Israel and working to bring Turkey closer to the extreme wing of the Middle East.

The string of statements [by Erdogan] and the line he has consistently taken bring us to the conclusion that this is a strategic move.

Turkey: Erdogan Denies Airspace for Any Israel Operations Against Iran

However, beyond the Israeli "keep calm" is a warning that Erdogan is undermining Turkey's interests:

Erdogan is trying to have it all - to satisfy the Islamist appetite of his voting bloc and turn extremist, but also to preserve the stature of Turkey as a moderate Western state that resolves regional conflicts. But it's clear that these two goals contradict each other.

Turkey should be as worried as Israel about the dangers of Iranian nuclear weaponization, because it would directly threaten Turkey's regional and international standing in the long term.

So a bit of "rope-a-dope" from Israel: don't turn Erdogan's public statements into an all-out battle but keep jabbing in the hope that Ankara will see the "real" threats and thus mend fences with Tel Aviv.

Today on EA (11 December)

Iran: There are reports that Iran's army will stand with the people. Iranian state TV reports that "thousands" of students have demonstrated in Tehran after Friday prayers to chant against the US and Israel, whilst an IAEA inspection team arrived yesterday for its 3rd visit. We've received two Iran-special remix videos featuring Sesame Street's Kermit singing "It's not easy being Green".

We consider, in light of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, whether there is a renewal of Washington's "love-affair" with the Green movement.

Much of today's news surrounds the regime's arrest of student activist Majid Tavakoli - and we show his 16 Azar video here. Of course, you can keep up to date with all latest developments in today's liveblog.

Turkey: Prime Minister Erdogan maintains his wary stance on Israel.

Israel : Our analysis asks, "Is Prime Minister Netanyahu helpless against right-wing protests?"

US : We have the video and transcript of Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

Analysis: Israel's Netanyahu "Helpless" Against Right-Wing Protests?

Is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in trouble with the growing opposition to his "concessions" regarding the status of West Bank settlements, Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights?

On Wednesday, the Knesset voted in favour of continuing legislative work on the Golan Heights and Jerusalem Referendum Bill, by an overwhelming majority of 68 to 22, with one abstention. The bill requires that any withdrawal from east Jerusalem, the Golan, or another area under Israeli sovereignty would first have to go to a referendum.

Netanyahu Says Syria Willing To Deal
Livni Criticizing Netanyahu’s 10-Month Moratorium

More than one-third of legislators from the "centrist" party Kadima supported the bill and the majority of Labor ministers were absent. Defense Minister and Labor member Ehud Barak, who was critical of the bill in debate, still voted in favour whereas the opposition Kadima leader Tzipi Livni voted against.

The first reaction came from Damascus, which was allegedly ready to start peace talks without any preconditions. Syrian sources told the BBC-Arabic radio station: "Israel has already annexed the Golan Heights after conquering the area and as far as we are concerned [the referendum law] makes no difference; every action that Israel would take in the Golan Heights is illegitimate. Israel cannot hold a referendum on land that it does not own."

In a sense, the Knesset vote is only holding the Netanyahu Government to account, given that it called Jerusalem the "undivided & eternal capital" of Israel; stated over and over that this settlement freeze is "one-time and temporary" and expressed the sentiment that "Israel would never withdraw from the Golan Heights". More than 10,000 right-wing protesters gathered on Wednesday in Paris Square in Jerusalem near the Prime Minister's residence to demonstrate against the temporary settlement freeze. And it appears that Netanyahu either heard them or sympathised with them all along. He stated that certain settlements outside of the large blocs in the West Bank would be considered "national priority areas" where settlers will receive benefits in education, employment, and other social provision.

Interpretation? Netanyahu is using the country's "political will", benefiting from the spectre of mass domestic protests to resist to the demands of the international community.

Netanyahu Says Syria Willing To Deal

On Monday, speaking to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Syria had dropped its precondition (withdrawing from the Golan Heights) to continue talks. According to Netanyahu, Damascus's message was conveyed by French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

Netanyahu said: "When I met with Sarkozy, he told me that the Syrians are ready to drop the precondition, but they do not want direct negotiations. Rather, they want talks through mediation."

However, Sarkozy allegedly told Netanyahu that the Syrians want to continue peace talks only under Turkish mediation.