Middle East Inside Line: Syria-Turkey-Lebanon Condemn Israel, Netanyahu Map "Gap", Israel's Iron Dome System

Syria-Turkey-Lebanon Condemning Israel: Syria and its "greatest hope" Turkey again condemned Israel over its deadly intervention against the Freedom Flotilla on 31 May. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri were both present in Damascus as leaders called on the international community to add more pressure for an international probe and to urge Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza.

What Is "The Gap" Between Israel & Palestine?: Following the meeting this weekend between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between Israel and the Palestinians before they can move to direct peace talks.

Israel-Palestine Analysis: What is the Obama Administration Seeking?
Middle East Inside Line: Israel-Palestine Moves in Cairo, Netanyahu-Lieberman Feud, No Smoking Pipes for Gaza Women

What is that gap? According to the London-based A-Sharq al-Awsat, Netanyahu showed Mubarak a map outlining his vision for a final settlement with the Palestinians. The Egyptian President refused publication of this because it is far from the demands of Palestinians for a future state based on 1967 lines with agreed land swaps. Mubarak reportedly told Netanyahu to redraft the map.

Israel's Iron Dome Defense System & Its Cost: The "Iron Dome" short- and medium-range rocket-defense system successfully completed its last round of tests Monday, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces said.

There may be a longer-term issue with the system, however. Last week, the government took a decision to cut 2.7 billion shekels ($700 million) from the defense budget. Some IDF generals in IDF argue that it is better to focus on offense using air forces to hit strategic targets rather than deploying defense batteries, but Defense Minister Ehud Barak promised Monday that the Iron Dome batteries would soon be operational.

Currently, Israel has two batteries, each costing between 40 and 50 million shekels. Israel is soon going to receive a special aid package of $250 million from the US, a sum that is meant to cover the purchase of up to nine Iron Dome batteries. However, estimates speak of a need for at least 20 batteries to cover the Galilee and the Negev from missile threats from Lebanon and Gaza. Radar systems and interceptor missiles also have to be deployed.

Al-Qaeda Targets Arab League: The group's second man, Ayman al-Zawahiri, bombarded Arab leaders for having "surrendered" to Israel after their last summit in March. In the video, he said:

Arabs met in Sirte, (Libya), and they only came out with what they call strategic peace choice. What strategic peace choice, when they are sending a message of surrender to Israel that 'We have given up, so do whatever you like in Palestine'?

Comments

[Catherine]

Did you know that ....

Hundreds of millions of U.S. tax dollars in deductible contributions are funneled into Occupied Palestinian Territory through American charities to fund the enterprise (the proliferation of Israeli settlements) that is killing the very peace process the United States aims to champion? Tax-Exempt Funds Aid Settlements in West Bank http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/world/middleeast/06settle.html?pagewanted=all" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/world/middlee....

[Baz]

Catherine and Ali

What are your thoughts regarding this article in Australian press? Change of US policy/tactics in ME

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/us-rethinks-tactics-for-muddle-east/story-e6frg6ux-1225894758043" rel="nofollow">http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/us-r...

Barry

[Amir_in_Tel_Aviv]

Baz,

Ehud Ya'ari is one of the leading commentators in the Israeli press for many years.
When he says "I have solid information indicating that...", we can believe him. He has some very good sources.
With that said, Mr. Ya'ari sometimes confuses reality with wishful thinking. So take what he says with a grain of salt. His view of the Arabs is a bit old fashioned and outdated.

[Baz]

Amir

Here is another article in a similar vein http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/obama-s-turnabout-1.303133" rel="nofollow">http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/ob...

Perhaps Obama is finally becoming a US President. He has been acting as a community organizer (a naive one at that) - but is perhaps finally realizing who he is now.

Barry

[Catherine]

Barry,
My reaction to the first article you posted is similar to Amir's. The first thing I thought, without knowing who the author was, is that this is an Israeli wish list. However, the Obama admin's ME policy is in such disarray that no about-face would surprise me. They've already gone from outstretched hand to crippling sanctions with Iran and from Karzai = Incompetent Lord of Corruption to Karazi = Our Man in Afghanistan. So it was only a matter of time before they changed course in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, too. They don't seem to have a long-term strategy for Iran, Afghanistan or Israel-Palestine. When one thing doesn't work, they try another. But I think it still remains to be seen whether they will go exactly in the direction the article asserts..

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