"....attention has now swung down to the south, where its longest-standing Arab ally, Egypt, has been jolted by nationwide anti-government protests.While the upheaval in Lebanon has caused concern, the fear of serious strife in Egypt has set alarm bells ringing.
"The Israeli strategic community is praying that this unrest in Egypt will fade away and not escalate into a prolonged period of instability, instability in Egypt dramatically transforms the strategic environment in Israel."Israel has long sought normal relations with its neighbours, but Egypt was its only Arab associate.....
Israeli officials say in private they cannot believe that President Hosni Mubarak will be overthrown by the demonstrations, inspired by a popular uprising in Tunisia.but if he should fall, there is no guarantee that whoever might follow him will continue to tend to Israel ties. "If Mubarak is toppled then Israel will be totally isolated in the region," said Alon Liel, a former director-general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry and a former ambassador to Turkey. "That would not represent a security threat, but it would be a political blow, coming on top of our growing international isolation, and also a psychological blow to the Israeli public."
The few Israeli ministers to have spoken publicly about the situation have refused to speculate about Mubarak's future and sought to shift attention back to Lebanon, where a dramatic power grab has put Iran-backed Hezbollah in the driving seat."I think what is happening in Lebanon is worse than what is happening in Egypt," Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom told Israeli Army Radio....
The huge uncertainty in the region means now is not the time to push forward with broad peace initiatives, said Oded Eran, director of the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies.
"Clearly the winds of change are blowing ..... If I were in the Israeli government, I would say that there are very strong signs of instability, so it is difficult for us in strategic terms to take long-term decisions that alter the situation dramatically between us and our neighbours."
1 comment:
Indeed, the only thing that does not change is change itself. And change will come to the region now that there is unrest in Egypt as well as in Lebanon. It's time Israel do some introspection.
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