Fast die Hälfte aller Israelis lehnen Irak-Krieg ab
Johannes Rohr
> Umfrage: Fast die Hälfte aller Israelis lehnen Irak-Krieg ab
> Wunsch nach friedlicher Lösung steigt
>
> Jerusalem - Fast die Hälfte aller Israelis ist gegen einen
> sofortigen Krieg der USA gegen den Irak. Wie aus einer am Freitag
> von der Zeitung "Maariv" veröffentlichten Umfrage hervorgeht, zögen
> 49 Prozent der Befragten eine Fristverlängerung für die
> UN-Waffeninspektionen und eine friedliche Lösung einem militärischen
> Vorgehen vor. 45 Prozent befürworteten einen sofortigen Angriff,
> sechs Prozent wollten sich nicht äußern. Vor zwei Wochen hatten sich
> bei der damaligen "Maariv"-Umfrage noch insgesamt 51 Prozent der
> Israelis für einen Krieg gegen den Irak ausgesprochen. Der Zeitung
> zufolge sind 51 Prozent der jüdischen Israelis für einen Angriff,
> drei Viertel der arabischen Minderheit dagegen für eine friedliche
> Regelung der Irak-Krise.(APA)
[...]
Das entspricht auch der Tatsache, dass der heutige, weitgehend
entwaffnete Irak eine wahrscheinlich weit geringere Bedrohung für die
Bevölkerung Israels darstellt, als ein möglicher Krieg. Dieser passt
zwar Sharon sehr gut ins strategische Konzept, aber er dürfte die
Wahrscheinlichkeit weiterer Attentate massiv erhöhen.
Übrigens: Alle diejenigen, die der Friedensbewegung vorwerfen, sie
habe 1991 den Marsch auf Bagdad und somit den Sturz Saddam Husseins
verhindert (was ohnehin unsinnig ist - Ich glaube nicht, dass die USA,
wenn sie wirklich gewollt hätten, sich von ein paar Demos hätten
zurückhalten lassen), sollten sich mal ins Gedächtnis rufen, dass der
Irak damals extra für diesen Anlass ca. 50 giftgasbefüllte
Scud-Raketen bereitgehalten hatte, die in diesem Fall auf Israel
hätten abgefeuert werden sollen.
Damals kam es allseits in Mode, der Friedensbewegung
Israelfeindlichkeit und Antisemitismus anzuhängen. Tatsächlich aber
hat die Friedensbewegung _für_ die Sicherheit Israels
demonstriert. Denn angesichts der Ungenauigkeit und Untauglichkeit der
Patriot-Abwehrsysteme hätten die gasbefüllten Scud-Raketen ein
Massaker unter der israelischen und palästinensischen Bevölkerung
anrichten können.
Ciao,
Johannes
Albrecht Kolthoff
>"Rump R." <ru...@berlin.com> writes:
>
>> Umfrage: Fast die Hälfte aller Israelis lehnen Irak-Krieg ab
>> Wunsch nach friedlicher Lösung steigt
[...]
>Das entspricht auch der Tatsache, dass der heutige, weitgehend
>entwaffnete Irak eine wahrscheinlich weit geringere Bedrohung für die
>Bevölkerung Israels darstellt, als ein möglicher Krieg.
Das sahen auch israelische Militärs ähnlich:
============================================================================
And in recent weeks, some Israelis in the military and security
establishment have cautiously questioned whether Hussein poses as immediate
a threat as Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have warned.
"Saddam Hussein, a weakling as he is today, is in Israel's interests," said
Aharon Levran, a brigadier general in Israel's reserve army and author of a
book about the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Levran, one of the more outspoken
Israeli critics of Bush's policy on Iraq, says Baghdad is no longer capable
of anything more than a border skirmish.
"A war against Iraq will divert the United States from its clear-cut
campaign against Islamic fanaticism," Levran said. "And if it fails, we in
Israel will pay the price."
Opposition leader Yossi Sarid agreed. "Washington is far away. We live in
the Middle East, and the consequences will be most immediate for us."
[...]
In recent weeks, however, several high-ranking Israeli military officers
have voiced doubts about American and British assessments of the threat
posed by Iraq and in particular how quickly Iraq could develop nuclear
weapons.
"There is a difference between our assessment and that stated by the
British," military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash said in
a recent interview with Israeli television. But he added that Israel does
agree with assessments about Iraq's continuing efforts to develop biological
and chemical weapons.
Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Yaalon also has said in recent interviews
that Iraq's offensive abilities have been reduced since the Gulf War.
"I don't lose any sleep over Iraq," Yaalon said at a recent meeting of the
Industry and Commerce club in Tel Aviv.
Moshe Arens, defense minister during the Gulf War, concurred: "You might
have the same Saddam Hussein on one side, a father and son both named Bush
on the other, but this will not be a deja vu. Israel is in much better shape
than it was in 1991, and Iraq's abilities are very much diminished."
Israeli military specialists have been debating for several years whether
Iraq or Iran poses more of a threat. Most specialists believe it is Iran,
because it is richer and has been more directly implicated in international
terrorism.
"If you told Israeli leaders and analysts two years ago that the U.S. would
be on the verge of attacking Iraq today, they would have been astonished and
confused. The dominant perception across the political spectrum was that
Iraq was not a serious threat," analyst Barry Rubin wrote in a Jerusalem
Post editorial last week headlined: "U.S. Attack on Iraq: Good for the
Jews?"
Rubin cited three reasons why an attack would not be good for Israel: the
danger of Iraq retaliating against Israel, the possibility of an
anti-Israeli backlash in Europe and America if the war effort goes awry, and
the likelihood that the U.S. would pressure Israel into making concessions
to the Palestinians for the sake of coalition-building.
Nevertheless, he believes that most Israelis will be won over by Bush's
arguments. "This is U.S. policy. Everybody will support it, especially if it
is successful," he said.
There is no doubt that Israel would be delighted to see the last of Hussein.
The Iraqi leader has been an unwavering archenemy of Israel's, unleashing
fierce rhetoric against the "Zionist entity," as he calls it, in nearly
every speech.
According to Israeli intelligence, Hussein also has been encouraging
Palestinian terrorism by handing out $25,000 rewards to the families of
suicide bombers.
Under the most optimistic of scenarios, Hussein would be removed from power
and a friendly, pro- Western government would take his place in Iraq. That,
some Israelis hope, would make Palestinians more receptive to Israeli
demands and set the stage for more pliant Arab governments throughout the
Middle East.
Critics say, however, that this is a fanciful scenario and that what is
equally likely is an Arab world that is more committed to the destruction of
Israel than ever. Sarid, the opposition leader, says a U.S. war against Iraq
could destabilize moderate regimes in Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states.
"Instead of one murderous Saddam, you'll have two or three murderous
Saddams, and we will be their target," Sarid said.
============================================================================
Quelle: Barbara Demick: Not All Israelis Welcome Prospect of War With Iraq.
Los Angeles Times, 16.10.2002
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iziraq16oct16001439,0,4489868.story?coll=la%2Dheadlines%2Dworld%2Dmanual
[...]
--
Albrecht Kolthoff