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Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Some headlines and summaries from JTA
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AIPAC slams White House on Iran
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee criticized the White House for not pushing the U.N. nuclear watchdog to recommend sanctions for Iran.
The Bush administration backed a European Union bid last week to reopen negotiations with Iran that would allow Iran to continue with its nuclear program as long as it exports its uranium to Russia for enrichment.
The agreement, which kept the International Atomic Energy Agency from referring Iran to the Security Council for sanctions, would supposedly keep Iran from obtaining weapons-grade uranium. AIPAC and some leaders in Congress oppose the plan, saying Iran could work around it and suggesting that Russia is not trustworthy.
“Last week’s decision allowed Iran to win a critical round in its game of cat and mouse with the international community,” AIPAC said Wednesday in a rare public disagreement with the White House. The statement released by AIPAC added: “We disagree with these decisions and are concerned that these efforts will facilitate Iran´s quest for nuclear weapons, hampering the diplomatic effort to stop Iran before it is too late. This poses a severe danger to the United States and our allies, and puts America and our interests at risk.”
Israel bothered by Gaza crossing
Israel complained over insufficient Palestinian Authority cooperation in running a Gaza Strip border terminal.
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said Wednesday that Israeli security officials were not receiving full information on those using the Rafah terminal on the Gaza-Egypt border, contrary to a U.S.-brokered agreement that led to its opening last week.
“There are a few gaps in the Rafah crossing, when it comes to everything to do with passing data from the Palestinian side to the Israeli side, which I hope will be filled soon,” Mofaz told reporters.
He threatened the Palestinian Authority with the closure of border crossings from Israel. “If there is not a positive Palestinian response, we will close the Erez and Karni crossings until the information is transferred,” he said.
Israel sees Iran nuclear countdown
Israel’s military intelligence chief said time was running out for the U.N. Security Council to punish Iran over its nuclear program.
Addressing the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Aharon Ze’evi-Farkash noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency decided last week not to refer Iran to the Security Council in order to give Europe more time to talk Iran into abandoning its uranium-enrichment efforts.
“If, by the end of March, it does not succeed in transferring the issue to the Security Council, it will be possible to say that the diplomatic effort has failed,” Ze’evi-Farkash said. “Iran understands the international efforts are weakening, that there are internal problems in the United States and oil prices are rising. They feel confident.” Foreign experts speculate that Israel could resort to military action against Iran if diplomatic efforts to prevent Iran from developing a bomb fail.
Germany’s new leader backs Israel
Germany will stand by Israel, the country’s new chancellor said.
In her first speech as chancellor to the German Parliament on Wednesday, Angela Merkel stressed her commitment to the Jewish state and said Iran, whose president recently called for Israel’s destruction, must cooperate with International Atomic Energy Agency inspections.
In the first official contact between the new chancellor and a representative of the Israeli government, Merkel told Israeli Cabinet minister Ehud Olmert that she’ll visit Israel in the near future.
According to Yediot Achronot, Merkel said she opposes Hamas participation in Palestinian Authority elections slated for January.
O.U.: Hands off Israel elections
The Orthodox Union called on U.S. Jews not to intervene in Israel’s electoral process. Passion for Israel “ought not be channeled into inappropriate interventions in the policy decisions of the duly elected Israeli government, Israel’s elections or into lobbying the American government to pressure Israel to make concessions it would not otherwise make,” said Stephen Savitsky, president of the group. Israel is going to general elections March 28. Savitsky singled out the Israel Policy Forum, which met with Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, ahead of her intervention in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations this month. Rice pressed Israel to allow the Palestinians to open up a border station between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, despite Israeli security concerns. Urging American officials to press Israel “to make certain concessions is not only disrespectful to Israel’s government but offensive to millions of American Jews who categorically reject such an approach,” Savitsky said. The IPF advocates a greater U.S. role in the peace process, but its leaders did not report asking Rice to specifically intervene in the border issue.
http://jta.org/
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