In my recent blogs, reports have been made about issues that may have been missed in the barrage of other pressing news. The missing flight 370 riveted attention as well as the crisis situation in the Crimea. As these episodes occurred, importance events in the Middle East continued to develop. This blog is a quick look of some of these tensions.
Several blogs back I gave a preview of an attempt to put the squeeze on Israel by employing economic sanctions against Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government. The Palestinians were attempting an end around strategy to bring concessions from Israel through economic pressure. In the most recent development, German Chancellor Angela Merkel indicated she opposes the idea of any boycott. Chancellor Merkel said this is not an option for Germany. She was not opposed to the idea of products from West Bank settlements being so labeled. At the same time, Chancellor Merkel supported the idea that Palestinian representatives recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Moreover, Merkel noted that it was important that attention be paid to Israel’s security needs. Her position indicates strong support for the Israelis.
Chancellor Merkel has long been a staunch ally of Israel. She fully recognizes the Holocaust and has felt her own personal anxiety over the past. With the size and influence of Germany, her position minimizes the possibility of significant economic pressure being brought to bear on Israel. Hopefully, the Palestinians will get back to the bargaining table with genuine intentions to come to agreement. As I noted earlier, the Palestinians intention to wipe out Israel has kept them from coming to any settlement that would end hostilities.
On a different front, Israel intercepted an Iranian shipment of arms to Gaza. After the ship was boarded, Israeli officers found 40 M-302 rockets with a range of 160 kilometers, 180 120mm. mortar shells, and 400,000 7.62 mm. bullets. The commandeered freighter was escorted to Eilat Port by Israeli Navy ships. Obviously, the Iranians were attempting to provide weaponry to Islamic terrorists.
As the report was released, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that many nations of the world are guilty of hypocrisy because of refusing to recognize the threat that constantly surrounds Israel. While President Hassan Rouhani is negotiating armament agreements on nuclear energy, he still has work to do on stopping dangerous illegal shipment of arms.
Matters are still not going well in North Sinai. Radical Islamic nomads have proven a problem both for Egypt and Israel. Recent raids wrecked some of the area and the crackdown continues. However, the problem is that while terrorism is being confronted, there is a lack of carefully confrontation sorting out the good folks from the bad. Undoubtedly, innocent residents have been hit. The results can only further perpetuate the problem.
Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated. More to come —
Dr. Robert L. Wise 