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U.S. Defense Sec’y Meets in Israel on Arms Sales to Arabs
by Hana Levi Julian
(IsraelNN.com) After a whirlwind 24-hour visit to Israel, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has left hoping he convinced Israeli officials there is no cause for concern about an American plan to sell arms to Arab nations.
Secretary Gates arrived Wednesday night after spending the day in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the first visit to Israel by an American Secretary of Defense in eight years.
Meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz focused on the American-Arab arms sale, Israeli-Arab relations and the issue of Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.
Old Wounds, New Realities
Gates is trying to bolster a strategic alliance against the Iranian nuclear development program while facing the need to smooth the rocky relations that developed after the U.S. forced Israel to cancel a $2 billion arms deal with China in 1999.
Washington has been holding up the sale of advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, due to Israel’s objections that the deal would compromise its deterrent capabilities.
The deal would include the sale of an advanced air system to Saudi Arabia that would significantly improve the striking capability of its air force, located a scant few hundred miles from Israel. Riyadh was the venue for the recent 22-nation Arab League summit.
Foreign Minister Livni told Secretary Gates that Arab League countries must show more flexibility in talks with Israel. She emphasized that Israel is open to dialogue with Arab nations, most of whom do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Prime Minister Olmert added that the 2002 Arab peace plan which was revived at the Arab League summit is unacceptable in its present form, as it was five years ago.
The 22-member Arab League has said Israel must take the 2002 Saudi initiative without amendments, including a clause demanding the immigration of 5.5 million foreign Arabs into the Jewish State.
The initiative also would require Israel to surrender the Old City of Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, Samaria and Gaza in favor of a new Arab country with eastern Jerusalem as capital.
U.S. and Israel Agree, Use Diplomacy, Not Force with Iran
The Defense Secretary reiterated U.S. concerns that the Iranian drive to build an atomic weapon is advancing rapidly – an assessment Israel completely agrees with.
The U.S. has been at the forefront of efforts to pass two resolutions at the United Nations Security Council that imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly vowed to “wipe the State of Israel off the map,” announced recently that 3,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges have now been powered up at the Natanz nuclear facility.
“The free world is tested by the countries under threat from Iran, especially its Arab and Muslim neighbors,” pointed out Foreign Minister Livni, who added that “Every hesitation is interpreted as weakness and is liable to lead to an effort to appease Iran.”
Secretary Gates claimed Wednesday that international diplomatic pressure on the Islamic Republic is “working”.
Israel Told to Consider the Big Picture
The Prime Minister and U.S. Defense Secretary both said their meeting was held “in a friendly atmosphere.”
Following the talks, Defense Minister Amir Peretz accompanied Secretary Gates on a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum. The American Defense Secretary said he felt it was important before his departure to “pay [his] respects” to the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis.
Secretary Gates ended his visit by telling reporters in Tel Aviv, before flying to Iraq on a previously unannounced visit that Israel needs to look at the “overall strategic environment” when considering American arms sales in the Gulf region.
“I’m confident that the Russians would be very happy to sell weapons to countries in the region,” he said, but was careful to add the U.S. will continue to support Israel’s ability to defend itself.
Secretary Gates arrived Wednesday night after spending the day in Cairo with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, the first visit to Israel by an American Secretary of Defense in eight years.
Meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Amir Peretz focused on the American-Arab arms sale, Israeli-Arab relations and the issue of Iran’s growing nuclear capabilities.
Old Wounds, New Realities
Gates is trying to bolster a strategic alliance against the Iranian nuclear development program while facing the need to smooth the rocky relations that developed after the U.S. forced Israel to cancel a $2 billion arms deal with China in 1999.
Washington has been holding up the sale of advanced weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations, due to Israel’s objections that the deal would compromise its deterrent capabilities.
The deal would include the sale of an advanced air system to Saudi Arabia that would significantly improve the striking capability of its air force, located a scant few hundred miles from Israel. Riyadh was the venue for the recent 22-nation Arab League summit.
Foreign Minister Livni told Secretary Gates that Arab League countries must show more flexibility in talks with Israel. She emphasized that Israel is open to dialogue with Arab nations, most of whom do not have diplomatic relations with Israel.
Prime Minister Olmert added that the 2002 Arab peace plan which was revived at the Arab League summit is unacceptable in its present form, as it was five years ago.
The 22-member Arab League has said Israel must take the 2002 Saudi initiative without amendments, including a clause demanding the immigration of 5.5 million foreign Arabs into the Jewish State.
The initiative also would require Israel to surrender the Old City of Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, Samaria and Gaza in favor of a new Arab country with eastern Jerusalem as capital.
U.S. and Israel Agree, Use Diplomacy, Not Force with Iran
The Defense Secretary reiterated U.S. concerns that the Iranian drive to build an atomic weapon is advancing rapidly – an assessment Israel completely agrees with.
The U.S. has been at the forefront of efforts to pass two resolutions at the United Nations Security Council that imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic for its refusal to halt its uranium enrichment program.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly vowed to “wipe the State of Israel off the map,” announced recently that 3,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges have now been powered up at the Natanz nuclear facility.
“The free world is tested by the countries under threat from Iran, especially its Arab and Muslim neighbors,” pointed out Foreign Minister Livni, who added that “Every hesitation is interpreted as weakness and is liable to lead to an effort to appease Iran.”
Secretary Gates claimed Wednesday that international diplomatic pressure on the Islamic Republic is “working”.
Israel Told to Consider the Big Picture
The Prime Minister and U.S. Defense Secretary both said their meeting was held “in a friendly atmosphere.”
Following the talks, Defense Minister Amir Peretz accompanied Secretary Gates on a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial museum. The American Defense Secretary said he felt it was important before his departure to “pay [his] respects” to the six million Jews who died at the hands of the Nazis.
Secretary Gates ended his visit by telling reporters in Tel Aviv, before flying to Iraq on a previously unannounced visit that Israel needs to look at the “overall strategic environment” when considering American arms sales in the Gulf region.
“I’m confident that the Russians would be very happy to sell weapons to countries in the region,” he said, but was careful to add the U.S. will continue to support Israel’s ability to defend itself.
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