Ambassadors Roundtable
January 6, 2009
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Summary
As part of the Ambassadors Roundtable Series on International Collaboration to Combat Terrorism and Insurgencies, the Homeland Security Policy Institute hosted Ambassador Sallai Meridor of Israel on January 6, 2009.
Ambassador Meridor first outlined the background to the current situation in Gaza, and then put Israel’s complex struggle against terrorism into the larger context of the Middle East and global efforts to combat terrorism. In response to a question posed by HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo about Israel’s long-term diplomatic objectives and the desired end-state to result from Israel’s current actions in Gaza even if Israel does accomplish its military objectives, Meridor noted that Israel’s aim is to bring security to Israelis and Palestinians, including the “transformation of the [wider Israeli-Palestinian] situation into peace.” Yet more than one questioner in the audience asked if Israeli actions are actually having the unintended effect of increasing radicalization and recruitment—and specifically, whether Israel had a strategy to “win the peace” when the conflict is over. In reply, Meridor indicated that Israel is ready to compromise and hopes that Hamas is too, in order to find common ground and expand the circle of peace, which includes an existing agreement with Egypt and another under cultivation with Jordan.
Meridor specified prevention, deterrence and defense as three fundamental facets of Israel’s approach to counterterrorism. However, he also underscored that traditional conceptions of these tools and measures offer only partial solutions for defeating terrorists, in part because the ideological aspect of radical Islamic terrorism represents a new threat level; more than ever before, suicide bombers are prepared to die for their cause. Educating the public about the threat and delegitimizing its underlying ideology are key components of Israel’s efforts. Deterrence is less powerful today than it once was, though it may have some effect upon states that support terrorism. Prevention is also difficult when terror flows from non-state actors who exploit failed states as proxies. Defense is further complicated by the fact it is dependent upon technology, which may be prohibitively costly; and even if affordable, technology is not always the answer.
As the conflict in Gaza demonstrates, terrorism is not only a local phenomenon—it has regional and global aspects and consequences. Meridor cited Hamas’ connections to Iran and Hezbollah as examples. Countering terrorism therefore requires international cooperation, such as in the area of intelligence to prevent the transfer of technology, weapons and money to those with intent to do harm. Meridor concluded the discussion by asserting that “it takes many elements, from the understanding of what you’re facing, to the morale, to international law and cooperation, to a cocktail of prevention, defense, and deterrence, to give the peace-seeking world a strategy for a good chance to win this battle.”
C-SPAN Complete Video Coverage
Resources
As part of the January 6, 2008 Roundtable with Israeli Ambassador Sallai Meridor, the Homeland Security Policy Institute prepared a resource page where you will find some useful links to recent reports, government agencies and other relevant information.
Reports & Remarks:
“HAMAS and Israel: Conflicting Strategies of Group-Based Politics,” By Dr. Sherifa D. Zuhur, United States Army War College Strategic Studies Institute (December, 2008).
“Efforts to separate HAMAS from its popular support and network of social and charitable organizations have not been effective in destroying the organization, nor in eradicating the will to resist among a fairly large segment of the Palestinian population. It is important to consider this Islamist movement in the context of a region-wide phenomenon of similar movements with local goals, which can be persuaded to relinquish violence or which could become more violent.”
“Assad: Direct peace talks with Israel possible and will happen,” Haaretz (December 22, 2008).
“Syrian President Bashar Assad said Monday he believes direct peace talks with Israel are possible and that they will eventually take place. ‘It’s natural that we would move, at a later stage, to direct negotiations. We cannot achieve peace through indirect talks only,’ Assad said.”
“Hamas signals thaw; Israel sets up Gaza offensive,” Associated Press (December 22, 2008).
“Gaza’s ruling Hamas on Monday ordered militants to hold their fire for 24 hours and said a truce with Israel could be restored, but as rockets continued to fall, Israel signaled it was preparing for a possible offensive.”
“Time is ripe for Obama to seize on Mideast peace,” By Ori Nir, The Washington Times (December 17, 2008)
“If the Obama administration is looking for a good place from which to launch its Mideast peace efforts, this is it: Push Israel to impose a real, full settlement freeze while working with the Arab world to animate the Arab peace initiative.”
“IDF general warns Israel to face huge security challenges in 2009,” XinhuaNet (December 17, 2008)
“A senior Israeli army officer warned Tuesday that the Jewish state would face "huge security challenges" in the next year and military attack against Iran in the future is possible. [He divided] the Middle East region into two camps: one camp, with the United States as its leader, comprises Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate; the other one mainly consists of Iran, Syria and Palestinian Hamas movement. Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan were affected by the two sides and would fall into different camps at last, he said, adding that Russia also had important influence to the situation.”
“The Challenges of Israeli Military Action in Gaza,” By Jeffrey White, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (December 16, 2008)
“The nominal December 19 expiration date of the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire, in conjunction with the agreement's erosion over the past several months, has generated increased discussion about Israel's military options in the Gaza Strip. Much of the recent talk has centered on the prospects and problems of a large-scale military operation in Gaza, and even if the ceasefire is renewed, the issue of Israel's appropriate military response to Hamas will likely remain on the table. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would face a number of military challenges in the course of a major operation, and understanding those challenges is critical to any assessment of potential outcomes.”
“Why there could be a surge in jihadi terrorism,” By B Raman, Rediff News ( India) (December 16, 2008)
“The pressure on Pakistan from the US and other Western countries to act firmly against the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and its political wing the Jammat-ud-Dawa is quite strong not only because of their anxiety to prevent an Indian military retaliation for the Mumbai terrorist attacks, but also because of the anger in Israel and the Jewish Diaspora in the West over the brutal massacre of eight Israeli nationals -- two them with dual US nationality -- and a Jewish person from Mexico by the terrorists in Mumbai.”
“UN Rights Investigator Expelled by Israel,” The New York Times (December 16, 2008)
“Israeli authorities on Monday expelled Richard Falk, a United Nations investigator of human rights in the Palestinian territories, saying he was unwelcome because of what the government has regarded as his hostile position toward Israel.”
“Rice presses Palestinian statehood, with nod from Obama,” By Ron Kampeas, Jewish Telegraphic Agency (December 16, 2008)
“President Bush and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who attended Monday's meeting, already have made clear that they want talks to advance as much as possible before the Obama administration takes over next month. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon made clear that this was the intent of the Quartet statement when he read it to reporters.”
“Near East: Remarks at the United Nations Security Council,” Condoleezza Rice (December 15, 2008)
“The United States has a national interest in the conclusion of a final treaty. And it is in the long-term interest of Israel to provide a more hopeful society for Palestinians. The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue, and there should be an end to the occupation that began in 1967…This a bilateral process and the two parties will have to conclude a final agreement. But it is incumbent upon the international community to provide support to their efforts and to create the political context with which – within which their negotiations can prosper.”
“Israel's plan to free Palestinian prisoners is foolish– and illegal,” By Louis René Beres, The Christian Science Monitor (December 15, 2008)
“A formal agreement from terrorists not to terrorize is a silly document. Likewise, the presumption that a Fatah-led " Palestine" would be better for Israel is plainly wrong. Fatah's present statements may be moderate, but its past and its hoped-for future tell a different story. In its bloody history of violence against Israelis, Fatah is essentially indistinguishable from Hamas. And a glance at official Palestinian maps of " Palestine," which encompass all of Israel, shows what it really thinks of the "two-state solution."”
“Court orders Israel to reroute part of West Bank barrier,” Reuters (December 15, 2008)
“The Israeli High Court rejected government plans on Monday to build a section of its barrier in the occupied West Bank, saying the proposed route encroached too much on Palestinian land…The High Court ordered the government to re-route part of the barrier near the West Bank village of Bilin to ensure that it was largely or entirely built on Israeli rather than Palestinian land.”
“Quartet Press Statement,” Office of the Spokesman, Department of State (December 15, 2008)
“The Quartet reaffirmed support for the bilateral, comprehensive, direct, uninterrupted, confidential and ongoing Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and commended Israel and the Palestinians for their continuous efforts to conclude a peace treaty resolving all outstanding issues without exception…. The Quartet reiterated its support for the Egyptian-brokered calm that came into effect on June 19, 2008, urged that it be respected and extended, and expressed the hope that it would lead to improved security and humanitarian conditions for Israelis and Palestinians alike, actions to alleviate humanitarian conditions, and the restoration of normal civilian life in Gaza.”
“Israel’s crisis of leadership,” By Benny Morris, The Los Angeles Times (December 14, 2008)
“ Israel is in the throes of a grave crisis of leadership. General elections are scheduled for Feb. 10, and there is no widely respected or overwhelmingly popular leader in sight. Even with the existential threat of a nuclear Iran looming over the country, the candidates and party lists are unattractive, the political landscape bleak.”
“UN official slams Israel ‘crimes’,” BBC (December 10, 2008)
“The UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories has said Israel's policies there amount to a crime against humanity.”
“Hamas, Showing Split, Hints It May Extend Truce,” The New York Times (December 15, 2008).
“Hamas leaders in Gaza on Sunday left open the possibility of renewing a tenuous truce with Israel that is due to expire Friday, putting themselves at odds with a statement by the exiled political leader of the group in Damascus, Syria.”
“Israel Frees 224 Palestinian Prisoners,” Associated Press (December 15, 2008)
“ Israel released 224 Palestinian prisoners Monday in a gesture to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israel holds more than 8,000 Palestinians and their fate is an emotionally charged issue. Separately, Israel expelled an arriving U.N. human rights envoy after accusing him of bias against the Jewish state.”
“’The time has come to say these things,’” By Ehud Olmert, The New York Review of Books (December 4, 2008)
“We have a window of opportunity—a short amount of time before we enter an extremely dangerous situation—in which to take a historic step in our relations with the Palestinians and a historic step in our relations with the Syrians. In both instances, the decision we have to make is the decision we've spent forty years refusing to look at with our eyes open.”
“Syria-Israel talks ‘one year old,’” Al-Jazeera (May 22, 2008)
“Ehud Olmert, Israel's prime minister, has confirmed that Israel and Syria have maintained contact for a year, hours after it emerged that Turkey is mediating peace talks between the countries.”
“Counterterrorism Trip Report: Israel and Jordan,” By Daniel L. Byman, Brookings Institution (April 2008)
“In both Israel and Jordan, interviewed a range of current and former government officials, as well as several prominent academics and officials from non-governmental organizations. In both countries the predominant mood was one of frustration and gloom. Israelis felt trapped between their sense that inaction would encourage more violence and their recognition that the military and political options looked unpromising.”
News and Resource Links:
The Economist: Israel
New York Times: Israel
BBC Profile: Israel
State Department: Israel
CIA World Factbook: Israel
Ambassador Sallai Meridor
Sallai Meridor served as the Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization from 1999-2005. Prior to this, Mr. Meridor served as the Treasurer of the Jewish Agency and WZO and as the Head of the Settlement Division of the WZO. During the years of his chairmanship, the Jewish Agency underwent a major transformation. The strategy and activities of the Agency were focused on dealing with the Jewish future - the young generation of Jews. Major initiatives included the Masa national effort to bring 20,000 young adults per annum from the Diaspora for a year-long formative experience in Israel, focusing the activities of the Agency in Israel on young Israelis and young Olim, special Aliyah efforts from FSU, Ethiopia, Argentina, and France, and strategic preparations for dealing with the future challenge of Aliyah choice. In response to the war of terror against Israel, a global Jewish mobilization effort and a major emergency campaign was launched. Internally, the budget of the Jewish agency was balanced, agreements to eliminate $700M in debt (which put the agency at risk) were reached, and the Agency took a historic step by restructuring its governing bodies to include significant nonpolitical representation from Israeli society. Finally, with a view towards the Jewish future, the first ever Jewish People Policy Planning Institute was established. Prior to his work with the Jewish agency, Mr. Meridor served as an advisor to the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel. In his governmental service, he was involved in the designing of Israel's foreign and defense policies, played a role in the peace process leading to the Madrid Peace Conference, participated in the negotiations that followed as the representative of the Ministry of Defense, and led Israel's Inter-Agency Steering Committee on Arms Control. Born and educated in Jerusalem, Mr. Meridor earned his B.A. degree at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He served as an Intelligence Officer in the IDF. He lives in Kfar Adumim with his wife No'a. They are the proud parents of three daughters.
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The Ambassadors Roundtable Series is designed to provide Ambassadors to the United States and their key diplomatic staff with a forum to discuss current and future counterterrorism and counterinsurgency efforts on a regional or country-specific basis. In an effort to draw upon various insights and experiences, the Ambassadors Roundtable Series builds upon and institutionalizes efforts over the past two years to engage in a dialogue with members of the international community, policy makers, and practitioners.
