World

Calming Concerns

Israeli diplomat discusses current American-Israel relations
and Iran's nuclear position.

Don Cohen
Special to the Jewish News

C

onfused about the state
of American-Israel rela-
tions, the direction — or
existence — of the peace process,
and how the Israeli government
hopes to prevent Iran's acquisi-
tion of nuclear weapons? Mon
Pinkas was in town last week to
help clarify things and calm fears
about a crisis on both fronts.
A veteran of the Israeli dip-
lomatic corps, Pinkas served a
high-profile four years (2000-
2004) as the Consul General of
Israel in New York. He appeared
regularly in the national news
media and served as liaison to
national Jewish organizations
New Federation CEO Scott Kaufman, Alon Pinkas and JCRC President Richard Nodel
and public officials. His recent
10-day trip to the United States
to visit Detroit, Chicago, Washington, D.C.
issues, but nothing is wrong with the rela-
where I live."
and New York was at the request of Israel
tionship',' Pinkas said. "There is no struc-
Pinkas lives in Tel-Aviv.
Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu and
tural problem between the two countries or
Regarding polls that show the Israeli
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. He
the two individuals. The concerns have to do public doesn't consider Obama a friend of
was part of a team of five Israeli diplomats with sequencing, timetables and priorities."
Israel, Pinkas says they are likely accurate
crisscrossing the United States.
Pinkas says Israel sees "sequencing"
but their importance has been overblown.
"Israel is launching an ongoing public
as key. The U.S. and Israel agree that the
"Israelis have been pampered by two
diplomacy effort," Pinkas said. "We're
peace process needs to be re-launched. But
successive Bill Clintons and two George W.
re-engaging with the Jewish community,
given the failure of the previous approach
Bushs. Israelis got spoiled — every two
Congress, the Obama administration and
of packaging Israeli concessions for
weeks, the American president said how
the American media on a series of issues." Palestinian approval, he says that "maybe it
much they love Israel."
He says to expect more visits by Israelis
needs to be re-launched in a different way"
He points out that Israelis were elated
seeking to engage on current issues.
"Israel hasn't any interest in seeing the
when Obama was elected, and that they
While Pinkas says fundamentals of the
two-state solution fair Pinkas said, noting welcomed his Cairo speech, understanding
U.S.-Israel relationship remain deep and
that roughly 70 percent of Israelis support
the importance of a new relationship with
strong, he acknowledges a difference in
the two-state solution as the "end result
the Arab world. "But there is a feeling that
style and personality between President
the U.S. is demanding things from Israel
of serious negotiations" and Netanyahu's
and not demanding equal things from the
Obama and Netanyahu. That's natural and coalition government has made it policy.
he's confident that will resolve itself.
"Among Palestinian and in some
Arabs:' Pinkas said. "Some of it is psychol-
"The two young administrations need
European capitals there is a notion that
ogy and some of it is substance."
time to assess each other:' Pinkas said.
a Palestinian state should be established
As Netanyahu has said, Israelis feel they
are "suckers" if they are asked for unilater-
"There is a significant amount of misread- quickly," Pinkas said, "but we can not dis-
al concessions that the Palestinians have a
ing on each side, and it will take a while to miss offhandedly 15 years of a peace pro-
habit of pocketing before asking for more.
straighten it out. It is a very early stage in
cess [since the Oslo Accords in 1984] that
the life of both administrations and easily have resulted in terrorism and distrust.
Nuclear Iran
reversible:'
"We believe a bottom-up building of the
Another key issue is Iran's acquisition of
He recalls the concerns when President
Palestinian economy and governance is
George W. Bush took office, given his ties
needed. It's not a matter of foot-dragging or nuclear weapons. Pinkas is troubled that
some appear resigned to this happening.
to oil interests, Saudi Arabia and advisers
wasting time he said, addressing concerns
While he says it's not much of an issue
from his father's administration that were
about the Netanyahu government. "It is
among the American public, let alone the
seen as unfair to Israel. History shows that almost inevitable that a prematurely estab-
media, the United States understands the
such concerns were misplaced.
lished [Palestinian] state will be a failed
state. This would be a bad thing anywhere,
problem and is working to prevent it.
"Let's call it as it is: the two new govern-
"This needs to be resolved;' Pinkas
but in this case it is six miles away from
ments may not see eye to eye on many

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September 24 • 2009

jw

said with concern. "Iran is on
the verge of completing its
nuclear fuel cycle, which is
not a substantial distance to
weaponizing."
Israel sees American lead-
ership as critical because only
the U.S. can garner support
for "severe sanctions" that
Israel believes can be effec-
tive in constraining Iran.
America's interests extend not
only to its own forces in the
Middle East, but also to its
allies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt
and Jordan as well as Israel
and its commitment to a
peace process.
An Iranian nuclear bomb
"will have a domino effect
even if they don't use it," he
said. "It emboldens radicals
throughout the region and
prevents a peace agreement with anyone.
It's a nightmare scenario."
Strong American leadership would
make it unnecessary for other Arab coun-
tries to develop their own nuclear weap-
ons to counter Iran. "Israel is not pressing
for military action:' Pinkas said. "We're
pressing for sanctions. We're not threaten-
ing the world that we will take military
action. Military action is only one possi-
bility and it is absolutely the last resort:'
Besides meeting with the JN, Pinkas
addressed the editorial boards of the
Detroit Free Press, Detroit News and
Oakland Press, was interviewed on WJR's
The Mitch Albom Show and met with vari-
ous Jewish groups, including local mem-
bers of the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC).
"It was important for Alon Pinkas to
meet with members of the Jewish and
non-Jewish communities here, and to
give media interviews, because there is a
perception that there is significant ten-
sion between President Obama and Prime
Minister Netanyahu and, by extension,
between the U.S. and Israeli governments:'
said Allan Gale, associate director of the
Jewish Community Relations Council of
Metropolitan Detroit.
"He was able to specifically respond to
these concerns, provide a historical context
and examine the politics, diplomacy and
personalities involved." I I