il ruolo di israele nella guerra della georgia

IL RUOLO DI ISRAELE
NELLA GUERRA DELLA GEORGIA
ARTICOLI E ESTRATTI DI ARTICOLI
Israele ha armato la Georgia
Non proprio shalom : così Israele ha armato e spinto la Georgia ad aggredire la Russia e la
minoranza osseta
Sceik Nasrallah, il leader di Hezbollah, gongolava l'altro giorno nel celebrare il secondo
anniversario della guerra del Libano. E non soltanto per la sconfitta d'Israele. Il generale
comandante della divisione Galilea, Gal Hirsh, costretto alle dimissioni alla fine del conflitto, ha
addestrato, con poco successo, truppe speciali in Georgia e per Nasrallah gli va attribuita l'ncapacità
dei georgiani a fronteggiare l'esercito russo. Sono sette anni che Israele è presente, con soldati
della riserva, consiglieri, militari e mercanti d'armi, nell'ex repubblica sovietica. La società di
cui Hirsh risulta a capo – Scudo difensivo – è una delle tante organizzazioni di mercenari che
mettono sul mercato internazionale la capacità militare israeliana. Centinaia di ex militari
israeliani alle dipendenze di Hirsh si sono alternati negli ultimi mesi per mettere a punto
reparti speciali georgiani e prepararli all'uso di armi e strumenti bellici sofisticati, come gli aereispia senza pilota vanto della produzione israeliana. Il vasto commercio di armi in direzione di
Tbilisi è cominciata grazie all'iniziativa di ebrei georgiani trasferiti in Israele. La vendita di questo
materiale è soggetta all'autorizzazione del ministero della Difesa di Tel Aviv e anche del ministero
degli Esteri che avrebbe, infatti, bloccato la spedizione di strumenti richiesti dall'aeronautica
georgiana per non troppo entrare in conflitto con la Russia. Il ministro della Difesa georgiana,
David Kezerashvili, un “ex” israeliano conoscitore della lingua ebraica ha facilitato, secondo
fonti di Tel Aviv citate dal quotidiano Yediot Aharonot, la collaborazione in campo militare tra i
due Paesi. Tra gli israeliani che si sono dati da fare, come privati, l'ex ministro Roni Milo e suo
fratello Shlomo, ex direttore generale dell'Industria militare israeliana, il generale Hirsh e un altro
generale della riserva, Yisrael Ziv. L'elenco delle merci vendute è lungo: oltre agli aerei senza
pilota, torrette automatiche per mezzi blindati, sistemi anti-aerei, sistemi per comunicazioni, razzi e
altre munizioni. “Gli israeliani dovrebbero essere orgogliosi per aver addestrato ed educato i soldati
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georgiani” ha commentato l'altro giorno un altro ministro, Temur Yakobashvili, anch'egli –
rivela Yediot Aharonot – ebreo.
Secondo fonti di Tel Aviv, gli israeliani coinvolti nel commercio hanno tentato invano di
convincere le industrie belliche israeliane di vendere mezzi ancora più sofisticati alla Georgia. Il
ministero della Difesa, infatti, si sarebbe opposto specialmente negli ultimi mesi dopo che tre
aerei-spia senza pilota erano stati abbattuti dai russi. Era, per i diplomatici, un chiaro segno
della rabbia, che stava crescendo in Russia nei confronti del governo israeliano. Fino ad allora la
Georgia era considerata un “Paese normale” e, dunque, non c'era motivo, dicono al ministero degli
Esteri israeliano, per non vederle armi e addestrare le sue truppe. Un ex militare israeliano, appena
rientrato dalla Georgia e intervistato da un quotidiano, ha accusato le società (Scudo difensivo ed
altre) di aver rivelato segreti militari di Tel Aviv pur di guadagnarsi soldi e garantirsi nuove
commesse.
Eric Salerno (Il Messaggero)
____________________________________________________________________
Israele usava la Georgia come base
«In base ad un accordo segreto fra Israele e Georgia, due campi d’aviazione militari nella
Georgia meridionale erano stati assegnati ai bombardieri israeliani per un attacco preventivo
contro le installazioni nucleari dell’Iran. Ciò riduce notevolmente la distanza che i cacciabombardieri devono coprire per raggiungere i loro bersagli in Iran». Stavolta a scriverlo nero su
bianco non è un complottista marginale. E’ Arnaud De Borchgrave, storico direttore del
Washington Times ed ora, in tarda età, «editor-at-large» (ossia direttore non esecutivo, ma libero
commentatore) dell’agenzia internazionale UPI. Un personaggio (l’ho conosciuto di persona in anni
lontani) con ottimi agganci con servizi segreti, in primo luogo francesi. Ora egli conferma tutto
ciò che abbiamo detto in questo sito: Israele ha addestrato ed armato i georgiani, e si è fatta
pagare (in parte) facendosi concedere due basi militari avanzate contro Teheran (1). S’intende
che i caccia-bombardieri israeliani, per raggiungere le loro basi in Georgia, avrebbero dovuto
«sorvolare lo spazio aereo della Turchia». «L’attacco ordinato da Saakashvili contro il SudOssezia la notte del 7 agosto», aggiunge De Borchgrave, «ha dato ai russi il pretesto per
ordinare alle sue forze speciali di fare incursione in queste basi isrealiane, dove si dice che
sono stati catturati diversi droni israeliani. E’ dubbio che l’IAF (Israeli Air Force) possa
ancora contare su queste basi», dice sardonico.
Al pubblico americano, De Borchgrave rivela diversi particolari, già noti ai lettori di EFFEDIEFFE.
Che il «ministro della Difesa georgiana Davit Kezerashvili è un ex-israeliano che si è trasferito per
facilitare le vendite di armi israeliane con l’aiuto degli USA». Che «il primo ministro Vladimir
Gurgenidze», prima dell’attacco, «ha fatto una telefonata in Israele per chiedere una
benedizione speciale al più importante rabbino degli haredim, rabbi Aaron Leib Steinman».
Che «da Israele arriva il maggiore Roni Milo, ex ministro e sindaco di Tel Aviv, con suo
fratello Shlomo, in qualità di rappresentanti della Elbit Systems, e delle Israeli Military
Industries». Sono i droni fabbricati dalla Elbit ad «aver condotto i voli di ricognizione nella Russia
meridionale, e anche nel vicino Iran».Che il «ministro georgiano Temur Yakobashvili - un ebreo
secondo Haaretz - si è fatto intervistare dalla radio dell’armata israeliana per vantarsi»,
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alquanto improbabilmente, che «un piccolo gruppo dei nostri uomini sono stati capaci di spazzar via
una intera divisione russa, grazie all’addestramento israeliano».
Il generale Anatoly Nogovitsyn, vice-capo di stato maggiore russo, ha infatti confermato in una
conferenza-stampa a Mosca che l’aiuto israeliano alla Georgia comprendeva «otto tipi di veicoli
militari, esplosivi, mine ed esplosivi speciali per pulire i campi minati», e in più «un numero di
istruttori israeliani distaccati presso la milizia georgiana valutato tra i 100 e i mille. Oltre ai 110
militari Usa impegnati nell’addestramento in Georgia». De Borchgrave ricorda che a luglio era
avvenuta l’esercitazione Usa-georgiana «Immediate Response 2008», durante la quale «2000
soldati Usa erano stati trasportati in Georgia», lasciando capire che tale esercitazione serviva a
preparare, e a mascherare, l’attacco a sorpresa al Sud Ossezia. Invece la sorpresa l’hanno fatta i
russi. Perchè - e qui De Borchgrave fornisce informazioni molto interessanti, di sue fonti - agenti
doppi russi, «che in apparenza lavorano per i georgiani», hanno riferito a chi di dovere delle
«fantasie militariste dell’impetuoso Saakashvili»; d’altra parte, gli Stati Uniti non avevano
sufficiente «capacità di spionaggio satellitare, già stra-impegnato nelle guerre in Iraq e
Afghanistan».
Sicchè nè gli uni nè gli altri «si sono accorti che le forze russe erano pronte ad una risposta
immediata e massiccia all’attacco in Sud-Ossezia, che Mosca sapeva (in anticipo) imminente».
Quando poi la sorpresa si è trasformata in rotta, l’ambasciatore georgiano a Gerusalemme ha
chiesto disperatamente di «far pressione su Mosca». Ottenendo la seguente risposta: «L’indirizzo
per questo tipo di pressioni è Washington». Che, come sappiamo, esegue. Israele, a quel punto, era
allarmatissima di non guastarsi del tutto con Mosca: la Russia può creargli molti guai, fornendo
armamento all’Iran, alla Siria, a Hezbollah. Il fatto è, conclude sarcastico De Borchgrave, che
Saakashvili era convinto che gli USA l’avrebbero sostenuto totalmente nella sua guerricciola,
correndo in suo aiuto contro la Russia, come «se la Georgia fosse l’Israele del Caucaso».
Ovviamente gli USA non hanno potuto fare altro che qualche borborigmo minaccioso, e qualche
provocazione inutile, come mandare aiuti «umanitari» ai georgiani su navi da guerra. Ottenendo
anche qui una mezza umiliazione. La Turchia, che controlla lo stretto del Bosforo, ha rifiutato il
passaggio di navi da guerra americane di grande tonnellaggio nel Mar Nero, come ha il diritto
di fare in base alla Convenzione di Montreux, un trattato internazionale del 1936 (2). Il che
conferma perchè la Turchia «non merita» di entrare nella UE: ha troppa dignità, troppo senso del
proprio interesse nazionale, per entrare in questa conigliaia di servi spaventati di Usrael. Un collega,
ottima fonte, mi dice che anche la UE ha finanziato l’armamento della Georgia, attraverso denari
etichettati come «fondi per lo sviluppo». Naturalmente è una notizia incontrollabile per principio,
dati i labirinti del bilancio eurocratico, dove la pratica di nascondere le voci sotto altre voci è una
forma d’arte. Ma è del tutto credibile. Il che spiega perchè le truppe russe non hanno fretta di
lasciare la Georgia. E perchè la UE ha alzato il ditino moralistico contro Mosca, ma per poi farle
sapere (dopo consultazioni sottobanco) che non la isolerà nè eleverà sanzioni contro la Russia;
annuncio che è stato accolto a Mosca con sardonica soddisfazione. Perchè tutti capiscono che le
sanzioni, sono loro che le possono applicare a noi, tagliandoci il petrolio in inverno.Così abbiamo
fatto anche questa figura: dei deboli ridicoli e doppiogiochisti, per non aver avuto il coraggio di
affermare che la ragione stava dalla parte di Putin, e che Israele e gli americani devono smettere di
provocare e intrigare «out of area», mettendo in pericolo il mondo. Forse siamo noi che dovremmo
chiedere l’entrata nella Turchia.
:: primopiano
Berangher , 04 Settembre 2008, ore 15:07
Articolo letto 54 volte effedieffe.com
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ControllArmi
Sistema informativo a schede di Archivio Disarmo
Ha ripreso l’articolo di Eric Salerno de il Messaggero
Governo georgiano ministri israeliani
di Maurizio Blondet
Si è già citato il ministro georgiano Temur Yakobashvili, che
l’8 agosto ha parlato alla Radio dell’Armata Israeliana per
dichiarare, esultante di doppio amor patrio, che «Israele
deve essere fiero» per l’addestramento che gli istruttori di
Sion hanno fornito ai georgiani. Yakobashvili è ebreo,
parla correntemente ebraico ed è ministro della
«reintegrazione territoriale», ossia il responsabile degli
atti compiuti contro le due provincie russofone dell’Abkhazia
e dell’Ossezia del Sud. Una posizione chiave,
evidentemente. Non basta. Anche il ministro della Difesa
georgiano David Kezerashvili è ebreo. Anzi, non solo: è
«un israeliano che parla ebraico correntemente ed ha
fortemente contribuito alla cooperazione fra i due Paesi».
Lo afferma una fonte insospettabile, l’agenzia sionista Ynet.news, in un
articolo che ha tutta l’aria di essere un tentativo di limitare i danni d’immagine
provocati dal coinvolgimento israeliano nel conflitto georgiano (1). Secondo
l’agenzia, il governo israeliano ha perfino cercato di moderare le richieste di
armamenti ricevute da Saakashvili.
E’ tutta colpa di David Kezerashvili: «La sua porta era sempre aperta agli
israeliani (privati, si capisce) che venivano ad offrire al suo Paese sistemi d’arma
fabbricati in Israele, trattative che erano molto rapide, a causa dell’interesse
personale del ministro della Difesa».
Fra gli israeliani (privati cittadini) che hanno approfittato della così buona
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disposizione dell’israeliano ministro della Georgia, Ynet.News enumera «l’ex
ministro (israeliano) Roni Milo e suo fratello Shlomo, già direttore generale delle
Military Industries, il generale di brigata (a riposo, si capisce) Gal Hirsh e il
generale maggiore (in pensione, ovvio) Yisrael Ziv».
Roni Milo occupava l’alacre vecchiaia come «rappresentante di Elbit Systems e
Military Industries», due privatissime aziende di Sion, che grazie a lui hanno
rifilato alla Georgia «veicoli teleguidati (RPV), torrette automatiche per veicoli
corazzati, sistemi anti-aerei, sistemi di comunicazione, proiettili d’artiglieria e
razzi».
Gal Hirsh ammazzava il troppo tempo libero «fornendo consulenza all’esercito
georgiano sulla formazione di unità di elite simili al Sayeret Matkal (2) nonché
sul riarmo, e tenuto lezioni sull’intelligence in zona d’operazioni e il
combattimento in aree abitate», una specialità che Israele ha affinato
abbattendo coi bulldozer le case palestinesi a Gaza. Hanno fatto tutto questi
arzilli vecchietti, succhiando il 70% del magro PIL georgiano.
Infatti, assicura Ynet.News, quando «gli israeliani operanti in Georgia hanno
cercato di convincere la Israeli Aerospace Industries di vendere alla Air Force
georgiana varii sistemi d’arma, ne hanno ricevuto un rifiuto. Il motivo stava nella
speciale relazione creata tra Aerospace Industries e Russia per
l’ammodernamento di caccia sovietici, e la paura che vendendo armi alla
Georgia quel contratto sarebbe stato cancellato».
L’agenzia israeliana deve ammettere che «le attività israeliane in Georgia e i
contratti relativi erano tutti autorizzati dal ministero della Difesa, che vede nella
Georgia un Paese amico (con almeno due ministri israeliani in carica a Tbilisi,
come non rispondere alla voce del cuore?) a cui non c’era ragione di non
vendere armi simili a quelle che Israele vende a tanti altri Paesi nel mondo».
Tuttavia, col crescere della tensione tra Russia e Georgia, «voci si sono alzate
in Israele, specie nel ministero degli Esteri, per chiedere alla Difesa di essere più
selettiva nell’approvazione dei contratti con la Georgia».
Pare di sentirla Tzipi Livni, la grande amica di Kippà Fini: siate più selettivi, ci
stanno guardando. «Era chiaro che troppo sistemi d’arma di inequivocabile
fabbricazione israeliana in mano all’armata georgiana erano come un mantello
rosso agitato davanti al toro».
Negli ultimi tre mesi i russi avevano intercettato e catturato tre di quei
veicoli teleguidati RPV (droni senza pilota della Elbit) con la sigla Made in
Israel. Ciò, a parere di YNET.News, era un segnale: i russi «sono arrabbiati».
Sicché «in maggio si è deciso di approvare futuri contratti con la Georgia solo
per la vendita di sistemi d’arma non-offensivi (sic), come sistemi computerizzati
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d’intelligence e comunicazione». E alla sede di Military Industries, una fonte
«altissima» assicura: «Al contrario di quel che dicono certi giornali (non si
riferiva a quelli italiani, ndr) l’attività di Military Industries in Georgia era molto
limitata. Abbiamo fatto qualche lavoretto per loro parecchi anni fa, ma il resto dei
contratti è rimasto sulla carta».
Ciò contrasta con qualche piccolo dato di fatto. Per esempio: in Israele è nata
persino un’agenzia turistica, la «Authentico», che prospera organizzando
viaggi e visite alle splendenti bellezze naturali ed artistiche di Kartulia. E il
proprietario della Authentico, tale Dov Pikulin, ammette: «Gli israeliani
sono i maggiori investitori nell’economia georgiana. Sono tutti lì,
direttamente e indirettamente». Ciò conferma l’esultanza del ministro
Yakobashvili, il figlio di Yakov così fiero della sua Israele-Georgiana.
Si può sempre sbagliare. ma secondo ogni apparenza, dietro il fantoccio di
Saakasvili s’è insediato in Georgia un governo israeliano, una succursale di
Sion con ministri di cittadinanza israeliana in posizioni-chiave.
1) Arie Egozi, «War in Georgia: the Israeli connection», YNET.News, 10 agosto 2008.
2) Il Sayeret Matkal, detto semplicemente L’Unità, è il gruppo di commandos specializzati in rapimenti, esecuzioni ed
attentati o contro-attentati all’estero; opera per lo più in borghese in territorio «nemico».
3) La visita di Golda Meir «suscitò grande eccitazione fra gli ebrei sovietici» al potere. «La moglie del maresciallo
(Clemente figlio di Efrem) Voroshilov, nata Golda Gorbman, stupì la sua famiglia dicendo: ora anche noi abbiamo la
nostra patria. Polina Molotova, la moglie di Molotov, parlò yiddish e quando la Meir le chiese come mai sapeva la lingua,
disse: ‘Ikh bin a yidishe tokhter’, sono una figlia del popolo ebraico». Kaganovich - l’autore del genocidio dei kulaki
ucraini - parlò yiddish con il capo della Germania comunista Ernst Thalman, ovviamente un altro ebreo.
Da Yenrich Yagoda, il capo supremo dell’Arcipelago Gulag, a Lev Z. Mekhlis, il direttore editoriale della Pravda, tutti i
potenti attorno a Stalin erano ebrei. Persino il suo sarto personale si chiamava Abram Lerner, e vestiva tutti gli altri
gerarchi e le loro signore. Vedere Simon Sebag Montefiore, «Stalin - The court of the red tsar», Londra, 2003
Copyright © - EFFEDIEFFE - all rights reserved.
Link a questo articolo : http://www.effedieffe.com/content/view/4135/166/
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ACCORDO SEGRETO GEORGIA-ISRAELE PER UN EVENTUALE
ATTACCO ALL’IRAN
Sintesi personale
1"C'è un accordo segreto tra la Georgia e Israele per organizzare due campi
d'aviazione militari nel sud della Georgia in vista di un attacco preventivo
all'Iran . Israele, in cambio, ha fornito
alla Georgia una quantità
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considerevole di armi
militari
e personale
l'esercito
Georgia airfields earmarked for war on Iran
specializzato per addestrare
2 Ufficiale russo: gli Usa hanno bisogno della Georgia in caso di attacco all'Iran
In un'intervista alla TV Sergei Markov ha dichiarato che il Presidente
georgiano Mikheil Saakashvili 'ha ricevuto un certo sostegno da Israele' prima
di attaccare l' Ossezia del Sud.: "Sappiamo che questa guerra è in qualche
modo collegato con un' eventuale aggressione di Washington contro l'Iran e
per questo gli Usa hanno bisogno del territorio georgiano "
Russia: US needs Georgia to strike Iran
__________________________________________________
Da Tel Aviv a Tbilisi: il ruolo
di Israele nella guerra tra la
Georgia e la Russia
Gli Israeliani brandiscono bandiere georgiane ed
israeliane mentre urlano degli slogan anti-russi in
occasione di un’adunata dinanzi all'ambasciata della
Russia a Tel Aviv - Photo: Gali Tibbon/AFP/Getty
images
Ali Abunimah Mondialisation.ca,
14 agosto 2008
The Electronic Intifada
Traduzione di Alessandro Lattanzio
Implicandosi in Georgia, Israele ha fatto la sua parte del lavoro formando l'esercito di ciò che
doveva diventare l’“Israele del Caucaso” al servizio delle ambizioni imperialiste euro-atlantiche.
Nel momento in cui la Georgia ha lanciato, la settimana scorsa, un attacco a sorpresa sulla regione
minuscola semi-indipendente dell'Ossezia meridionale, che ha causato un selvaggio contrattacco
russo, Israele ha provato a prendere le distanze rispetto al conflitto. È comprensibile: con le
forze georgiane in rovina, un grande numero di civili uccisi e feriti ed una Russia la cui rabbia è
lungi dal calmarsi, l'implicazione profonda di Israele è estremamente imbarazzando. Il crollo
dell'offensiva georgiana rappresenta non soltanto un disastro per questo paese ed i suoi dirigenti,
sostenuti dagli Stati Uniti, ma porta un altro colpo al mito del prestigio e dell’audacia militari di
Israele. Peggio ancora, Israele teme che la Russia possa esercitare rappresaglie rafforzando il suo
aiuto militare agli avversari di Israele, fra cui l'Iran. “Israele segue con più grande preoccupazione
gli sviluppi in Ossezia meridionale ed in Abhasia e spera che la violenza cessi”, ha indicato il suo
ministero degli esteri, che aggiunge con un vocabolario insolito di colomba: “Israele riconosce
l'integrità nazionale della Georgia e chiama a un regolamento pacifico.”
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Il primo diplomatico di Tbilisi a Tel Aviv si è lagnato che la risposta israeliana sia così smussata di
fronte alla grave situazione del suo paese ed ha, forse, sopravvalutato l'influenza israeliana, che
richiede “una pressione diplomatica israeliana su Mosca.” Il diplomatico ha sostenuto che come
Israele, la Georgia conduceva una guerra contro “il terrorismo.”
Gli ufficiali israeliani hanno gentilmente risposto ai georgiani che “l'indirizzo per questo tipo di
pressione era Washington.” (Herb Keinon, “Tbilisi vuole che Israele faccia pressione sulla Russia”,
Jerusalem Post, 11 agosto 2008). Mentre Israele ha premuto per ridurre al minimo l'importanza del
suo ruolo, la Georgia ha forse sperato che l'adulazione potesse impegnare Israele più profondamente
(nel conflitto). Il ministro georgiano Temur Yakobashvili - che sarebbe ebreo secondo il quotidiano
israeliano Haaretz - ha dichiarato alla radio dell'esercito israeliano che, “Israele dovrebbe essere
fiero dei suoi soldati che hanno formato i soldati georgiani.”
Yakobashvili ha rivendicato, in modo poco credibile secondo Haaretz, che “un piccolo gruppo di
soldati georgiani aveva potuto eliminare un’intera divisione militare russa grazie
all'addestramento israeliano”, (“il ministro georgiano dichiara alla radio israeliana: Grazie alla
formazione israeliana, possiamo contrastare l'esercito russo”, Haaretz, 11 agosto 2008).
Dall'anno 2000, Israele ha venduto alla Georgia, per centinaia di milioni di dollari, armi e
tirocini d'addestramento al combattimento. Le armi comprendono pistole, munizioni, granate,
sistemi di missili tattici, sistemi antiaerei, torrette automatiche per i veicoli blindati, del materiale
elettronico ed aerei senza pilota. Queste vendite sono state autorizzate dal ministero della difesa
israeliano (Arie Egozi, “Guerra in Georgia: la connessione di Israele”, Ynet, 10 agosto 2008).
La formazione ha anche coinvolto i dirigenti del servizio segreto Shin Bet israeliano - quello anche
che da decenni assassina e tortura i palestinesi nei territori occupati - la polizia israeliana, come
pure Elbit e Rafael, le principali società di vendite di armi del paese. L'asse militare Tel AvivTbilisi sembra essere stato cementato ai livelli più elevati, e secondo YNet, “il fatto che il
ministro della difesa della Georgia, Davit Kezerashvili, sia un vecchio Israeliano, come ebreo ha
contribuito a questa cooperazione.”
Si trovano, fra le persone implicate in questo lucroso commercio di armi, l'ex ministro israeliano e
sindaco di Tel Aviv Roni Milo e molti ufficiali militari israeliani di rango elevato. L'uomo-chiave
era il brigadiere generale della riserva Gal Hirsch, che ha comandato le forze israeliane alla
frontiera libanese durante la seconda guerra contro il Libano, nel luglio 2006. (Yossi Melman,
“Violenze in Georgia - un'alleanza congelata”, Haaretz, 10 agosto 2008).
Si è dimesso dell'esercito dopo che la commissione Winograd ha rigorosamente criticato la condotta
della guerra contro il Libano e che un'indagine israeliana interna all'esercito lo ha rimproverato per
la cattura di due soldati da parte di Hizballah (movimento della resistenza libanese).
Secondo uno degli istruttori israeliani al combattimento, un ufficiale di un'unità “d'elite”
dell'esercito israeliano, Hirsch e dei colleghi avrebbero, a volte personalmente, diretto la formazione
delle
forze
georgiane
che
includeva
“il
combattimento
casa
per
casa.”
La formazione è stata compito di molte società “private” aventi legami stretti con i soldati
israeliani. Mentre la violenza devastava la Georgia, l'istruttore provava disperatamente a contattare i
suoi vecchi allievi georgiani sul campo di battaglia tramite un telefono portatile: gli Israeliani
volevano sapere se i georgiani “avevano assimilato la tecnica militare israeliana e se le forze
speciali di ricognizione avessero ottenuto un successo qualsiasi”. (Jonathan Lis e Moti Katz, “gli
istruttori che hanno formato le truppe georgiane dicono che la guerra con la Russia non era una
sorpresa”, Haaretz, 11 agosto 2008). Ma al suolo, le forze georgiane addestrate da Israele, e senza
sorprese, sono state completamente travolte dai Russi, hanno fatto ben poco per riacquistare
l'immagine dei soldati israeliani, dopo la loro sconfitta di fronte al Hizballah nel luglio - agosto
2006.
La rimane da sapere perché Israele è stato implicato in prima linea. Ci sono molte ragioni per ciò.
8
La prima è semplicemente l’opportunismo economico: per anni, particolarmente dagli attacchi
dell'11 settembre 2001, le esportazioni di armi e “la competenza in sicurezza” sono state industrie in
espansione per Israele. Ma la forte implicazione israeliana in una regione che la Russia considera di
un interesse essenziale, suggerisce che Israele potrebbe avere agito nel quadro di un accordo più
ampio con il progetto degli Stati Uniti di circondare la Russia e contenere la sua potenza che
riemerge.
Dalla fine della guerra fredda, gli Stati Uniti se ne sono risolutamente piantati alle frontiere della
Russia ed hanno esteso la zona della NATO in modo che il Kremlino considera fortemente
provocatrice. Poco tempo dopo la sua presa del potere, l'amministrazione Bush ha messo da parte il
trattato sui missili anti-balistici e come ha fatto il governo Clinton, ed ha preso sotto la sua ala
vecchi stati satelliti sovietici, utilizzandoli per installare sistemi anti-missili che la Russia considera
come una minaccia.
Oltre alla loro “guerra globale contro il terrore”, i falchi di Washington avevano recentemente
evocato una nuova guerra fredda con la Russia. La Georgia era un volontario molto motivato ed ha
rapidamente compreso la retorica corretta: il ministro georgiano ha protestato che “ogni bomba che
cade sulle nostre teste è un attacco contro la democrazia, contro l'Unione europea e contro
l'America.”
La Georgia aveva tentato di aderire alla NATO ed inviato 2000 soldati per aiutare gli Stati
Uniti ad occupare il Iraq. Una volta iniziata la guerra, ha certamente sperato che la sua fedeltà
fosse ricompensata con l’invio aereo di armi, ogni giorno, come quello di cui Israele ha beneficiato
da parte degli Stati Uniti, durante le sue guerre. Invece di ciò, il solo invio aereo dagli Stati Uniti era
per il rimpatrio delle truppe georgiane dall’Iraq verso il nuovo fronte. Aiutando la Georgia, Israele
sembra faccia la sua parte per riprodurre la sua esperienza, sostenendo l'espansione ad est
dell'impero “euro-atlantico”. Mentre sostenere la Georgia era certamente rischioso per Israele,
riguardo alla possibile reazione russa, ha ragione incontestabile ad intervenire in una regione che è
fortemente contesa tra le potenze mondiali. Israele deve costantemente reinventarsi un ruolo
“capitale”, per la potenza americana, per salvaguardare l'appoggio degli Stati Uniti, che
garantiscono la sua sopravvivenza come zona franca coloniale in Medio Oriente.
È un ruolo abituale: negli anni ‘70 e ‘80, su richiesta di Washington, Israele ha aiutato il
regime della segregazione del Sudafrica a combattere le insurrezioni sostenute dai sovietici in
Namibia ed in Angola occupati, dallo stesso Sudafrica, ed ha formato gli squadroni della
morte combinati degli Stati Uniti, che combattevano i movimenti ed i governi di sinistra in
America centrale. Dal 2001, Israele si è messo sul mercato come esperto per combattere “il
terrorismo islamico.” Il presidente venezuelano Hugo Chavez ha recentemente denunciato la
Colombia - da tempo uno dei più grandi beneficiari dell'aiuto militare americano dopo Israele
- come “Israele dell'America latina.”
Il governo della Georgia, a scapito del suo popolo, ha voluto svolgere il ruolo “di Israele del
Caucaso” - un servo fedele delle ambizioni degli Stati Uniti in questa regione - ed ha perso il gioco.
Giocare con gli imperi è pericoloso per un piccolo paese. Poiché la dottrina Bush è fallita, nel fare
nascere “il nuovo Medio Oriente”, di cui gli Stati Uniti hanno bisogno, per mantenere la loro
potenza nella regione, a fronte di una resistenza crescente. Israele è sempre più disperato e più
emarginato (“canaglia” nel testo - N.d.T), deve cercare le occasioni per provare il suo valore
ovunque, altrove. È terribilmente spaventoso.
________________________________________________
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1220183141/
9
Hottentot Morality
30/08/08
"If he steals my cow, that is bad. If I steal his cow, that is good" - this moral rule was attributed by
European racists to the Hottentots, an ancient tribe in Southern Africa.
It's hard not to be reminded of this when the United States and the European countries cry
out against Russia's recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two
provinces which seceded from the Republic of Sakartvelo, known in the West as Georgia.
Not so long ago, the Western countries recognized the Republic of Kosovo, which seceded from
Serbia. The West argued that the population of Kosovo is not Serbian, its culture and language is
not Serbian, and that therefore it has a right to independence from Serbia. Especially after Serbia
had conducted a grievous campaign of oppression against them. I supported this view with all my
heart. Unlike many of my friends, I even supported the military operation that helped the Kosovars
to free themselves.
But what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, as the saying goes. What's true for Kosovo is
no less true for Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The population in these provinces is not Georgian,
they have their own languages and ancient civilizations. They were annexed to Georgia almost by
whim, and they have no desire to be part of it.
So what is the difference between the two cases? A huge one, indeed: the independence of Kosovo
is supported by the Americans and opposed by the Russians. Therefore it's good. The independence
of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is supported by the Russians and opposed by the Americans.
Therefore it's bad. As the Romans said: Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi, what's allowed to Jupiter is
not allowed to an ox.
I do not accept this moral code. I support the independence of all these regions.
In my view, there is one simple principle, and it applies to everybody: every province that wants to
secede from any country has a right to do so. In this respect there is, for me, no difference between
Kosovars, Abkhazians, Basques, Scots and Palestinians. One rule for all.
THERE WAS a time when this principle could not be implemented. A state of a few hundred
thousand people was not viable economically, and could not defend itself militarily.
That was the era of the "nation state", when a strong people imposed itself, its culture and its
language, on weaker peoples, in order to create a state big enough to safeguard security, order and a
proper standard of living. France imposed itself on Bretons and Corsicans, Spain on Catalans and
Basques, England on Welsh, Scots and Irish, and so forth.
That reality has been superseded. Most of the functions of the "nation state" have moved to supernational structures: large federations like the USA, large partnerships like the EU. In those there is
room for small countries like Luxemburg beside larger ones like Germany. If Belgium falls apart
and a Flemish state comes into being beside a Walloon state, both will be received into the EU, and
nobody will be hurt. Yugoslavia has disintegrated, and each of its parts will eventually belong to the
European Union.
10
That has happened to the former Soviet Union, too. Georgia freed itself from Russia. By the same
right and the same logic, Abkhazia can free itself from Georgia.
But then, how can a country avoid disintegration? Very simple: it must convince the smaller
peoples which live under its wings that it is worthwhile for them to remain there. If the Scots feel
that they enjoy full equality in the United Kingdom, that they have been accorded sufficient
autonomy and a fair slice of the common cake, that their culture and traditions are being respected,
they may decide to remain there. Such a debate has been going on for decades in the Frenchspeaking Canadian province of Quebec.
The general trend in the world is to enlarge the functions of the big regional organizations, and at
the same time allow peoples to secede from their mother countries and establish their own states.
That is what happened in the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Serbia and Georgia. That
is bound to happen in many other countries.
Those who want to go in the opposite direction and establish, for example, a bi-national IsraeliPalestinian state, are going against the Zeitgeist - to say the least.
THIS IS the historical background to the recent spat between Georgia and Russia. There are no
Righteous Ones here. It is rather funny to hear Vladimir Putin, whose hands are dripping with the
blood of Chechen freedom fighters, extolling the right of South Ossetia to secession. It's no less
funny to hear Micheil Saakashvili likening the freedom fight of the two separatist regions to the
Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The fighting reminded me of our own history. In the spring of 1967, I heard a senior Israeli general
saying that he prayed every night for the Egyptian leader, Gamal Abd-al-Nasser, to send his troops
into the Sinai peninsula. There, he said, we shall annihilate them. Some months later, Nasser
marched into the trap. The rest is history.
Now Saakashvili has done precisely the same. The Russians prayed for him to invade South
Ossetia. When he walked into this trap, the Russians did to him what we did to the Egyptians. It
took the Russians six days, the same as it took us.
Nobody can know what was passing through the mind of Saakashvili. He is an inexperienced
person, educated in the United States, a politician who came to power on the strength of his promise
to bring the separatist regions back to the homeland. The world is full of such demagogues, who
build a career on hatred, super-nationalism and racism. We have more than enough of them here,
too.
But even a demagogue does not have to be an idiot. Did he believe that President Bush, who is
bankrupt in all fields, would rush to his aid? Did he not know that America has no soldiers to spare?
That Bush's warlike speeches are being carried away by the wind? That NATO is a paper tiger?
That the Georgian army would melt like butter in the fire of war?
I AM curious about our part in this story.
In the Georgian government there are several ministers who grew up and received their
education in Israel. It seems that the Minister of Defense and the Minister for Integration (of
the separatist regions) are also Israeli citizens. And most importantly: that the elite units of
the Georgian army have been trained by Israeli officers, including the one who was blamed
11
for losing Lebanon War II. The Americans, too, invested much effort in training the
Georgians.
I am always amused by the idea that it is possible to train a foreign army. One can, of course, teach
technicalities: how to use particular weapons or how to conduct a battalion-scale maneuver. But
anyone who has taken part in a real war (as distinct from policing an occupied population) knows
that the technical aspects are secondary. What matters is the spirit of the soldiers, their readiness to
risk their lives for the cause, their motivation, the human quality of the fighting units and the
command echelon.
Such things cannot be imparted by foreigners. Every army is a part of its society, and the quality of
the society decides the quality of the army. That is particularly true in a war against an enemy who
enjoys a decisive numerical superiority. We experienced that in the 1948 war, when David BenGurion wanted to impose on us officers who were trained in the British army, and we, the combat
soldiers, preferred our own commanders, who were trained in our underground army and had never
seen a military academy in their lives.
Only professional generals, whose whole outlook is technical, imagine that they could "train"
soldiers of another people and another culture - in Afghanistan, Iraq or Georgia.
A well developed trait among our officers is arrogance. In our case, it is generally connected with a
reasonable standard of the army. If the Israeli officers infected their Georgian colleagues with this
arrogance, convincing them that they could beat the mighty Russian army, they committed a
grievous sin against them.
I DO NOT believe that this is the beginning of Cold War II, as has been suggested. But this is
certainly a continuation of the Great Game.
This appellation was given to the relentless secret struggle that went on all through the 19th century
along Russia's southern border between the two great empires of the time: the British and the
Russian. Secret agents and not so secret armies were active in the border regions of India (including
today's Pakistan), Afghanistan, Persia and so on. The "North-West Frontier" (of Pakistan), which is
starring now in the war against the Taliban, was already legendary then.
Today, the Great Game between the current two great empires - the USA and Russia - is going on
all over the place from the Ukraine to Pakistan. It proves that geography is more important than
ideology: Communism has come and gone, but the struggle goes on as if nothing has happened.
Georgia is a mere pawn in the chess game. The initiative belongs to the US: it wants to encircle
Russia by expanding NATO, an arm of US policy, all along the border. That is a direct threat to the
rival empire. Russia, on its part, is trying to extend its control over the resources most vital to the
West, oil and gas, as well as their routes of transportation. That can lead to disaster.
WHEN Henry Kissinger was still a wise historian, before he became a foolish statesman, he
expounded an important principle: in order to maintain stability in the world, a system has to be
formed that includes all the parties. If one party is left outside, stability is in danger.
He cited as an example the "Holy Alliance" of the great powers that came into being after the
Napoleonic wars. The wise statesmen of the time, headed by the Austrian Prince Clemens von
Metternich, took care not to leave the defeated French outside, but, on the contrary, gave them an
important place in the Concert of Europe.
12
The present American policy, with its attempt to push Russia out, is a danger to the whole world.
(And I have not even mentioned the rising power of China.)
A small country which gets involved in the struggle between the big bullies risks being squashed.
That has happened in the past to Poland, and it seems that it has not learned from that experience.
One should advise Georgia, and also the Ukraine, not to emulate the Poles but rather the Finns, who
since world War II have pursued a wise policy: they guard their independence but endeavor to take
the interest of their mighty neighbor into account.
We Israelis can, perhaps, also learn something from all of this: that it is not safe to be a vassal of
one great Empire and provoke the rival empire. Russia is returning to our region, and every move
we make to further American expansion will surely be countered by a Russian move in favor of
Syria and Iran.
So let's not adopt the "Hottentot morality". It is not wise, and certainly not moral.
_________________________________________________________________
Georgia "Israel of the Caucusus" - Not Quite The Real Thing
philipweiss.org — Saakashvili in Georgia overplayed his hand because he figured, "we're the new
Israel." Then no one showed up when his army was crushed. Further evidence that the
neoconservative agenda is being discredited in D.C.--with damaging fall-out to the Israel
relationship.
YouTube - Georgia - Israel War Lobbying Quest for "Pearl Harbor"
- [ Traduci questa pagina ]
27 Aug 2008 ... Israel has been supplying arms and training to the Georgian armed forces at
the door step of Russia, why?Israel wants war with Russia?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1ZGJYsqbtw - 94k - Copia cache - Pagine simili - Salva risultato
____________________________________________________________________________
13
Aug 14, 2008 20:16 | Updated Aug 15,
2008 15:13
Column
one:
Georgia,
Israel
and
the
nature
of
man
By CAROLINE GLICK
Talkbacks for this article: 94
In their statements Wednesday on Russia's invasion of
Georgia, both US President George W. Bush and Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice openly acknowledged that
Russia is the aggressor in the war and that the US stands by
Georgia.
This is all very nice and well. But what does the fact that
it took the US a full five days to issue a clear statement
against Russian aggression tell us about the US? What does
it say about Georgia and, in a larger sense, about the nature
of world affairs?
Russia's blitzkrieg in Georgia this week was not simply an
act of aggression against a small, weak democracy. It was
an assault on vital Western security interests. Since it
achieved independence in 1990, Georgia has been the only
obstacle in Russia's path to exerting full control over oil
supplies from Central Asia to the West. And now, in the
aftermath of Russia's conquest of Georgia, that obstacle has
been set aside.
Georgia has several oil and gas pipelines that traverse its
territory from Azerbaijan to Turkey, the main one being
the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. Together they transport
more than 1 percent of global oil supplies from east to
west. In response to the Russian invasion, British
Petroleum, which owns the pipelines, announced that it
will close them.
This means that Russia has won. In the future that same oil
and gas will either be shipped through Russia, or it will be
shipped through Georgia under the benevolent control of
Russian "peacekeeping" forces permanently stationed in
Gori. The West now has no option other than appeasing
Russia if it wishes to receive its oil from the Caucasus.
Russian control of these oil arteries represents as
significant a threat to Western strategic interests as Saddam
Hussein's conquest of Kuwait and his threat to invade
Saudi Arabia in 1990. Like Saddam's aggression then,
Russia's takeover of Georgia threatens the stability of the
international economy.
While Russia's invasion of Georgia is substantively the
14
Russia's takeover of Georgia threatens the stability of the
international economy.
While Russia's invasion of Georgia is substantively the
same as Saddam's attempt to assert control over Persian
Gulf oil producers 18 years ago, what is different is the
world's response. Eighteen years ago, the US led a UNmandated international coalition to defeat Iraq and roll
back Saddam's aggression. Today, the West is encouraging
Georgia to surrender.
Whether due to exhaustion over the domestic fights about
the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, dependence on Russian
oil supplies, a residual and unjustified belief that Russia
will side with the West in a confrontation with Iran over its
nuclear weapons program, or the absence of an easy option
for defending Georgia, it is manifestly clear that today the
West is fully willing to accept complete Russian control of
oil supplies from Central Asia.
Notwithstanding the strong statements issued Wednesday
by Bush and Rice, the West has taken two steps to make its
willingness to accept Russia's moves clear. First, there was
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's photogenic mediationtour to Moscow and Tbilisi on Tuesday. And second there
was the US's response to Sarkozy's shuttle diplomacy on
Wednesday.
Sarkozy's mediation efforts signaled nothing less than
Europe's abandonment of Georgia. During his visit to
Moscow, where he met with Russian dictator Vladimir
Putin and Putin's Charlie McCarthy doll, "President"
Dmitry Medvedev, Sarkozy agreed to a six-point document
setting out the terms of the cease-fire and the basis for
"peace" talks to follow.
The document's six points included the following
principles: The non-use of force; a cease-fire; a guarantee
of access to humanitarian aid; the garrisoning of Georgian
military forces; the continued deployment of Russian
forces in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and anywhere else
they wish to go; and an international discussion of the
political status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
As a reporter for France's Liberation noted, by agreeing to
the document France abandoned the basic premise that
Georgia's territorial integrity should be respected by
Russia. Moreover, by leaving Russian forces in the country
and giving them the right to deploy wherever they deem
necessary, Sarkozy accepted Russian control of Georgia.
By grounding Georgian forces in their garrisons, (or what
15
is left of them after most of Georgia's major military bases
were either destroyed or occupied by Russian forces),
Sarkozy's document denies Georgia the right to defend
itself from future Russian aggression.
In their appearances on Wednesday, both Bush and Rice
praised Sarkozy's efforts and Rice explained that the US
wants France to continue its efforts to mediate between
Russia and Georgia. Although both American leaders
insisted that Georgia's territorial integrity must be
respected, neither offered any sense of how that is to be
accomplished. Neither explained how that aim aligns with
the French-mediated cease-fire agreement that gives
international backing to Russia's occupation of the country.
The West's response tells us three basic things about the
nature of world affairs. First, it teaches us that
"international legitimacy" is determined neither by a state's
adherence to international law nor by a state's alliances
with great powers. Rather, international legitimacy is
determined by the number of divisions a state possesses.
After Russia illegally invaded Georgia, European and
American officials as well as Democratic presidential
candidate Senator Barack Obama hinted that Russia had a
legitimate right to invade, when they wrongly referred to
South Ossetia as "disputed territory."
While South Ossetia and Abkhazia are separatist
provinces, their sovereignty is not in dispute. They are part
of Georgia. Georgia acted legally when it tried to protect
its territory from separatist violence last Friday. Russia
acted illegally when it invaded. Yet aside from the
Georgian government itself, no one has noticed this basic
distinction.
"We don't have time now to get into long discussions on
blame," German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier
said on Tuesday.
"We shouldn't make any moral judgments on this war. Stopping the war, that's what we're
interested in," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner explained, adding, "Don't ask us who's
good and who's bad here."
Then there is the fact that Georgia has gone out of its way to liberalize and democratize its society
and political system and to be a loyal ally to the US. It sent significant forces to Iraq and Kosovo.
Far from returning the favor, in Georgia's hour of need, all the US agreed to do was give Georgian
forces a free plane ride home from Iraq. That the administration has no intention of defending its
loyal ally was made clear Wednesday afternoon when the Pentagon sharply denied Georgian claims
that the US would defend Georgian airports and seaports from Russian aggression.
16
The Pentagon's blunt denial of any plan to restore Georgian sovereignty was one of the first truly
credible statements issued by the US Defense Department on the conflict. It took the US four days
to acknowledge Russian aggression beyond South Ossetia. Even as convoys of journalists were
shelled, civilian's homes were bombed, and Georgian military bases were destroyed by Russian
forces in Gori, a Defense Department official said, "We don't see anything that supports [the
Russians] are in Gori. I don't know why the Georgians are saying that."
The general lesson that emerges from Washington's claims of ignorance is that reality itself is of no
concern to policy-makers bent on ignoring it. Through its obvious lies, Washington was able to
justify taking no action of any sort against Russia and not speaking out in defense of Georgia until
after Russia forced Georgia to surrender its sovereignty through the French mediators.
The US and European willingness to let Georgia fall despite its strategic importance, despite the
fact that it has operated strictly within the bounds of international law, and despite its obvious
ideological affinity and loyalty to them will have enormous repercussions for the West's
relations with Ukraine, the Baltic States, Poland and the Czech Republic. But its aftershocks
will not be limited to Europe. They will reverberate in the Middle East as well. And Israel, for
one, should take note of what has transpired.
In Israel's early years, with the memory of the Holocaust still fresh in its leaders' minds, Israel
founded its strategic posture on an acceptance of the fact that the soft power of international
legitimacy, peace treaties, alliances and common interests only matters in the presence of the hard
power of military force. People such as David Ben-Gurion realized that what was unique about the
Holocaust was not the Allies' willingness to sit by and watch an atrocity unfold but the magnitude
of the atrocity they did nothing to stop. Doing nothing to prevent an innocent nation from being
destroyed has always been the normal practice of nations.
Yet over time, and particularly after Israel's victory in the Six Day War, that fundamental
acceptance of the world as it is was lost. It was first mitigated by Israel's own shock in discovering
its power. And it was further obfuscated in the aftermath of the war when the Soviets and the Arabs
began promulgating the myth of Israeli aggression. In recent years, the understanding that the only
guarantor of Israel's survival is Israel's ability to defeat all of its enemies decisively has been
forgotten altogether by most of the country's leaders and members of its intellectual classes.
Since 1979 and with increasing intensity since 1993, Israeli leaders bent on appeasing everyone
from the Egyptians to the Palestinians to the Syrians to the Lebanese have called for Israel's
inclusion in NATO, or the deployment of Western forces to its borders or lobbied Washington for a
formal strategic alliance. They have claimed that such forces and such treaties will unburden the
country of the need to protect itself in the event that our neighbors attack us after we give them the
territories necessary to wage war against us.
It has never made any difference to any of these leaders that none of the myriad international forces
deployed along our borders has ever protected us. The fact that instead of protecting Israel, they
have served as shields behind which our enemies rebuild their forces and then attack us has made
no impression. Instead, our leaders have argued that once we figure out the proper form of
appeasement everyone will rise to defend us.
If nothing else comes of it, the West's response to the rape of Georgia should end that delusion.
Georgia did almost everything right. And like Israel was, for its actions Georgia was celebrated in
the West with platitudes of enduring friendship and empty promises of alliances that were discarded
the moment Russia invaded.
17
Georgia only made one mistake, and for that mistake it will pay an enormous price. As it steadily
built alliances, it forgot to build an army. Israel has an army. It has just forgotten why its
survival depends on our willingness to use it.
If we are unwilling to use our military to defeat our enemies, we will lose everything. This is
the basic, enduring truth of international affairs that we have ignored at our peril. No matter
what we do, it will always be the case. For this is the nature of world affairs, and the nature of man.
[email protected]
Middle
East
Aug 14, 2008
Georgia's Israeli arms point Russia to Iran
By Peter Hirschberg
JERUSALEM - With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself in an
awkward position as a result of its arms sales to Georgia. Israel is now caught between its friendly relations
with Georgia and its fear that the continued sale of weaponry will spark Russian retribution in the form of
increased arms sales to Iran and Syria.
After fighting broke out late last week between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway provinces of South
Ossetia and Abkhazia, Israel's Foreign Ministry over the weekend recommended suspending the sale of
all weapons and defense-related equipment to Georgia, the daily Ha'aretz newspaper reported.
The paper quoted an unnamed senior official saying that Israel
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needed "to be very careful and sensitive these days. The Russians are selling many arms to Iran and Syria
and there is no need to offer them an excuse to sell even more advanced weapons."
Israel's immediate concern is that Russia will proceed with the sale of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system
to Iran, which would help it defend its nuclear installations from aerial attack. Israel, like the US, believes
that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing a bomb, and Israeli leaders have refused to rule out the
possibility of a pre-emptive strike aimed at derailing Iran's nuclear aspirations.
Israel recently conducted a major aerial exercise over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece that was widely
viewed as a rehearsal for a possible strike against Iran's nuclear installations. But with the US and Europe
resorting to diplomatic pressure in the form of sanctions to deter Iran, Israel is loathe to anger Russia, which
until now has opposed harsher sanctions on Tehran.
Israel's relations with Georgia have been close, partly because there is a large Georgian Jewish
18
community in Israel. In recent years, ties have also taken on a military dimension, with military
industries in Israel supplying Georgia with some US$200 million worth of equipment since 2000. This
has included remotely piloted planes, rockets, night-vision equipment, other electronic systems and training
by former senior Israeli officers.
"Israel should be proud of its military, which trained Georgian soldiers," Georgian Minister Temur
Yakobashvili told Israel's Army Radio in Hebrew shortly after the fighting erupted.
Israel is not a major supplier of arms to Georgia, with the US and France supplying Tbilisi with most of its
weaponry. But the arms transfers have attracted media attention partly because of the role played by some
high-profile Israeli figures, including former Tel Aviv mayor Roni Milo, who conducted business in Georgia
on behalf of Israel Military Industries.
According to media reports, Brigadier General Gal Hirsch, a senior commander in the 2006 Lebanon war
who resigned after the release of a highly critical report on the way the war was conducted, served as an
adviser to Georgian security forces.
Further attention was drawn to the Israel-Georgia arms trade earlier this year when a Russian jet shot down
an Israeli-made drone being operated by the Georgians.
Even though weapons transfers were modest in scope, Russian diplomats began increasingly relaying to
Israel their annoyance over its military aid to Georgia, including the special forces training provided by
security experts. Israel decided about a year ago to limit military exports to defensive equipment and training.
New contracts weren't approved as the arms sales were scaled back. Georgia's request for 200 advanced
Israeli-made Merkava tanks, for example, was turned down.
There were reports in Israel that the sale of the tanks didn't go through because of a disagreement over the
commission that was to be paid as part of the deal. But Amos Yaron, the former director general of the
Defense Ministry, insisted it had to do with "security-diplomatic considerations" - a clear reference to the
sensitivity of the arms sales to Georgia. Israel, Yaron added, didn't want "to harm Russian interests too
much".
Asked about the motivation to initially engage in the sale of weaponry to Georgia despite concerns it might
anger Russia, Yaron replied: "We did see that there was potential for a conflagration in the region but
Georgia is a friendly state, it's supported by the US, and so it was difficult to refuse."
(Inter Press Service)
Georgia: Israel’s Home Sweet Home
Posted August 16, 2008
Filed under: Uncategorized |
By Hesham Tillawi, PhD
The Israeli Georgian Connection is more than a thousand years old. Most of the Jewish
residents of Israel are of the same stock as of the Jews of Georgia. Non should be
shocked to discover the depth of Israel’s involvement in the Georgian/Russian conflict.
Once examined, the historical blood relation between Israeli Jews and Georgian Jews, it
19
all becomes clear. Let us take a look first at the current relationship after which we will
prove the historical connection between them a little later.
Georgian Minister Temur Yakobashvili said Saturday August 9, 2008 one day after Georgia
attacked South Ossetia–“The Israelis should be proud of themselves for the Israeli training and
education received by the Georgian soldiers…”
The Jerusalem Post on August 12, 2008 reported: “Georgian Prime Minister Vladimer
(Lado) Gurgenidze(Jewish) made a special call to Israel Tuesday morning to receive a
blessing from one of the Haredi community’s most important rabbis and spiritual
leaders, Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman.” The Prime Minister of Georgia, principally a
nation of Orthodox Christians called Rabbi Steinman saying ‘I’ve heard he is a holy
man. I want him to pray for us and our state.’
In addition to the many government officials in Georgia who are ‘Jewish‘ in one way or
another is one man in particular, Davit Kezerashvili who holds the position of Defense
Minister and who just so happens also to hold Israeli citizenship. Interestingly, his last
name happens to be ‘Kezerashvili’ which translates in the Georgian language to ‘childof-the-Kezer(khazar)’.
Besides the aforementioned men, over a 1000 Israeli military trainers are in Georgia as
well as many retired Israeli Generals who have made Georgia home. Lasha Zhvania,
Georgia’s former Ambassador to Israel who won election to Georgia’s parliament back
on May 21 on the promise to increase Israeli tourism and investments in his country. His
mother is Jewish, and in 1988, she brought him to Israel to meet his grandfather, aunts,
and other relatives. After that, he returned to Israel every year to get together with
relatives dispersed in Kiryat Bialik, Haifa, Nahariya and Netanya. Tens of thousands of
Israelis made Georgia their favorite tourists destination. It is clear that the relationship
between Georgia and Israel is more than just a political or diplomatic relationship, it
seems they also have a Jewish connection and maybe Jewish blood that dates back over
1400 years ago.
Author Arthur Koestler, a Jew himself wrote ‘The evidence adds up to a strong case in
favor of those modern historians — whether Austrian, Israeli or Polish — who,
independently from each other, have argued that the bulk of modern Jewry is not of
Palestinian, but of Caucasian origin. The mainstream of Jewish migrations did not
flow from the Mediterranean across France and Germany to the east and then back
again. The stream moved in a consistently westerly direction, from the Caucasus through
the Ukraine into Poland and thence into Central Europe. When that unprecedented masssettlement in Poland came into being, there were simply not enough Jews around in the
west to account for it; while in the east a whole nation was on the move to new
frontiers.” The Caucasus is where the Georgians dwelled and still do. Lets follow this a
little deeper to see if we can make a connection between the Jews of Georgia who found
themselves on top of Georgia’s political hierarchy with the help of our own CIA and the
Jews of Israel who came to Palestine after WWI and II which makes the bulk of Israeli
Jews.
20
Abraham Poliak, an Israeli professor of Medieval Jewish History asked ‘How far we can
go in regarding this [Khazar] Jewry as the nucleus of the large Jewish settlement in
Eastern Europe? The descendants of this settlement constitute now the large majority of
world Jewry.” Austrian historian Kutschera wrote that ‘Eastern European Jews are
entirely of Khazarian origin. Even Western Europe Jews who spoke Yiddish or a
derivative off such as the Jews of France and Germany had to have came from the
Khazar Jews due to the fact that there are no trace of Yiddish in any Western European
language.
For those unfamiliar with the term ‘Khazar,’ it was a person from the Khazar Kingdom
which occupied the land between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. Until the 9th
century the Khazars were the masters of the land, very rich due to its vast resources,
strategic location and its unrealistic taxation (extortion) systems of surrounding
kingdoms. The Khazars adopted the Jewish religion after being pressured to adopt a
monotheistic religion similar to the Christians in the West or the Muslims in the East,
but decided to adopt Judaism in order to remain independent of the other two religions of
the time. The Khazar Kingdom enjoyed strength and prosperity which allowed it to
increase its size to include the regions north of the Black Sea and the adjoining steppe
and forest regions of the Dnieper. The Khazars controlled the southern half of Eastern
Europe for a century and a half, and presented a mighty bulwark, blocking the UralCaspian gateway from Asia into Europe. During this whole period, they held back the
onslaught of the nomadic tribes from the East.
“The collapse of the Hun Empire after Attila’s death left a power-vacuum in Eastern
Europe, through which once more, wave after wave of nomadic hordes swept from east
to west, prominent among them the Uigurs and Avars. The Khazars during most of this
period seemed to be happily occupied with raiding the rich trans-Caucasian regions of
Georgia and Armenia, and collecting precious plunder. During the second half of the
sixth century they became the dominant force among the tribes north of the Caucasus”
In 965 AD Russ prince Svyatoslav of Kiev, undertook many military campaigns which
led to the breaking up of the Khazar Empire. The Khazar state may have survived until
the middle of the 12th century where from 965 AD until its destruction went through
many periods of war, peace, and alliances with the Arabs, the Russ, the Persians and the
Byzantines separately or in conjunction. Many of its subjects adopted either Islam or
Christianity and those who decided to keep their faith migrated to Eastern Europe,
Russia or migrated to the south as we are told by Persian poet, Khakani (circa 1106-90)
who spent most of his life as a civil servant in the Caucasus and had first hand
knowledge of the Caucasian tribes. Khakani told us of ‘Devent Khazars’ where Darband
being the defile or ‘turnstile’ between the Caucasus and the Black Sea through which the
Khazars used to raid Georgia in the old days. Therefore, it is a fact of history that many
Khazar Jews went through this passageway to take refuge in Georgia.
It took 800 years for the Khazar Jews to meet again, after going through Russia, Eastern
Europe, Western Europe, and Palestine before they joined forces, again, with their
brethren in Georgia against their old arch enemy, the Russ. What took place on August
21
8, 2008 in South Ossetia proves two points: first, that the Khazar Jews never forgot the
war of 965 AD and their defeat by the Russians and (2) today’s “Jews” in “Israel” have
no historical claim to the land of Palestine.
Once again we see Zionism, manifesting itself in the illegal state of “Israel” dragging the
World into yet another new conflict between a nuclear armed Russia and a nuclear
armed US.
© 2008 by Hesham Tillawi, PhD
•
•
•
•
Zionists’ Georgian Experiment
What Israel Lost in the Georgia War
Israel Asks Itself: Who Is a Jew?
In Israel, era of mass immigration ends
14 Comments so far
1.
John on August 16, 2008
GREAT ARTICLE. HERE ARE MORE SUPPORTING FACTS.
Great article and so true. I would like to add two points to provide further references and
details in support of the author.
1. The majority of the present-day “Jews” are indeed descendents of the caucasian Khazars
(such as the Ashkenazi and the Turko-European khazars) that converted to Judaism.
An excellent article on Hareetz.com called “An invention called the Jewish
people” by a Jewish historian shows this clearly and is available at:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/959229.html
For extensive research on khazars (caucasians) who converted to Judaism, see:
http://www.khazaria.com/
Also see the book “THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE”, by Arthur Koestler (Random House).
No serious anthropologist believes in a separate race called “Jews”.
Regarding the author’s statement that the Jewish people have no claim to the land of
Palestine, here is more proof.
2. Moses and Exodus Myths. The Torah (Old Testament) is filled with myths such as a man
called Moses, the myth of Exodus and the persecution of Jews by an Egyptian king who
22
allegedly enslaved them. The techniques of higher criticism showed that the Old Testament
was weaved together out of four source documents and was produced much later than
claimed.
Furthermore, archaelogical and historical evidence has repeatedly proven the stories of
Moses, Exodus, Abraham, Joshua, King David, etc. to be basically myths and the Old
Testament to be great literature, not history.
For eg., according to Prof. Ze’ev Herzog who teaches in the Department of Archaeology and
Ancient Near Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, in an article entitled “Deconstructing
the Walls of Jericho”:
“This is what archaeologists have learned from their excavations in the Land of Israel: the
Israelites were never in Egypt, did not wander in the desert, did not conquer the land in a
military campaign and did not pass it on to the 12 tribes of Israel. Perhaps even harder to
swallow is the fact that the united monarchy of David and Solomon, which is described
by the Bible as a regional power, was at most a small tribal kingdom. And it will come as
an unpleasant shock to many that the God of Israel, Jehovah, had a female consort and
that the early Israelite religion adopted monotheism only in the waning period of the
monarchy and not at Mount Sinai. Most of those who are engaged in scientific work in
the interlocking spheres of the Bible, archaeology and the history of the Jewish people -and
who once went into the field looking for proof to corroborate the Bible story - now
agree that the historic events relating to the stages of the Jewish people’s emergence are
radically different from what that story tells.” (in an article in the Jewish magazine
Haaretz, as republished on http://www.truthbeknown.com/biblemyth.htm).
Another excellent book by British writers Gandy and Freke proves that Moses and
Exodus are pure myths and Moses never really existed and the Exodus never happened.
See: The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom, by Timothy Freke
and Peter Gandy.
The fact is there was no Abraham, Moses, nor any King David, no enslavement in
Egypt, and no Exodus. All these stories are myths copied from prevalent Zorastrian and
Egyptian myths (such as Sargon myth) prevalent around that time in the Middle East and
projected back in time. Even as far back as 1927, Historian G F Moore concluded: “Many
scholars are convinced that this whole system of ideas was appropriated by the Jews from
the Zoroastrians.”
2.
Patrick M. Griffin on August 16, 2008
Thanks you Mr. Tillawi for your excellent journalism. It is very nice to have your reporting
and research, I have learned a great deal. Please keep up the good work.
The attack by Georgia on South Ossetia is a bit suspicious. I don’t see how Georgia could
have possibly thought they would get away with it, and it looked to be a looting expedition
with ethnic cleansing added in. Do you think this might be “instantiating” something in
discouse, as a “performance”, so as to secure something that has already been done, say Iraq
or maybe Bosnia, or to do some other invasion or terrorism?
3.
Beau Leclerque on August 16, 2008
23
If I was informed correctly, “Ashkenaz” means “German” in Hebrew language, and
“Ashkenazim” is the plural. So you could say that it means “German people”. But as both
Jews and pseudo-Jews have genetically nothing to do with Germany, I wonder why they
would call themselves that way. To be able to lay another false claim, like in Palestine?
4.
petr vojta on August 16, 2008
No wonder that coward night attack had all the marks of cruel,unhuman attacks Israel has
been using against Palestiniene and other states.
I am sick and tired hiring all these never ending crimes of Nazi zionist regime occupaing not
only arab lands but world media and US goverment.
I am not ashame to say , when bombs shoud be faling down I hope it will be on NAZI
Israel.Israel is CANCER of the Middle East and treat to world peace.
Destroy Israel and save the whole humanity.
5.
Persian on August 16, 2008
Another interesting factoid is that South Ossetia has a large contingency of Iranic people
that have lived there and that converted to Christianity after migrating to south Ossetia from
Iran (modern-day Persia) and Azerbaijan centuries ago.
Although not a primary source of authority, Wikipedia is a good starting point for
examining the demographic makeup of South and North Ossetia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossetians
This never-before mentioned factoid begs the question, of the 1500 or so Ossetian civilians
murdered by the invading Georgians, how many victims were of Iranic stock? How many
were Moslems? Was there an attempt to ethnically cleanse the region of Iranic people?
Additionally, was this incursion by U.S. backed Georgia a test-run for an attack on Iran, or
perhaps a test-run to see what Russian response capabilities are? After all, the corridor
between Russia and Iran is through Georgia.
In the event of a U.S./Israeli attack upon the sovereignty of Iran, the largest threat to the
U.S. and Israel would come from Russia and/or China. This whole invasion exercise by
Georgia upon South Ossetia could have been to test Russian response time, methods, tactics,
and to identify weaponry the Russians would conceivably use in any military confrontation
with the U.S. and/or Israel in response to an invasion upon Iran, while at the same time
neutralizing potential opposition from the Ossetia region of Georgia whose citizenry might
align with their genetically-related brethren in Iran. There are approximately 700,000 South
Ossetians of Iranic origin.
There is much more to this story than is being told and the U.S. propaganda machine is
working non-stop to mold the minds of the U.S. population that what Georgia did was
righteous and what Russia did in response was heavy-handed.
One can only wonder what the response would be if the California National Guard decided
that California should be autonomous and tried to secede from the Union. In the process, the
rebels attack a Federal military installation, kill Federal troops and civilians, and basically
terrorize the civilian population.
24
Let’s add that foreign entities assisted the rebellion (we’ll use current U.S. foes to compare
apples to apples), let’s say Venezuelan and Cuban military advisers to help to train the
California National Guard for its attack.
I wonder what would be our benevolent government’s response to such a declaration of war.
And, when the Federal troops fought back, would Russia quickly condemn the act, and
through its control of the media begin to spin the story as the Bush Administration has? I
doubt it.
This Administration is out of control, out of touch with reality, and hypocritical beyond
words.
6.
eileen kuch on August 16, 2008
This is a very eye-opening article; and I commend you, Dr. Tillawi, for your historical
research for this story, as well as its historical content in connection with the present crisis in
Georgia. The connection between “Israeli Jews” and “Georgian Jews” you point out, is the
whole motivation for Georgia’s aggression against S. Ossetia - an 800-year-old revenge for
the Russians’ historic defeat of the Khazars. Thank you for telling the truth; the Jewishowned US media certainly won’t.
7.
george in Toronto on August 16, 2008
Mel Gibson is black listed cause he said-Jews started all wars.Stupid Americans do not
believe him-What is worse-Israel can not do wrong,even exposed as criminals,such as USS
Liberty Killings and the 911 miniture nuke attacks.
:^)
8.
joel casey on August 18, 2008
lets add another demension
killing christians,which i have read that SO
was a majority.probably on rense.com
9.
Ed of St. Lou. on August 18, 2008
John on August 16, 2008
Origin of the Word Jew
Parts 1 through 3
http://christianparty.net/wm/wm0154a.html
The Etymology of the Word “Jew”
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/jew.htm
The best known 18th century editions of the New Testament in English are the Rheims
(Douai) Edition and the King James Authorized Edition. The Rheims (Douai) translation of
the New Testament into English was first printed in 1582 but the word “Jew” did not appear
in it.
25
The King James Authorized translation of the New Testament into English was begun in
1604 and first published in 1611. The word “Jew” did not appear in it either. The word
“Jew” appeared in both these well known editions in their 18th century revised versions for
the first times.
Countless copies of the revised 18th century editions of the Rheims (Douai) and the King
James translations of the New Testament into English were distributed to the clergy and the
laity throughout the English speaking world. They did not know the history of the origin of
the English word “Jew” nor did they care. They accepted the English word “Jew” as the
only and as the accepted form of the Latin “Iudaeus” and the Greek “Ioudaios.” How could
they be expected to have known otherwise? The answer is they could not and they did not. It
was a new English word to them.
There is not a person in the whole English-speaking world today who regards a “Jew” as a
“Judean” in the literal sense of the Word. That was the correct and only meaning of the word
in the 18th century . . . (Facts Are Facts, by Benjamin H. Freedman, p. 15-21).
I received a degree in Theology in 1978, from St.Louis University. Not one word of the
above was ever mentioned in any of my classes. These facts can change our understanding
of the Bible!
10.
Balder on August 19, 2008
The article is good, but I don’t really understand what you are saying here:
“Even Western Europe Jews who spoke Yiddish or a derivative off such as the Jews of
France and Germany had to have came from the Khazar Jews due to the fact that there are
no traces of Yiddish in any Western European language.”
As far as I know Jiddish is essentially a German dialect containing a number of Hebrew
expression and words.
And yes there are many traces of Yiddish in Western European languages; eg. in Dutch, but
they have probably appeared there later on.
_____________________________________________________________
http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2008/08/15/nasrallah-on-georgia-israel-and-iraq/
aug 15, 2008
Nasrallah on Georgia, Israel and Iraq
Other than Lebanon, Hasan Nasrallah in his speech yesterday [full Arabic text] talked about the
Israeli failure in Georgia, saying that these are the consequences of nation follows the Americans
agenda.
26
About Iraq Nasaralah said that even in the political process he asked the people to vote to the
political blocs that oppose the occupation, which is indirectly recommended the Sadrists.
Israel and Georgia
The export of some of these failed generals like Gal Hirsch, who went to Georgia for the training
and rehabilitation of the Georgian Special Forces. Georgia adopted Israeli experts and Israeli arms
in the face of Russia, and here they are facing failure learned from the failed generals.
What happened in Georgia these days is a lesson to all those who accept that throw fate with the
Americans to set them in war of adventures and later abandons them. They simply issue a position
for not to be blamed because their interests are more important than anything else.
Iraq
When I talk about the resistance in Iraq, I am not talking about armed criminal groups that kill
people and shed blood just for religious or political, ethnic and regional differences, this is not
resistance.
A while ago, the news came about suicide attacks targeting visitors to Karbala, this is strange and
wondrous. When men or women are ready to die and kill, why not derive them to fight the
occupation forces? You are motivates them to kill civilians, women and innocent children just
because you differ with them on a tradition or worship or habit. This is not resistance, these are
criminal groups have nothing to do with the resistance.
I am talking about the serious Iraqi resistance in different regions and different communities and we
see what is published by some media, the operations are excellent and very impressive, effective on
the future of the occupation and the occupation project in Iraq.
These honorable resistance fighters are working in difficult and very complicated conditions, but
they continue the task …..
….There is certainly widespread support in Iraq for the resistance option and the culture of
resistance in the nation in recent years …..
…..We must draw the attention of the politicians, each of the comment by saying that the turnout on
the ballot in the Iraqi elections in Any municipal or parliamentary elections are incompatible with
the higher rate of support for the resistance. As I know and many people know that the
honorable,oppressed Iraqi people are ready to take all the roads that might help him to regain their
power and their country and hold them both through military through the resistance or politically
through elections.
One Comment, Comment or Ping
1. GlobalVoices ReFeed for Reuters: Published items (items 1 to 50) - Aug 16th, 2008
__________________________________________________________________________
27
Cooperation Between Israel and the State of Georgia
Exports to Israel in 2007:
$185,680,297
Percentage change from 2006:
-23.3
Israel's rank as trade partner:
24
Total exports since 1996:
$1,638,720,373
Military Contracts with Israel in 2006 Using Foreign Military Financing:
Jewish Population in 2001:
$22,367,870
93,500
Jewish Percentage of Total Population:
1.1
Binational foundation grants shared by Georgia institutions:
BARD (1987-2005):
$3,975,000
BSF (1987-2005):
$1,432,665
BIRD (1980-2005):
$819,293
Recipients of grants from U.S.-Israel binational foundations:
21st Century Robotics
Arris Corp.
Berry College
Centers for Disease Control
Children's Hospital Medical Center
Clark Atlanta University
Emory University
Eton Systems
Emory Medical School
Georgia State
Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Research Corp.
Hays Equipment Co.
LaRoche Industries Inc.
Medical College of Georgia
OFS Fitel, LLC
SITA Inf. Networking Comp. USA Inc.
Scientific Atlanta
University of Georgia
28
University of Georgia Research Center
USDA Russel Research Center
USDA Stored Product Insects R&D Lab
Agreements with Israel
Gov. Zell Miller created the Georgia-Israel Exchange in 1992 to explore emerging technology in
both industry and agriculture, enhance trade, encourage tourism and jointly participate in economic
development programs. Georgia now has its own trade office in Israel.
In November 2005, Governor Sonny Perdue led a trade mission to Israel.
Partners For Change
The U.S.-Israel relationship is based on the twin pillars of shared values and mutual interests. Given
this commonality of interests and beliefs, it should not be surprising that support for Israel is one of
the most pronounced and consistent foreign policy values of the American people.
Today's interdependent global economy requires that trade policy be developed at the national and
state level. Many states have recognized the opportunity for realizing significant benefits by seeking
to increase trade with Israel.
Georgia is one of 22 states that have cooperative agreements with Israel. Gov. Zell Miller created
the Georgia-Israel Exchange in 1992 to “explore emerging technology in both industry and
agriculture, enhance trade, encourage tourism and jointly participate in economic development
programs.” In 1993, Gov. Miller visited Israel and stimulated new initiatives, including the opening
of an Israeli trade mission in Atlanta.
In 2007, Georgia exports to Israel totaled over $185 million.. Israel is now the State's 24th largest
trade partner. Since 1996, the value of Georgia exports to Israel has reached over $1.6 billion. The
principal exports are transportation equipment and electrical equipment and components. In
addition, Georgia companies received $22,367,870 in 2006 for U.S. government-funded military
contracts with Israel through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program (U.S. military
assistance to Israel).
Israel is certainly a place where potential business and trade partners can be found. It can also be a
source, however, for innovative programs and ideas for addressing problems facing the citizens of
Georgia.
Israel, for example, has developed a number of pioneering education programs. One, the Home
Instruction Program for Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), has been praised by President Clinton as
“the best preschool program on earth” and replicated throughout the country, including Albany,
Blackshear and Brunswick. A range of other exciting approaches to problems like unemployment,
environmental protection and drug abuse have been successfully implemented in Israel and could be
imported for the benefit of Americans.
The potential for greater cooperation with Israel for the benefit of Georgia is limited only by the
imagination.
Georgia Firms Profit From Business With Israel
29
As the only country with free trade agreements with both the United States and the European
community, Israel can act as a bridge for international trade between the United States and Europe.
Moreover, because of the deep pool of talent, particularly in hightechnology areas, Israel provides
excellent investment opportunities. Some of the nation's largest companies, such as IBM, Microsoft,
Motorola, Intel and National Semiconductor have found that it is indeed profitable to do business in
Israel.
More than 100 Georgia companies have discovered the benefits of doing business in Israel,
including BellSouth, CocaCola, Home Depot and Holiday Inn. Several now have operations based
in Israel.
Israelis have been drinking Coke for more than 25 years and it is the nation's leading soft drink.
Carol Martel, who works in the European Community External Affairs branch of the company, said
the independent bottler in Tel Aviv is one of the most hightech associated with the company, having
developed onsite advances in computerization.
The Holiday Inn name is a newer one in Israel, introduced in the last three years after Africa Israel
Investments bought a license to convert the Jerusalem Hilton to a Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza,
converted a Tel Aviv property as well and opened hotels in Tiberias and Eilat. Africa Israel is
planning rapid expansion of the chain throughout Israel, with new hotels slated to open in Eilat, the
Dead Sea and Nazareth.
Levin subsequently moved to Atlanta-based U.S. Franchise Systems, which has a partnership with
Isrotel to build a Hawthorne Suites Hotel in Tel Aviv across from the U.S. Embassy.
Ami Bental, President of Systematic Controls in Kennesaw, said he was looking to do business in
Israel and found a kibbutz on the Golan Heights that was in the same field, so he worked out a
partnership agreement to manufacture instrumentation and control systems for Israeli industry. “It
has been an extremely successful relationship,” Bental said. “Israel is a good place to do business.”
He is particularly excited about the prospects for exports from Israel if the peace process is
successful. “Our product has a tremendous future in Arab states. The potential is unlimited.”
BellSouth is part of a consortium that won the tender to operate the second cellular phone network
in Israel. The consortium now provides digital phone service at the lowest price in the world to
approximately 900,000 subscribers.
Sandy Springsbased Advance Building Supply opened the first Ace hardware store in Israel.
Atlantabased Home Depot has not gone that far yet, but it does import products from Israeli
companies.
At least three industry specific exchanges between Israel and Georgia have been organized by the
Atlantabased AmericanIsrael Chamber of Commerce to promote health care, telecommunications,
and business with software incubators. In addition, 26 Israeli companies now have U.S. or regional
headquarters in Georgia.
Israeli and Georgia companies can obtain funding for joint ventures from the Binational Industrial
Research and Development Foundation (BIRD). The United States and Israel established BIRD in
1977 to fund joint U.S.Israeli teams in the development and subsequent commercialization of
innovative, nondefense technological products from which both the Israeli and U.S. company can
expect to derive benefits commensurate with the investments and risks. BIRD funds projects in 33
30
states and the District of Columbia. Most grant recipients are small firms involved with software,
instrumentation, communications, medical devices and semiconductors.
ARRIS, a Suwanee, Georgia company who is a leading provider of broadband access and cable
telephony solutions, and Resolute Networks Ltd., the pseudowire Circuit Emulation Service (CES),
have developed an integrated end-to-end solution enabling Multi-Service Operators (MSOs) to
provision T1/E1 services over standard HFC DOCSIS infrastructure. The solution was developed
based on a grant from the BIRD Foundation.
“The BIRD Foundation is pleased to see that ARRIS and Resolute Networks have successfully
brought this solution to market,” said Dr. Eitan Yudilevich, the Executive Director of the BIRD
Foundation.
According to Bryant Isaacs, President of ARRIS New Business Ventures, “The BIRD Foundation
grant, Resolute’s TDM and CES technology expertise and ARRIS’ leadership in DOCSIS
technology and TDM over HFC have helped us productize this solution rapidly.”
Since its inception, BIRD has funded more than 740 joint hightech R&D projects. Products
developed from these ventures have generated sales of more than $8 billion, tax revenues of more
than $200 million in the United States alone and created an estimated 20,000 American jobs. Four
Georgia companies have received BIRD grants.
The AmericanIsrael Chamber of Commerce can provide additional information about BIRD and
other business opportunities in Israel (4048746970).
Scientific Innovations
Institutions in Georgia have shared with counterparts in Israel more than $1.4 million in grants
awarded by the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) since 1987. BSF was established in 1972 to
promote research cooperation between scientists from the United States and Israel. It has awarded
more than 3,000 grants, involving scientists more than 400 institutions located in 44 states and the
District of Columbia. The University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Emory are among the grant
recipients.
Albert Padwa of Emory, for example, has been working for many years with a collaborator from
BarIlan University who shares his interest in alkaloid synthesis. The compounds they are working
with can act as cancer inhibitors and have antibiotic properties; however, in their natural state they
are toxic. Padwa is working at the theoretical level to maximize the beneficial effects and minimize
the harmful ones. His colleague is the world's expert in the field and does most of the
experimentation.
"We complement each other," Padwa said, "and have published several papers together." The BSF
grant has also made it possible for the two scientists to visit each other.
BSFsponsored studies benefit the United States by extending and elaborating research to achieve
milestones that might not otherwise be reached; introducing novel thinking and techniques that led
American researchers to move in new directions; confirming, clarifying and intensifying research
projects; providing access to Israeli equipment and facilities unavailable elsewhere and early access
to Israeli research results that sped American scientific advances.
31
BSF documented no less than 75 new discoveries that probably would not have been possible
without foundationsupported collaboration. These advances included the development of new
methods and techniques, the discovery of new phenomena and major theoretical breakthroughs.
A 1999 external economic review took an in depth look at 10 BSF projects. These 10 alone,
produced aggregate benefits of $780 million, a figure four times the total expenditure of BARD
since its inception (1978). The benefits accrue to the United States, to Israel and to both countries
together.
Agriculture Benefits
The Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund (BARD) was created in 1978 with
equal contributions by the United States and Israel. Since its inception, BARD has funded more
than 800 projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia that have led to new technologies in drip
irrigation, pesticides, fish farming, livestock, poultry, disease control and farm equipment. In 2005,
28 projects were funded at 31 U.S. institutions. BARD funds projects in 45 states and the District of
Columia. Georgia institutions have shared grants worth more than $3.9 million since 1987, with the
University of Georgia receiving nearly $3 million.
Edward Law, a biological and agricultural engineer at the University's Athens campus, has received
two BARD grants. The first resulted in the development of an electrostatic sprayer system that is
now used commercially. "The system makes more effective and efficient use of pesticides," Law
said, "and can reduce the amount of toxic materials used for crop production." The system can be
used in greenhouses and for nursery plants.
Law's second grant is for basic research into the role of electric forces in the transfer of pollen. The
ultimate goal is to engineer a system to collect and reapply pollen at the most opportune time to
improve crop production.
Law's partners in these projects were from Israel's Volcani Center. "The collaboration is broadening
our base of knowledge," Law said. The relationship has worked well, he added, because his
colleague's work compliments his own.
Another professor in Athens is working on alternative technologies to produce orange juice. Kevin
Simpson explained that a "cloud" forms when orange juice is shaken. He and his collaborators hope
that gaining an understanding of the enzyme that affects the cloud will obviate the need to use heat
to produce orange juice. "I've learned a lot about citrus processing," Simpson said of the research,
which will continue for at least two more years under the BARD grant. An earlier project involving
Georgia researchers found chicken "fattiness" to be an inherited trait. They developed strategies for
breeding leaner poultry. Georgia researchers also were involved in work that produced better
guidelines for vaccines to prevent egg production losses caused by infection. Combined with other
projects that developed computer programs to help farmers optimize feed use, BARD grantees have
made it possible for Georgia poultry farmers to breed leaner, more nutritious chickens and produce
them more profitably.
Georgia also benefits from research done elsewhere. For example, BARD grantees developed a
computer model that predicts whether peach trees will have sufficient winter chill to permit normal
bloom in the Spring, or whether growers should spray them with special growth control chemicals.
Another model predicts bloom times. "By giving advance warning of possible frost damage," a
BARD report notes, "the program helps farmers mobilize in time to prevent significant losses."
Another computer model helps cotton farmers develop optimal irrigation and fertilization strategies.
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A team of agricultural economists from the Universities of California and Maryland found that the
economic benefits of just five projects - related to cotton, pecans and solarization - exceeded all
U.S. investment in BARD. Overall, BARDsponsored research has generated sales of more tan $500
million, tax revenues of more than $100 million and created more than 5,000 American jobs.
Other Cooperative Programs
In October 2004, a new partnership was launched between the University of Georgia and Hebrew
University to study the effects of terrorism on children. The program began with an international
symposium on terrorism in Jerusalem. Topics that were addressed included the effects of exposure
on terrorism and the rights of victims of terror. A second conference is scheduled for April 13,
2005, on the UGA campus. The project, aimed at improving services to terror victims, was initiated
after Mark Lusk, UGA's associate provost for international affairs visited Israel to review hospital
protocols after a terrorist attack.
In May 2007, a group of sixteen law enforcement professionals traveled to Israel to study the
counterterrorism techniques and emergency management methods of their Israeli counterparts as
part of the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange, a federally funded program run by
Georgia State University. This visit was a follow up to a 2005 trip of Israeli police to Hall County,
GA.
Sister City Agreements:
City of Atlanta City of Yehud
UJA Partnership 2000 Communities:
Atlanta Yokneam-Meggido
Hillel Campus Profiles
State Contacts
AIPAC
2839 Paces Ferry Rd., #1255
Atlanta, GA 30339
Tel. 404-333-8626
Fax. 404-333-8630
American-Israeli Chamber of Commerce-SE Region
1100 Spring St., #410
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel. 404-874-6970
Fax. 404-874-7277
Email. [email protected]
Web. http://www.aiccse.org
Atlanta Jewish Federation
1440 Spring St., NW
Atlanta, GA 30309
33
Tel. 404-870-1635
Fax. 404-874-7043
Lynn Douek, Associate Director
Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism
c/o Atid EDI Ltd
Bldg. 2, Har Hotzvim, P.O. Box 45005
Jerusalem
Israel 91450
Tel. 25710199
Fax. 25710713
Email. [email protected]
URL: www.atid-edi.com/georgia.htm
Fred Roberts Crawford Witness to the Holocaust Project
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322
Tel. 404-329-6428
Israeli Consulate
1100 Spring St., N.W., #440
Atlanta, GA 30309-2823
Tel. 404-875-7851
Fax. 404-874-5364
JCRC, Jewish Federation
1753 Peachtree Rd.
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel. 404-873-1661
Fax. 404-874-7043
Jewish Federation of Augusta
P.O. Box 15443
Augusta, GA 30919
Tel. 706-737-8001
Jewish Federation of Columbus
P.O. Box 6313
Columbus, GA 31907
Tel. 706-568-6668
Jewish Federation of Savannah
P.O. Box 23527
Savannah, GA 31403
Tel. 912-355-8111
Zachor Holocaust Center
1753 Peachtree Rd. NE
Atlanta, GA 30309
Tel. 404-873-1661
Fax. 404-874-7043
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