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Is Iranian Lt.-Gen. Mofaz The Next Prime Minister Of Israel?

 
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cyrus
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:11 pm    Post subject: Is Iranian Lt.-Gen. Mofaz The Next Prime Minister Of Israel? Reply with quote

Is The Iranian Jew Lt.-Gen. Mofaz The Next Prime Minister Of Israel ?

Lt.-Gen. Mofaz to run for Likud leadership

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3172781,00.html



Defense minister holds press conference, declares he won't join Sharon, but rather, remain in ruling party, run in primaries
Attila Somfalvi

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has turned down the prime minister's request to join his new party, opting to remain in the Likud and throw his hat into the party's leadership race.

"In recent weeks I have said more than once that I'll stay in the Likud. I decided to stay in the Likud and I plan on running in its primaries," Mofaz said at a press conference held at his Tel Aviv office at the Ministry of Defense.

With the statement, the defense minister disengaged from his political patron, Ariel Sharon, who picked him as defense minister despite the fact Mofaz was not a part of the Likud list for the 16th Knesset.

"I think that, these days, the Likud needs a leader who can combine security experience, statesmanship, and social issues," Mofaz told journalists. "I represent these aspects and I intend on running for the Likud leadership, and winning," he added.

Knesset Member Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Mofaz's statement and called him to offer his congratulations. "You made a responsible and intelligent move," Netanyahu told Mofaz.

Mofaz attempted to explain why he delayed announcing his decision to remain in the Likud, saying: "This morning the prime minister asked me to join his government and to continue as defense minister. When the prime minister turns to you, you have to weigh it seriously."

Earlier, a source in the Prime Minister's Office said the defense minister sent a message to Sharon saying that he would stay in the Likud for the time being. The source said that this would not be "the final world" on the matter.

Moran Zelikovich contributed to this report


Last edited by cyrus on Tue Nov 29, 2005 2:00 am; edited 5 times in total
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:18 pm    Post subject: Iranian Jew Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz Minister of Defense Reply with quote

Iranian Israeli Jew Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz Israel Minister of Defense



Source : http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/mofaz.html

Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, born in Iran in 1948, is married with four children. He immigrated to Israel in 1957. In 1966 he joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and as a paratrooper, in the Six-Day War he fought in the Negev. He then filled command positions in the Paratroop Brigade. He commanded the Paratroop Reconnaissance Unit and a paratroop battalion, served as a Deputy Paratroop Brigade Commander, and commanded the Paratroop Brigade. During the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee, he was an infantry brigade commander. He received a BA in business administration from Bar-Ilan University and attended the Command and Staff College of the US Marine Corps. Subsequently he served as the Commander of IDF Officers School.

1986-88 Commander of the Paratroop Brigade
1988 Promoted to Brigadier-General
1988-90 Held senior position in Ground Corps Command
1990-92 Commander of the Galilee Formation
1993-94 Officer Commanding IDF forces in Judea and Samaria
1994 Promoted to Major-General
1994-96 G.O.C. Southern Command
1996-97 Chief of Planning Branch of the General Staff
1997 Deputy Chief of General Staff and Chief of General Staff Branch (J-3)
1998-2002 Became sixteenth Chief of General Staff

In November 2002, Shaul Mofaz was appointed Minister of Defense. He is married with four children.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaul Mofaz
Minister of Defense



Source:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/2000_2009/2003/2/Shaul%20Mofaz

Lieutenant-General (res.) Shaul Mofaz, was born in Iran in 1948 and immigrated to Israel in 1957.

In 1966 he joined the IDF, and as a paratrooper in the Six-Day War he fought in the Negev. He then filled command positions in the Paratroop Brigade. He commanded the Paratroop Reconnaissance Unit and a paratroop battalion, served as a Deputy Paratroop Brigade Commander, and commanded the Paratroop Brigade. During the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee, he was an infantry brigade commander.

Mofaz received a BA in business administration from Bar-Ilan University and attended the Command and Staff College of the US Marine Corps. Subsequently he served as the Commander of IDF Officers School.

1986-1988 Commander of the Paratroop Brigade
1988 Promoted to Brigadier-General
1988-1990 Held senior position in Ground Corps Command
1990-1992 Commander of the Galilee Formation
1993-1994 Officer Commanding IDF forces in Judea and Samaria
1994 Promoted to Major-General
1994-1996 G.O.C. Southern Command
1996-1997 Chief of Planning Branch of the General Staff
1997 Deputy Chief of General Staff and Chief of General Staff Branch
1998-2002 16th Chief of General Staff

In November 2002, Shaul Mofaz was appointed Minister of Defense, and was reappointed to this post upon the formation of the new government in February 2003.

He is married with four children.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:35 pm    Post subject: Newsweek Shaul Mofaz-A Military Option Is Not on the Agenda Reply with quote

‘A Military Option Is Not on the Agenda’

In a wide-ranging interview, Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz rules out strikes against Iran and raises doubts about whether Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has what it takes to forge a permanent peace.


Mofaz believes the best way to deal with Iran is through diplomacy

Haraz N. Ghanbari / AP
Mofaz believes the best way to deal with Iran is through diplomacy

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916789/site/newsweek/

WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Michael Hirsh
Newsweek
Updated: 6:54 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2005
Nov. 3, 2005 - Shaul Mofaz is a tough Likudnik, but he’s also shown a pragmatic willingness to negotiate with his enemies. The Israeli defense minister was born in Tehran, and he believes diplomacy can still work despite Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call last week for Israel to be “wiped off the map.” Mofaz has forged a deep working relationship with younger Palestinian leaders such as Mohammed Dahlan, the Palestinian civil-affairs minister and security chief for Gaza. And Mofaz suggests that real peace will have to await their ascension to the president's office. As the man responsible for implementing the Gaza disengagement plan, Mofaz also met last week with President Hosni Mubarak, along with Egypt’s defense minister and intelligence chief, forging a previously unreported agreement on regional security. This week he is in Washington to meet senior U.S. officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. On Wednesday he sat down for an interview in his suite at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel with NEWSWEEK’s Michael Hirsh. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Let’s talk about Iran. This is a very personal issue for you in some ways. I understand you were born in the same city, Tehran, as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president.
Shaul Mofaz: Yes, I was born in Tehran, and I came to Israel when I was 9 years old, in 1957 … I can tell you that what Ahmadinejad said about erasing the state of Israel from the map, [combined with Iran’s] surface-to-surface missiles and the fact that they have a high desire for achieving nuclear power, is a real threat against the state of Israel but also against all the Western countries. Under the nuclear umbrella in the future [Iran] will be a threat to all the world.

As a person who knows Iranian culture, what do you think is going on inside the Iranian regime? Do you think Ahmadinejad was speaking for the Iranian government, and that his views represent a new level of extremism for the regime? Or were his comments to a group of anti-Zionist students just an indiscretion on his part?
It is a new level of extremism in the regime. I'm not sure what it reflects for the population. I know there is a gap between the Iranian people and the regime ... I believe for the time being the diplomatic channel is the main one, and the United States along with the European countries should put this on the table of the U.N. Security Council, to talk about sanctions and a very deep and large inspection of all Iran’s nuclear locations.

Are you concerned that the Iranian game is to draw out the negotiations so they can get to the point where their nuclear program is advanced enough and dug deeply enough into tunnels that there is no longer any military option against it?
Well, a military option is not on the agenda today.


Today?
It’s not on the agenda. But … we know that the Iranians are supporting and harboring terror. They support Islamic Jihad, they support other terrorist organizations, including Hizbullah. Remember the Karin A, the ship we captured in January 2002. That occurred after [the late Palestinian President Yasir] Arafat met with representatives of Iran, and they produced a special line of armaments for the Palestinians. The goal was to send 50 tons of arms to the hands of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians promised the Iranians in return they would give them security for Iranian terror groups coming to Israel. This was the deal. We were very lucky to expose it. But I believe. as I said, that this type of threat can be brought to the Security Council with the leadership of the United States and the European countries.

But Iranian support of Hizbullah and other groups is not the main focus of that diplomatic effort. The diplomacy is focused almost entirely on the nuclear issue. Do you have any leverage over the Iranians against their alleged support for terrorist groups other than rhetoric?
The main threat is the nuclear … But speaking about the support for Hizbullah, there is another side too: Syria. They support Hizbullah financially, and they are not allowing the Lebanese Army to come to the south of Lebanon to deal with security there.

Clearly there are a lot of reasons to be skeptical about whether the European-led negotiations with Tehran can forge a solution. Is that really the only option? Is there no military leverage at all?
I believe today we should make the best effort in the diplomatic channel. And there is a chance that by putting pressure on Iran, a decision in the U.N. Security Council [will] delay or stop an Iranian nuclear capability.

Is it really satisfactory to you to merely delay the Iranian nuclear program when you see this as an existential threat to Israel?
I believe we should make our best effort to achieve the maximum we could achieve by diplomatic channels, before thinking about other channels.


But what would satisfy your security concerns?
What would satisfy us is that the Iranians do not reach a point of no return in enriching uranium.

But right now they’ve converted quite a bit of yellowcake into UF-6 [the feedstock for enrichment]—some 30 tons—and are upgrading their Natanz enrichment facility.
We have a few years until they reach this point [enrichment], and I hope the diplomatic effort will delay this.

Some analysts have concluded that the Israelis don’t have a military option any longer—as you once did against Iraq’s Osirik reactor—because the Iranian program is too complex, too spread out, and dug in too deep.
I’m telling you that a military option is not on the table now
.

Regarding the disengagement from Gaza, there are deep concerns about the rising power of Hamas and whether they’re re-equipping, and infiltration over the open border with Egypt. Just last week it was revealed that two Palestinians were captured coming across the Negev Desert into the West Bank. How concerned are you about this and Mahmoud Abbas’s ability to deal with all this?
The disengagement was so rapid that they [the Egyptians] couldn’t prepare themselves for responsibility in this area. But since they took responsibility for the Philadelphi corridor [on the border between Gaza and Egypt], the amount of smuggling has decreased. There are still some measures they need to be taking, but the deployment of border guards is effective. And they are stopping the smuggling of arms and people from one side to the other. But still they have to do more.
Is there intelligence cooperation?
Well, mainly there is cooperation between two central operational “rooms” on the Egyptian and Israeli sides.

The fact that you caught these two guys coming in from the Negev—is that evidence that you’re sharing operational intelligence with the Egyptians? Or did you just get lucky?
We understood a year ago that area of the Israeli-Egyptian border between Karem Shalom to Eilat, we don’t have a fence. So we needed to operate in a different way. We have more troops in this area, we are going to have a lot of sensors and devices to make sure we will see the picture and have intelligence. So we are becoming more effective.


So I gather that you don’t see a need to put a lot more pressure on the Egyptians on this issue?
I was in Egypt last week. I had a meeting with President Mubarak, the defense minister and the minister of intelligence. We decided they will increase their activity along the Philadelphi area, the two operational rooms will start to coordinate their activity along the border, and they should deploy patrol boats … And they promised me they would be more effective in the coming period. Also we decided we would be more cooperative on other issues [including] global terror.

On the Roadmap [plan for peace], are the U.S. and Israel in complete agreement that the next moves have to come from President Abbas, or Abu Mazen, as he is also called?
The implementation of the withdrawal plan was very painful, very difficult, but very bold step for Israel. We think that today it is the Palestinian turn to take action. We should move forward on the first phase of the Roadmap plan and President Bush’s vision. The first phase is the dismantlement of the terrorist infrastructure. … But there is no move on the Palestinian side since the declaration of Abu Mazen in the Sharm al-Sheikh summit on Feb. 8, in which he said he would create one authority, one rule, under one gun. And still there is no one gun. More than that, our feeling is that Abu Mazen’s intentions are good, to move forward, but there is a vacuum of leadership under him. There are some [views] among the Palestinian leadership that it is not our problem, it is Abu Mazen’s problem … The Palestinian security groups are not effective. They are not taking any active steps against the Palestinian terror groups, there is no one man that is controlling all Palestinian security, and there is a lack of chain of command and control of Palestinian security groups.

What is very important is that the election of the Palestinian Parliament will take place on Jan. 25. Everybody knows that Hamas intends to participate in this election, and we believe that a terror organization that is committed to the destruction of Israel cannot be part of this election. We will not interfere … but on the other side we are not going to support it.

Weren’t you quoted as saying that peace will take a generation to achieve?
No, I said that Abu Mazen has good intentions but there is a lack of activity in Palestinian security groups and they are not united under one man. So I said for a permanent agreement [to be achieved], it will be the next generation of the leadership—which exists today. They are waiting for the day after Abu Mazen. I don’t want to mention names … Abu Mazen is doing his best, but he doesn’t have the support among the other leaders of the Palestinian people.


For Better Format Go To Source: Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9916789/site/newsweek/
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 2:40 pm    Post subject: Iranian Jew Lt.-Gen. Mofaz to run for Likud leadership Reply with quote

cyrus wrote:
Iranian Jew Lt.-Gen. Mofaz to run for Likud leadership

Source: http://www.ynetnews.com/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3172781,00.html



Defense minister holds press conference, declares he won't join Sharon, but rather, remain in ruling party, run in primaries
Attila Somfalvi

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has turned down the prime minister's request to join his new party, opting to remain in the Likud and throw his hat into the party's leadership race.

"In recent weeks I have said more than once that I'll stay in the Likud. I decided to stay in the Likud and I plan on running in its primaries," Mofaz said at a press conference held at his Tel Aviv office at the Ministry of Defense.

With the statement, the defense minister disengaged from his political patron, Ariel Sharon, who picked him as defense minister despite the fact Mofaz was not a part of the Likud list for the 16th Knesset.

"I think that, these days, the Likud needs a leader who can combine security experience, statesmanship, and social issues," Mofaz told journalists. "I represent these aspects and I intend on running for the Likud leadership, and winning," he added.

Knesset Member Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Mofaz's statement and called him to offer his congratulations. "You made a responsible and intelligent move," Netanyahu told Mofaz.

Mofaz attempted to explain why he delayed announcing his decision to remain in the Likud, saying: "This morning the prime minister asked me to join his government and to continue as defense minister. When the prime minister turns to you, you have to weigh it seriously."

Earlier, a source in the Prime Minister's Office said the defense minister sent a message to Sharon saying that he would stay in the Likud for the time being. The source said that this would not be "the final world" on the matter.

Moran Zelikovich contributed to this report



We welcome the News that Iranian Jew Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz is running for leadership and possible Prime Minister position in democratic state of Israel.
ActivistChat supports all Iranians who are running for leadership position in any democratic countries in the FREE World.
Fellow ActivistChat members please let us know what you think and how can we best support Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz for leadership position in Israel?


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PostPosted: Wed Nov 23, 2005 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Fellow ActivistChat members please let us know what you think and how can we best support Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz for leadership position in Israel?


I consider myself familiar with Israeli Politics, so I will answer as best I can.

The best way would be to write letters to major Israeli News Outlets like Haaretz endorsing him, and talking to Israelis, and trying to interview him times and put the interviews in the open, since he has not been a major figure in Israeli Politics for very long, and most Israelis are not very familiar with him. The third would be to try to get him to apologize to the United States for arms deals with China again, and to try to get him to do it very fast.

He is most likely going to win the Likkud Primaries, but I doubt he will win the elections.

He is just not well known enough, while his competition Peretz and Sharon are both household names in Israel and are both (Sharon more so then Peretz) very famous internationally as well. Their views and political convictions are known by everyone, and people are confident that niether are going to waffle on anything.

Early Elections are not going to give him much of a chance to change things, he has only a few months infact.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 12:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Morning Light wrote:
Quote:
Fellow ActivistChat members please let us know what you think and how can we best support Lt.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz for leadership position in Israel?


I consider myself familiar with Israeli Politics, so I will answer as best I can.

The best way would be to write letters to major Israeli News Outlets like Haaretz endorsing him, and talking to Israelis, and trying to interview him times and put the interviews in the open, since he has not been a major figure in Israeli Politics for very long, and most Israelis are not very familiar with him. The third would be to try to get him to apologize to the United States for arms deals with China again, and to try to get him to do it very fast.

He is most likely going to win the Likkud Primaries, but I doubt he will win the elections.

He is just not well known enough, while his competition Peretz and Sharon are both household names in Israel and are both (Sharon more so then Peretz) very famous internationally as well. Their views and political convictions are known by everyone, and people are confident that niether are going to waffle on anything.

Early Elections are not going to give him much of a chance to change things, he has only a few months infact.


Thank you for information.
In US election money plays important role, is it similar in Israel or not?
Is there any limit in the political contributions in Israel?
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 24, 2005 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, campaign money is essential so a candidate can pay for things like campaign adds, but in Israel grassroots organizations do a lot of campaigning to for free and can sometimes be just as effective.

As it stands now though I wouldn't really bet on Mofaz winning, what I am predicting is that he will go into coalition after either Sharon or Peretz wins.

Naturally though a surprise certainly is possible.
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PostPosted: Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:59 pm    Post subject: Cabinet Communique Reply with quote

Cabinet Communique

27 Nov 2005

Source:
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Government/Communiques/2005/Cabinet+Communique+27-Nov-2005.htm

(Communicated by the Cabinet Secretariat)
At the weekly Cabinet meeting today (Sunday), 27 November 2005:

1. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz, OC Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Aharon Zeevy (Farkash) and the Deputy Director of the ISA briefed ministers on current security matters regarding events in the north as well as the Syrian and Iranian issues insofar as they are linked to Hizbullah and what is taking place in Lebanon. They discussed the scope and number of recent terrorist attacks and terrorist attack warnings, the Rafah and Erez crossings and the struggle against Islamic Jihad, Hamas and Hizbullah.

Defense Minister Mofaz said that Hizbullah’s kidnapping attempt - which was accompanied by a rocket barrage at border communities and outposts - was at the center of recent events on the northern border. He said that the IDF deserved praise for its deployment to foil terrorist attacks and the kidnapping of soldiers on the northern border. The IDF responded by attacking Hizbullah targets, both with combat aircraft and artillery. The Defense Minister said that Hizbullah had failed both tactically and strategically.

Regarding Judea and Samaria, Defense Minister Mofaz arrests and counter-terrorist operations are continuing, mainly against Islamic Jihad infrastructures; pinpoint counter-terrorist activity is currently being focused on “ticking bombs.”

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that Hizbullah has repeatedly tried to kidnap and attack both soldiers and civilians. He said that such attempts must be paid careful attention and added that there must be complete readiness and alertness in order to foil Hizbullah’s intentions. He commended the action of IDF commanders and soldiers regarding the foregoing and sent a letter to this effect to GOC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Udi Adam.

2. The Cabinet discussed and approved the partial master plan for the Nitzanim area and northern Ashkelon, pursuant to its authority under the 1965 Planning and Construction Law.

The goal of the plan is to establish residential communities as part of the overall solutions proposed to the residents of the Gaza Strip and northern Samaria in the framework of the Disengagement Plan, while maintaining and fostering the open spaces between Ashdod and Ashkelon via their statutory preservation, by assuring the reciprocal relationship between the new communities and the unique local environment, and by the urban development of Ashkelon.

The plan details two residential communities, including housing solutions and public services for the target population. The plan also provides for - inter alia - the expansion of the community of Nitzan, a commercial and service area, an interchange, parks and beaches, an electricity substation, an area for urban development, open space, etc. In addition to the designation of nature reserves, the plan defines the remaining areas up to Highway #4 as a scenic agricultural area in order to assure the quality and continuity of the open areas under the plan.

3. The Cabinet discussed and approved the national integrated master plan for construction, development and preservation, pursuant to its authority under the 1965 Planning and Construction Law.

4. The Cabinet discussed a request to allow the Public Security Ministry to accept contributions in order to establish a crime-reduction unit regarding theft, and pursuant to its authority under the 1959 Civil Service Law (Political Party and Fundraising Classification) to allow the Public Security Ministry to receive contributions from the insurance companies’ association and the rental car companies association in order to provide 40% of the financing for establishing and operating an Israel Police unit to combat vehicle theft.

5. The Cabinet approved the appointment of Asher Yarden as Consul-General in Houston, Texas (US).

6. The Cabinet began a discussion of security at educational institutions and decided that security work at educational institutions and on public transportation will be defined as preferred employment pursuant to the National Insurance Law. The Cabinet will continue the discussion at its next meeting.

7. The Cabinet approved a draft agricultural produce marketing law and authorized the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to prepare a final draft and submit it to the Knesset.

8. The Cabinet discussed government companies’ absorption of employees from among Gush Katif and northern Samaria evacuees and decided as follows:

A. Companies bound by the 1975 Government Companies Law that need new employees shall also apply to the Center for Employment Training and Advice for Gaza Strip and northern Samaria evacuees, which is operated by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Employment, or whoever shall be determined by the Industry, Trade and Employment Minister, so that the Center may suggest to the company an employment candidate from among the aforementioned evacuees.

B. The Center will have the same timeframe for referring employment candidates that the company gives to other bodies.

C. In considering such candidates, the companies will take into account the unique employment and other circumstances of the evacuees that may make it difficult for them to find alternative employment.

D. Employment candidates from among the evacuees will be given preference provided that they have similar qualifications to other candidates.

E. The Director of the Government Companies Authority shall receive monthly updates from Government companies on the following subjects:
i) The number of open positions,
ii) The number of new employees absorbed by the company,
iii) The number of new employees absorbed from among the evacuees.
The Director will pass these updates onto the relevant ministers.

F. This decision is valid until 31 December 2006.

This decision does not interfere in determining which positions are to be filled by employees from among the evacuees. By taking into account natural turnover among Government company employees and by leaving considerations in the hands of the companies, such infringement of the companies’ business considerations as may exist is minimized and a balance is found between this minimal infringement on the one hand and the broad public interest on behalf of which the Government has enacted this decision on the other.

This decision shall not apply to those companies that are operating according to recovery plans that bar them from hiring new employees.

9. The name of the Office of the Vice Premier is changed to the Negev and Galilee Development Ministry.

Pursuant to Article 25A of Basic Law: The Government MK Ruhama Avraham is appointed Deputy Minister in the Interior Ministry; the Knesset will be duly notified of MK Avraham’s appointment.
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PostPosted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:13 pm    Post subject: Interview with Menashe Amir Reply with quote

Interview with Menashe Amir

One on One: Short wave's long arm



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ruthie Blum, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 14, 2006


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Officially retired, yet unofficially as busy as ever, Voice of Israel Farsi broadcaster Menashe Amir greets me at the door of his home in a flurry of activity. With Iran the hot topic of the hour, Amir is in high demand these days. Having spent the better part of a century becoming a renowned radio personality in his native land through transmissions from his adopted one (he made aliya in 1959), his daily contact with Iranians who phone in comments to his programs is probably as good a gauge of Iranian public sentiment as you can get.

And his assessment - in a nutshell - is that the people of Iran are desperate to be rescued from the repression of their current regime.

Entering his Arab-style house in the Jerusalem suburb of Har Adar, one might initially mistake the venue for Teheran. Persian carpets, cabinets and art abound - items purchased, Amir says, during his many pre-revolution visits to his country of origin.

A large, flat-screen TV facing the dining table (cluttered with dog-eared Hebrew newspapers) is tuned in to Al Jazeera, which is airing footage of Osama bin Laden, apparently in connection with the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

Amir turns down the volume to focus on our hour-long interview, in which he asserts that the Iranian people "don't buy [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad's view" of the world. He also emphasizes the urgency of American intervention to inspire insurgency in Iran, before the nuclear capabilities of its "fanatical" Shi'ite leaders catch up with their cause: global jihad.

As a former Iranian who has spent most of his life encouraging and working toward internal reform and regime change in Iran, what odds do you give that option today, in the face of Ahmadinejad's nuclear program and declarations of intent?

What's happening in Iran causes me great sadness. I always perceived the Iranians to be quiet, peace-seeking, life-embracing, culture-loving people. Since the [Islamic] revolution [in 1979], however, Iran has undergone a kind of national metamorphosis, and become increasingly war-driven and xenophobic. We used to love foreigners and considered them special. We were always hospitable to visitors from abroad. Today, the Iranian regime encourages hatred of foreigners, particularly those from the West. The current regime cultivates two main concepts - jihad (holy war) and shehada (martyrdom) - according to which you go to war to kill others, and if you yourself are killed in the process, you go to Paradise.

You say Iran has undergone a kind of national metamorphosis. Do you believe there are nations which lend themselves to such transformations more easily than others - such as the Germans under the Third Reich?

There are indeed similarities between Ahmadinejad's rise to power and Hitler's. Up until World War I, the Germans were cultured, peace-loving people who underwent a form of brainwashing when Hitler arrived on the scene.

As Hitler did, Ahmadinejad goes around the country making speeches in which he praises the people - the youth, the women, the religious - telling them how wonderful and capable they are. He says things like: "We'll build Paradise together."

Is he charismatic?

Not in the least. But he's gradually learning. And he is aiming his tactics of persuasion outside of Iran, as well. For example, he sent a letter to [US President George W.] Bush praising the American people, while criticizing their leaders. He also sent a letter to [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel in which he wrote that the Holocaust was a fabrication of the Allies created to keep Germany in a state of humiliation and defeat.

You're saying that he stresses the positive in order to be able to preach the negative?

He strokes egos; he flatters. This is his way of arousing sympathy and support. He always says, "The Iranians want..." He doesn't say, "I want," or "The regime wants..."

Look, Ahmadinejad is not a new phenomenon in Iran; he's simply more direct. He says the same things that Khomeini said and that [Supreme Leader Ali] Khameini says.

Nevertheless, I'm slightly uncomfortable about comparing the Nazi regime to the Iranian, because Iran has not talked about exterminating the Jews. It distinguishes between Israel as a political, geographical entity and the Jews as a people. Jews are supposedly protected in the Koran, and Islam needs religious minorities - Jews and Christians - in order for the picture to be whole.

In addition, the world is much more open than it was during the period of Nazi Germany. Mass communication enables the Iranians to know more or less what is going on in the rest of the world. And they don't really buy the regime's or Ahmadinejad's view of it.

When you say, "The Iranians don't really buy Ahmadinejad's view," which Iranians are you referring to?

Mainly those in the cities - the middle class - who comprise more than 60 percent of the population. These are the ones who are exposed to TV, radio and the Internet.

The Voice of Israel in Farsi has a few million listeners every day. There's also the Voice of America, the BBC, Radio France, a German station, and even a Voice of America TV program which is broadcast three hours a day.

How does the regime allow this? Why aren't the transmitters shut down?

There are too many of them, so while the regime does jam many radio stations, it can't jam all of them. Nor is jamming hermetical. The same goes for satellite dishes. Though there's a law against them, there are more than two million.

But they're visible on rooftops.

Yes, and for a month now, there has been a crackdown. People from the regime have been climbing the rooftops and throwing the dishes to the ground. The next step will be entering people's homes to remove the dishes from their balconies. But there are simply too many. Which is why on our broadcast, we keep telling our listeners that maybe the regime can do away with 100, 1,000 or even 10,000 dishes. But they can't do anything about 70 million Iranians.

How do your listeners respond?

They say: "You're right, but there's no one to lead our struggle against the regime." They claim that if there were someone to take that role on, it would be possible to topple it very quickly.

Do you actually mean to say that in spite of a majority of Iranians opposing the regime, the only reason they're not taking action is the absence of a single individual to lead them? And if so, isn't that a harsh statement about Iranian mentality?

Repression is so strong that any potential leader who arises is arrested, punished and sometimes even killed. As a result, no such leader can emerge from within the country. As for outside of Iran, neither of the two potential opposition leaders is really an option. One is Massoud Rajavi, the leader of People's Mujahedin; the other is Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah.

Rajavi is hated in Iran for having cooperated with Saddam Hussein in Iraq and for promoting an Islamist-Marxist state. Pahlavi has many admirers, but they haven't forgotten the bad things his father did during his reign. This lack of opposition leadership is a major problem.

Another problem is that the Iranians have shown that material goods are more important to them than lofty notions such as freedom. There have been some violent demonstrations in Iran over the former, yet the people aren't so willing to take to the streets and risk getting killed for the latter - especially since the last time they took to the streets and succeeded in toppling the regime, they saw what they got in its place.

Are you not saying, then, that the Iranian people are responsible for their plight? Being willing to demonstrate to better their material condition, yet unwilling to fight for "lofty notions such as freedom" means that they see no connection between freedom and the ability to thrive economically.

That's true.

Yet you continue to make a distinction between the regime and the people.

Absolutely. The people are peace-loving and humane, while the regime is made up of a group of extremists who believe in holy war and martyrdom.

How do the people view the United States?

Iranians love America. They love American music; they love the English language; they love the good life of the US. The fact is that of the three million Iranians who fled the country, at least half went to the US. Today, according to official data, there are 900,000 Iranians in the US. Unofficially, the number is far greater, probably around a million and a half.

This is why the current Iranian regime hates America, and why Khameini and Ahmadinejad keep portraying it as a hub of prostitution and crime and a repressor of other nations.

It is also why, when the US invaded Iraq and toppled Saddam Hussein, listeners phoned in to our broadcast and said: "Please tell Bush that we also need a visit from him."

The Iranian people are waiting for the US to save them?

Yes. And another caller said that if an American soldier arrives in Iran, "We not only won't kill him, we'll cooperate with him, shoulder-to-shoulder, to topple the regime together. When I asked why he was hoping for the intervention of a foreign country, he said that neither the regime in Afghanistan nor the regime in Iraq fell until the US intervened. "And we're unable to do it by ourselves," he said. So, from a moral, political-international perspective, it is important for the US to aim its efforts toward Iran.

The bulk of the ills of the Middle East today emanate from Iran. If there were an America-friendly regime in Iran today, the situation in Iraq would be far better. Much of the current bloodshed in Iraq is due to Iran's inciting the Shi'ites against the US on the one hand, and providing Sunni groups with money and weapons with which to fight the Shi'ites on the other. This is because Iran knows that as long as America is ensconced in the Iraqi quagmire, it won't be freed up to deal with Iran.

Then there's the Palestinian front and peace with Arab states. Iran is the state most actively fighting peace treaties. It transferred weapons to the PA; it established and funds the Islamic Jihad; it is the greatest supporter of Hamas; it created Hizbullah; it is engaging in attacks against American and NATO forces in Afghanistan; it is contributing to the Islamization of Turkey; and it is bolstering immigrants in Europe and radical African-American groups in the US.

Furthermore, Iran is in the process of developing missiles with a 5,000-kilometer range, which could hit the heart of Europe. It is working on a 10,000-km missile - the Shihab 5 - which could reach America's East Coast. It produces all kinds of military materiel, including tanks and planes. It has close to a million soldiers. Soon, we'll be hearing about its occupying outer space.

If the Iranian people want to topple the regime, and much of the rest of the world is beginning to grasp the danger it is in, how do you explain the lack of action against Ahmadinejad, who is merely a man - a lone despot?

I'll answer that by paraphrasing Ahmadinejad: "The Western world is a setting sun. It is old, tired, lazy, war-weary, fond of the 'good life,' and very fearful of death. Islam, on the other hand, is a rising sun. It is dynamic, young, dedicated, decisive, and willing to die. Islam will soon take over Europe demographically, and is steadily growing in the US. Global Islam - the one that calls for jihad - is strengthening. This is attractive to the younger generation, who are in a conceptual vacuum, now that Communism is finished - and Western capitalism can't attract youth."

Where are all the supposedly moderate Islamic religious leaders? Are there none in Iran who counterbalance the focus on jihad?

Unfortunately, the number of peace-loving religious leaders in Iran and the rest of the Islamic world is decreasing. This is due in part to the failure of secular Islamic and Arab regimes - such as Egypt and Jordan - to improve the lot of the masses.

Furthermore, Iran's repressive regime silences any Ayatollah who thinks differently.

Basically what you're saying, then, is that it makes no difference whether the Iranian people have an affinity for the West; nor does it make a difference that there is a consensus in the West about the Iranian threat. So why bother encouraging regime change, if it has no practical application, and no chance of success?

The Iranian regime is Shi'ite. The meaning of "Shi'a" is that its followers determine their leaders. In other words, they decide to follow a certain ayatollah. It's like with the Satmar Jews. Shi'ite Muslims choose their rebbe. The greater the number of believers in an ayatollah, the greater he becomes. His followers give him money with which he creates a financial empire, establishing religious schools and other tools for spreading his word.

Because the Iranian regime is religious, it claims to have been given legitimacy by the people. The minute the people take to the streets to denounce it, it will lose its legitimacy. This is what distinguishes it from a military regime.

But you said that the masses won't take to the streets.

This shouldn't prevent the world from taking action. There is potential there, and - rightly or wrongly - the people don't feel equipped to deal with it on their own. And it's in the world's interest to take the task on, because as soon as the regime changes in Iran, many Mideast issues will resolve themselves: the nuclear problem; the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan; Syria will collapse; and the obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians will be removed.

The US can and should invest resources to bring this about. There is no need for it to invade Iran militarily.

How then?

By providing the Iranian people with the financial and political tools to stage an uprising.

Money is all it takes?

Also a lot of painstaking work. Establishing cells of resistance, among other things.

If a military invasion isn't necessary, why can't Israel do the job?

Our listeners often raise that question. They say that Cyrus the Great [the founder of the Persian empire] liberated the Jews from Babylonia, gave them money and told them to rebuild the Temple. So, the logic goes, the Jews owe a historical debt to Cyrus, and now is the time for them to repay it by rescuing us.

Here, I have my reservations. Israel is too small and economically weak to pioneer this mission. A country that can't afford to help its own poor and elderly certainly can't handle such a major undertaking.

Part of the reason that Israel has no money is its being under endless existential threat, which eats up large chunks of its resources. If toppling the Iranian regime would solve many of the problems in the Middle East, including - as you claim - the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, wouldn't its funds be freed up to deal with domestic ailments?

Much of this subject is classified, but I will say that I have never favored Israel's spearheading this endeavor. But once the US paves the way, Israel could certainly contribute its wealth of experience and knowledge to to it.

Weighing Iran's imminent nuclear capability against the "painstaking" work of toppling the regime by assisting internal resistance, what is the likelihood that regime-change will precede the bomb?

According to Intelligence estimates - barring sudden Iranian breakthroughs - it will take another five years for Iran to have a bomb. This is a sufficient time in which to topple the regime through internal uprising, which is the cheapest, fastest and least bloody of all solutions.

Having said this, however, I'm not so optimistic about the West's willingness to undertake it.

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1157913624766&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull



To see Israel,s TV please go to:
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