THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION
Back at work after a job trip to Sabah. Spent the night at a hotel which uncannily reminds me of the Bates Motel in "Psycho". The tivi only offered two channels - RTM2 and a "monitored" ASTRO channel. What I meant by "monitored" is that while I`m watching the ESPN Channel, suddenly, the menu appeared on the screen and some invisible force, without my consent, switch the channel to something else. Thank god, the CNN channel was on for a long time, so I get to catch up with some interesting news- A380 maiden flight, more than 80 passengers died in a train crash, some unidentified Hong Kong-China legal crisis etc....as I was on my 150th kuaci, then, I saw Putin emerged (not from the bathroom) but in the tivi, all smiley, waving the diplomatic wave with Sharon beside him. Putin is visiting Israel apparently or unless CNN thought it `s a great joke to superimpose both state leaders in one news feature photo. So, Putin has lots of agenda in hand.
Surprisingly, I am not surprise. Putin was in Israel in 1997 and 1998, but that was before he is President. The visit was hailed as "historic" as the politically observant lot out there realized how was (or maybe is) the Russian-Israeli relation. Despite Moscow `s gesture of solidarity during the 1948 Israel-Arab War ( Russia helped Jews get arms from Czech ), Russian switched support and backed the Arabs from 1955 to mid-70s. During the 1956 Sinai Campaign, Russia threatened to attack Israel. Oh, don't forget that the Israelies will still remember how the Russian pilots attacked their Skyhawk before they ambushed the Russian pilots- Israel-5, Russian-1. What a prolific record of feud!
Now, Putin wants to be nice and start a whole new chapter with the Israelis. What`s in it for Putin? For a man who is a President that can launched thousands of missiles, what`s in all this for him? C'mon, there must be prawn under the mee! Lets hear from Sharon himself:-
Reporter: Mr. PM, what do you think of Vladimir Putin `s visit to your country?
Ariel Sharon: what do I think? Is he here to claim for the fighter jet we ambushed in the 70s?
Reporter: No, Mr.PM, I think he `s here to start a new harmonious relation with Israel, care to make any comments?
Ariel Sharon: Oh, OK...I feel the Russians are eager to become an empire once again.
The phrase in bold is in fact his true statement. However, the news reported that spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Alexei Drobinin has maintained that the visit is designed to promote relations between the two countries, discuss the whole range of issues relating to the bilateral cooperation and the Middle East process. In short, it is a nice visit, no "gaduh-gaduh"!
I don't know. as a blur layman who has no political science degree, I`m betting on the I-want-to-build-an-empire reasoning. Sounds a lot more dramatic and cool. Sounds a lot more like Putin, exactly. Russia is one of the Quartet that drafted "the road map" (read: plastic attempt that calls for reciprocal Israeli and Palestine confidence building measure) I am calling it a plastic attempt because United States ( the State that sells arms to Israel ) is part of this. After playing the low-profiled peace broker behind the road map, it seems Putin wants to make Russia `s presence noticed. he`s planning to have a Peace Conference on Middle East in Russia!
Would Israel and US enjoy the idea of having a third party intervene in their concocted plan? Haaretz press noted that "the Prime Minister never had an intention to let anyone, except Amricans, have a foothold in the political process".. I would have added " especially a State that `s selling SA-18 anti-craft missiles to Syria and supported Iranian nuclear program. The Russian connection is reviving in the Arab world. Another aspect that I guess does not rest well with Israel is that the Russian connection is also growing in their own backyard. Historically, Russian Jews that could not agree with the rise of Russian nationalism came to Palestine and were among the Israel `s founding fathers. Sharon `s parents were also "refugees" that fled Soviet rebels and came to Palestine. 1 million people emigrated from the former Russia to Israel in the last 15 years. This surely affects to a certain extent, the cultural and social aspect of the Jewish community in Israel. Oh, Sharon himself speaks Russian by the way.
With this mumbo-jumbo facts and profiles of Russian-Israel love-hate relationship, what have I formulated? Number 1- Russia wants to make a strong come back and put the State in an influential position in the global politics. Taking a frontline peace broker position in the Palestine-Israel peace talk uplifts the State `s profile ( if not credentials) some notches up, almost like attempting to level themselves with US as world super power. Number 2- the Russian connection in Arabs to me is primarily the "money-connection". Russian `s building up on their arms business in the conflicting Middle East pretty well. Number 3- I am sceptical about Putin wanting to use this platform to tighten Russia `s ties with the Israel`s citizens who are Russians. Putin even wants to extradite three of the "oligarchs" - the Jewish tycoons that won their riches during the Soviet Union break up and resided in Israel. Why the extradition? To give them a banquet dinner once they are back in Moscow? I doubt it.
State leaders who are peace-broker "wannabes" so far had very poor record in performing their task. If there is no gain in the engagement - profit and power, would these countries be willing to throw in time and money in the prolonging peace process. All that is obviously a long-term investment for their own interest!
Surprisingly, I am not surprise. Putin was in Israel in 1997 and 1998, but that was before he is President. The visit was hailed as "historic" as the politically observant lot out there realized how was (or maybe is) the Russian-Israeli relation. Despite Moscow `s gesture of solidarity during the 1948 Israel-Arab War ( Russia helped Jews get arms from Czech ), Russian switched support and backed the Arabs from 1955 to mid-70s. During the 1956 Sinai Campaign, Russia threatened to attack Israel. Oh, don't forget that the Israelies will still remember how the Russian pilots attacked their Skyhawk before they ambushed the Russian pilots- Israel-5, Russian-1. What a prolific record of feud!
Now, Putin wants to be nice and start a whole new chapter with the Israelis. What`s in it for Putin? For a man who is a President that can launched thousands of missiles, what`s in all this for him? C'mon, there must be prawn under the mee! Lets hear from Sharon himself:-
Reporter: Mr. PM, what do you think of Vladimir Putin `s visit to your country?
Ariel Sharon: what do I think? Is he here to claim for the fighter jet we ambushed in the 70s?
Reporter: No, Mr.PM, I think he `s here to start a new harmonious relation with Israel, care to make any comments?
Ariel Sharon: Oh, OK...I feel the Russians are eager to become an empire once again.
The phrase in bold is in fact his true statement. However, the news reported that spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, Alexei Drobinin has maintained that the visit is designed to promote relations between the two countries, discuss the whole range of issues relating to the bilateral cooperation and the Middle East process. In short, it is a nice visit, no "gaduh-gaduh"!
I don't know. as a blur layman who has no political science degree, I`m betting on the I-want-to-build-an-empire reasoning. Sounds a lot more dramatic and cool. Sounds a lot more like Putin, exactly. Russia is one of the Quartet that drafted "the road map" (read: plastic attempt that calls for reciprocal Israeli and Palestine confidence building measure) I am calling it a plastic attempt because United States ( the State that sells arms to Israel ) is part of this. After playing the low-profiled peace broker behind the road map, it seems Putin wants to make Russia `s presence noticed. he`s planning to have a Peace Conference on Middle East in Russia!
Would Israel and US enjoy the idea of having a third party intervene in their concocted plan? Haaretz press noted that "the Prime Minister never had an intention to let anyone, except Amricans, have a foothold in the political process".. I would have added " especially a State that `s selling SA-18 anti-craft missiles to Syria and supported Iranian nuclear program. The Russian connection is reviving in the Arab world. Another aspect that I guess does not rest well with Israel is that the Russian connection is also growing in their own backyard. Historically, Russian Jews that could not agree with the rise of Russian nationalism came to Palestine and were among the Israel `s founding fathers. Sharon `s parents were also "refugees" that fled Soviet rebels and came to Palestine. 1 million people emigrated from the former Russia to Israel in the last 15 years. This surely affects to a certain extent, the cultural and social aspect of the Jewish community in Israel. Oh, Sharon himself speaks Russian by the way.
With this mumbo-jumbo facts and profiles of Russian-Israel love-hate relationship, what have I formulated? Number 1- Russia wants to make a strong come back and put the State in an influential position in the global politics. Taking a frontline peace broker position in the Palestine-Israel peace talk uplifts the State `s profile ( if not credentials) some notches up, almost like attempting to level themselves with US as world super power. Number 2- the Russian connection in Arabs to me is primarily the "money-connection". Russian `s building up on their arms business in the conflicting Middle East pretty well. Number 3- I am sceptical about Putin wanting to use this platform to tighten Russia `s ties with the Israel`s citizens who are Russians. Putin even wants to extradite three of the "oligarchs" - the Jewish tycoons that won their riches during the Soviet Union break up and resided in Israel. Why the extradition? To give them a banquet dinner once they are back in Moscow? I doubt it.
State leaders who are peace-broker "wannabes" so far had very poor record in performing their task. If there is no gain in the engagement - profit and power, would these countries be willing to throw in time and money in the prolonging peace process. All that is obviously a long-term investment for their own interest!
posted by GEE at 9:56 AM
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