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Last update - 00:00 25/10/2006

Strengthening the moderate axis

By Haaretz Editorial

A series of events over recent months has increased the fears of many governments in the Middle East of the growing power of Iran and its allies. The rise of Hamas to power in the Palestinian Authority, the war between Israel and Hezbollah, and Iran's insistence on pursuing its nuclear program, have strengthened the sense among the rulers of Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf States that they are facing a wave of extremist Islam that endangers both their regimes and regional stability.

The result has been the coalescing of an "axis of moderates" in the Arab world, standing alongside Israel and the United States against Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah, with the goal of halting the rise of extremist forces and maintaining the balance of powers in the Middle East.

The new alignment expresses itself in many ways. The Arab League has renewed its Beirut initiative for a comprehensive peace with Israel, thus facing off against calls by Iran's president for the destruction of the Jewish state. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met twice with her counterparts in the moderate Arab countries. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan are assisting PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas in his struggle against Hamas. Egypt and Qatar attempted to intercede in a deal to obtain the release of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit, and when talks failed, they blamed Hamas and not Israel. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has been invited to Qatar.

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From Israel's point of view, there is prime diplomatic and security significance to the organizing of friendly forces in the Arab world, with which Israel shares common interests and which oppose extremist Islam and terror. In the present situation in the PA, and in the face of the increasing threat from Iran, the chance for a renewal of the peace process occurs within a regional context. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has recognized this, and in his recent speeches has praised the "axis of the moderates." This week Olmert called for the creation of a "joint platform with them, which will help in dealing with the Palestinian issue."

However, Olmert has apparently forgotten that Israel must do its part to strengthen the axis of moderates; declarative statements are not enough. The leaders in Cairo, Amman and Riyadh will find it difficult in terms of public opinion in their countries to justify moderate positions in the face of aggressive behavior on the part of Israel, which ignores their internal and regional exigencies.

The expansion of construction in settlements and in the outposts, most of which are slated for evacuation, serves no purpose and only complicates a future solution to the conflict. The addition of Avigdor Lieberman to the government, with his extremist views on Israel's Arabs and his belligerent threats against the Palestinians and neighboring countries, shows that Israel is heading toward a showdown and not a compromise with the Arab world.

The actions of the army in the Gaza Strip in the middle of the Id al-Fitr holiday shows contempt and disregard for the feelings of the Palestinian public and the entire Muslim world. Talk of expanded military action in Gaza, which will certainly only increase with Lieberman in the cabinet, is a bad sign of things to come.

Now is the time to stop and reevaluate the government's policies, so that they will suit Israel's wider interests and not only short-term political and military considerations.

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1.	Misuse of Language	12:04	\|	Rowan Berkeley	25/10/06

2.	Allow me to tell you about the "moderates"	12:20	\|	Maral	25/10/06

3.	Israel views moderate arabs regimes as no more than	12:22	\|	Israeli	25/10/06

4.	Minding our own affairs	12:31	\|	sh	25/10/06

5.	What A Crock!	12:39	\|	Yishai Kohen	25/10/06

6.	Egypt, Saudi Arabi, Jordan and Qatar are our slaves	12:53	\|	Israeli	25/10/06

7.	Taking the High Maral Ground	12:56	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

8.	By "not giving a hott", Ronnie...	13:03	\|	Maral	25/10/06

9.	RE: Misuse of Language (#1)	13:15	\|	SZ	25/10/06

10.	MODERATES vs "MODERATES"	13:15	\|	Mr. Confused	25/10/06

11.	Israeli :Interesting comments	13:16	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

12.	Maral: Disarming?????	13:25	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

13.	Ronni: I disagree with you	13:38	\|	Israeli	25/10/06

14.	Yes, Ronnie, disarming	13:38	\|	Maral	25/10/06

15.	Israeli: Ask Hamas to drop the Charter	13:58	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

16.	MARAL Hisbala was not just an "incursion".Why the deception.	14:11	\|	PETER SM	25/10/06

17.	Maral: Lebanon`s democracy	14:13	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

18.	Maral: let`s look at the details	14:16	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	25/10/06

19.	Yishai Cohen and the "Arabs"	14:35	\|	Nahman Umani	25/10/06

20.	Peter, as long as you`re willing to "admit"..	14:39	\|	Maral	25/10/06

21.	Oh Haaretz and Zionists! I love your double-standards	14:40	\|	ahmad	25/10/06

22.	The only thing should be done is send Haaretz to Mecca	14:47	\|	Sal	25/10/06

23.	Ronnie, is Israel a "democracy"?	14:50	\|	Maral	25/10/06

24.	Margie: dead soldiers first or Qantar?	14:53	\|	Maral	25/10/06

25.	8o% of the lebanese are fond of the hizb	14:58	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

26.	ronnie...change of charter will be the outcome..not	14:59	\|	Israeli	25/10/06

27.	maral is a fibber by profession	15:00	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

28.	maral why should israel nurse-maid the moderates	15:03	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

29.	maral "had israel kep its word"	15:05	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

30.	Zadok, not misleading you	15:13	\|	Maral	25/10/06

31.	Ronnie, is Israel a "democracy"? (2nd try)	15:16	\|	Maral	25/10/06

32.	To Ronnie: About lebanese democracy	15:24	\|	Elie	25/10/06

33.	Sunni States cannot prevent Shiite terrorism against Israel	15:39	\|	B	25/10/06

34.	Maral	15:39	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	25/10/06

35.	Ahmad	15:40	\|	skylark	25/10/06

36.	Brains People	15:42	\|	Paulo	25/10/06

37.	Israeli: Ahmandinejad`s Comments are not for Peace	15:45	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

38.	Reiterating Zadok, Maral, the deal for Kuntar	15:46	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

39.	I 100% Agree With the Editors	15:49	\|	Jane	25/10/06

40.	Maral: Israeli democracy and Lebanon?	15:59	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

41.	Elie: Israel Cannot Wait	16:06	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

42.	Even Haaretz is afraid to say it...	16:07	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

43.	Don`t do it for them, do it for yourselves	16:09	\|	Rebekah S	25/10/06

44.	"Misuse of language" and European neo-relativism	16:28	\|	Paul	25/10/06

45.	# 35, skylark : TRUE CHARACTER of these MODERATES	16:31	\|	ahmad	25/10/06

46.	Every Monday and Friday Haaretz Under Different Postures	16:33	\|	Joseph E .	25/10/06

47.	what "moderates"?	16:41	\|	David Teich	25/10/06

48.	The stumbling block!	16:48	\|	Honi	25/10/06

49.	maral "shocking isn`t it?	16:51	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

50.	Leaders and Followers	16:51	\|	BP Diplomacy	25/10/06

51.	To Ronnie: Israel cannot wait	16:53	\|	Elie	25/10/06

52.	Jacob Blues , zadok & prisoners of Lebanon	16:58	\|	Margie in Tel Aviv	25/10/06

53.	maral "lebanon was handling the situation internally"	16:59	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

54.	Moderates do not exist	17:01	\|	Brod	25/10/06

55.	maral "did you expect the lebanese to attack their	17:08	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

56.	maral when two lebanese meet	17:10	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

57.	There Are No Moderates -	17:17	\|	Terry	25/10/06

58.	maral "terrorising lebanese fishermen"	17:17	\|	zadok the priests	25/10/06

59.	maral "issues at hand"	17:18	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

60.	Expansionist Israel, Ibrahim?	17:20	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

61.	"maral" moderate arabs	17:21	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

62.	maral"why not give up the sheba farms"	17:26	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

63.	Jacob Blues, as usual, avoiding difficult issues.	17:30	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

64.	Palestinian Zionism	17:35	\|	abram epstein	25/10/06

65.	maral# 24 "dead soldiers and qantar"	17:40	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

66.	Ibrahim on fixed borders	17:40	\|	peter	25/10/06

67.	margie	18:03	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

68.	Haaretz Friendly gestures	18:04	\|	Altalena	25/10/06

69.	Western `outside` corruption	18:12	\|	Jeff	25/10/06

70.	Make peace with Iran	18:19	\|	Rabbi Toni Jutner	25/10/06

71.	peter, spare me the simpleton posts.	18:23	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

72.	Not a question of blame, Ibrahim, but of facts	18:46	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

73.	Rabbi Toni Jutner: YOU ARE MY MAN !!!!	18:47	\|	ahmad	25/10/06

74.	As for peace, Ibrahim, I listen to the words of HAMAS	18:49	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

75.	PA media promotes Anti-Semitism	19:04	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

76.	Jutner is not a rabbi #70	19:10	\|	FOX	25/10/06

77.	ISRAELI	19:13	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	25/10/06

78.	Ibrahim on Peter #72	19:18	\|	FOX	25/10/06

79.	ibrahim "i am not biting"	19:22	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

80.	What a Bunch of Jokers	19:22	\|	Gabe1	25/10/06

81.	#64	19:24	\|	Jeff	25/10/06

82.	Two Jews -A.Epstein and T. Jutner	19:24	\|	Gabe1	25/10/06

83.	ibrahim the issue is projectiles	19:25	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

84.	the Jews are the children of Allah	19:27	\|	Mullah Ahmad	25/10/06

85.	Labor should leave if no peace diplomacy	19:35	\|	steve	25/10/06

86.	Strenghtening the moderate axis in Israel	19:40	\|	Voice of Reason	25/10/06

87.	That is a leading Newspaper for real "PEACE"	19:45	\|	Sharif Hafez	25/10/06

88.	Jacob Blues, and what is the theme?	19:48	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

89.	Cipora	19:51	\|	Gabe1	25/10/06

90.	FOX on extremism.	19:52	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

91.	"Moderate" Axis	19:57	\|	P. J. Casey	25/10/06

92.	Ibrahim sell it to the arab world	20:15	\|	peter	25/10/06

93.	Isolating Ibrahim?	20:16	\|	Jacob BLues	25/10/06

94.	Yes, Israel is expanding in the West Bank, Ibrahim	20:20	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

95.	Yes, Israel is expanding in the West Bank, Ibrahim	20:20	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

96.	Ibrahim, getting down baby #90	20:20	\|	FOX	25/10/06

97.	87 - Abbas a Peace Partner?	20:30	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

98.	88: Fences make good neighbors	20:34	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

99.	70 - Rabbi?	20:39	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

100.	Wrongheaded Thinking is Why Problems Get Worse	20:58	\|	Rick	25/10/06

101.	#89, Gabe1	21:01	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	25/10/06

102.	Wrongheaded Thinking is Why Problems Get Worse	21:03	\|	Rick Geiger	25/10/06

103.	#S.HAFEZ THE EGYPTIAN:YOU GUYS SET THE ME ON FIRE	21:10	\|	gabriel	25/10/06

104.	Jacob Blues....always justifying more violence	21:21	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

105.	1001 ARABIAN NIGHTS:Part3.MARAL AND THE STATE OF UTTER DENIAL	21:24	\|	gabriel	25/10/06

106.	FOX advocating the swiss cheese border plan	21:25	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

107.	Everything in Moderation	21:27	\|	Joe	25/10/06

108.	Jake the Snake, and Israel`s responsibilities?	21:29	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

109.	a start Mr Epstein	21:31	\|	joe	25/10/06

110.	#2 Maral you are lacking of MORAL	21:45	\|	Vittorio	25/10/06

111.	Moderate Muslim nations crush Muslim extremism mercilessly	21:50	\|	AV	25/10/06

112.	Confused Over Mr Confuse	22:07	\|	Tony Anthony	25/10/06

113.	ibrahim leaves behind the thin veneer of	22:11	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

114.	Ibrahim	22:11	\|	skylark	25/10/06

115.	is ibrahim really marla in drag?	22:16	\|	zadok the priest	25/10/06

116.	Almost there Ibrahim, almost	22:17	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

117.	Time for you to look in your own mirror, Ibrahim	22:22	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

118.	to Yishai Cohen	22:35	\|	Otto Rand	25/10/06

119.	As for the dispute, Ibrahim	22:36	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

120.	Indeed Ibrahim, Fairness and honesty is what I strive for	22:45	\|	Jacob Blues	25/10/06

121.	Look in the mirror	22:54	\|	Otto Rand	25/10/06

122.	Elie of Argentina: Wait for What?	23:01	\|	Ronnie Wolman	25/10/06

123.	121 - Appeasement does not work	23:02	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

124.	106 - Swiss Cheese?	23:04	\|	Bruriah Sarah	25/10/06

125.	Israel is INCAPABLE of "strengthening moderates"	23:08	\|	sk	25/10/06

126.	Jacob Jazz Blues on entitlement	23:09	\|	Ibrahim	25/10/06

127.	No Balance of Power in Beth HaNasi	23:28	\|	asa	25/10/06

128.	?????????????????????	00:28	\|	Akiva Patish	26/10/06

129.	Ibrahim hushes up quickly, why?	00:29	\|	peter	26/10/06

130.	to maral	01:01	\|	citizen zero	26/10/06

131.	121 - Appeasement does not work	01:28	\|	Nabi too	26/10/06

132.	To 74 - you want war	01:32	\|	Joe	26/10/06

133.	peter from montreal has as much credibility...	01:38	\|	Ibrahim	26/10/06

134.	MARAL No country allows the Hisbala type action without response	02:02	\|	PETER SM	26/10/06

135.	To Bruria Sarah	03:50	\|	Otto Rand	26/10/06

136.	OTTOP RAND Extreme behaviour is NOT the Israeli majority.	05:48	\|	PETER SM	26/10/06

137.	Strengthening the moderate axis	06:55	\|	Ibraheem	26/10/06

138.	Zadok the serial poster	08:09	\|	Maral	26/10/06

139.	#138, Maral, re Zadok	09:33	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	26/10/06

140.	to Margie #18	11:48	\|	zeev	26/10/06

141.	133: Ibrahim`s delusion of credibility	12:49	\|	David Teich	26/10/06

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