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Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili (Reuters)
OPINION: By not aiding Georgia, Israel harming efforts on Iran
By Brenda Shaffer
Tags: Russia, Iran, Israel, Georgia

One of the first telephone calls I received from overseas in the summer of 2006, while missiles were showering on Haifa and the north, was from a senior adviser in Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's bureau.

He said the president had instructed him to call me and say he was willing to fly over immediately to display solidarity with Israel in its hour of need. He said the president was willing to land his presidential plane in Haifa to underscore his support for the north. Haifa University preferred that he come after the academic year's opening, and so he did. Misha, as he is called, did not fear or hesitate to come to Haifa when Israel needed help.

His country has provided a warm home to Jews for thousands of years, and Tbilisi is an unequivocal ally of the United States and Israel in the war against terror and some of the efforts to block Iran's nuclear development.
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Officials and members of the Georgian elite feel badly let down by Israel's failure to display solidarity with Georgia in its time of need, despite the support it extended Israel in the past. But beyond that, the results of the war in the Caucasus could affect the entire Middle East, not only Israel's relations with Georgia.

Unless the U.S. makes a significant move soon, it (and Israel) will lose credibility among numerous states in the post-Soviet region and beyond. In the past, changes in perception of the international power balance in the U.S.'s favor produced the Oslo process and led Arab states to join the American coalition against Iraq in the first Gulf War. They also brought about several changes in the area, which strengthened Israel.

The absence of an American response to a loyal ally like Georgia would make the leaderships of Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhtan an even Iraq and Afghanistan wonder how far they could trust the U.S.

The war in the Caucasus will have repercussions on the international efforts to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The relations between the U.S. and Russia have direct implications on Moscow's policy toward Iran. If the crisis leads to a new arrangement in Russia-U.S. relations, Russia's cooperation with the West would improve.

However, a continued deterioration in the relations between Russia and the U.S. could bring Russia and Iran closer. In addition, Tehran is learning from the crisis in the Caucasus. If the U.S. fails to help its ally in Tbilisi, Tehran's power will increase. On the other hand, serious American activity in Moscow's back yard would teach Tehran a completely different lesson.

Israel could - and still can do more - for its ally Georgia, even without affecting its relations with Moscow. Georgia needs massive humanitarian aid, airborne medical teams and declarations by President Shimon Peres.

Israel is always demanding that Europe "does the right thing" - give up large economic deals in the Middle East and expose itself to terror and the Iranian threat, in order to prevent harming Israel's security. By sitting on the fence when Georgia is under attack, Israel is undermining the legitimacy of these requests.

To Jerusalem's credit it must be said that at the beginning of the crisis it (together with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations) declared recognition of Georgia's right to preserve its territorial integrity  this implies the separatist areas South Ossetia and Abkhazia as well. (See feature on Georgia in Weeks End page 1.)

Dr. Brenda Shaffer of the Department of Asian Studies at Haifa University is an expert on Central Asia and the Caucasus region.

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      1.   Good Article 02:04  |  Danny 15/08/08
      2.   Israel has done quite enough for Georgia Danny... 02:36  |  BBSNews 15/08/08
      3.   It`s Not Too Late to Do the Right Thing 02:45  |  Jane 15/08/08
      4.   Oh, REALLY? 03:27  |  Axel 15/08/08
      5.   Brenda Shaffer _ Israel Did What It Could! Go Back To Your 04:07  |  Eli 15/08/08
      6.   Ridiculous! 04:17  |  Paul 15/08/08
      7.   What about common sense? 04:24  |  MARK KLEIN, M.D. 15/08/08
      8.   BBSNews - New Sheriff in Town 05:36  |  Fish 15/08/08
      9.   #3 Hello Jane. `Israel behind the scenes.` 05:36  |  Maureen Ann 15/08/08
      10.   A very tough one 06:04  |  Ron 15/08/08
      11.   Israel receives aid, does not give it 06:11  |  Natallie Durson 15/08/08
      12.   Russia and Iran 06:24  |  Thomas 15/08/08
      13.   Dr Shaffer 07:02  |  BamBoo 15/08/08
      14.   Israel and Georgia 07:32  |  Otto Rand 15/08/08
      15.   Israel and the US Immediately Sent Humanitarian Aid, Natallie. 07:34  |  Alan 15/08/08
      16.   Israel Needs to Clean Its Laundry At Home 07:41  |  Markus 15/08/08
      17.   That ain`t the half of it 07:51  |  Colin Wright 15/08/08
      18.   The case of Iran should be liquidated without delay. 08:22  |  Jean Van Daem 15/08/08
      19.   Author is right 08:33  |  Gili 15/08/08
      20.   We Americans do not want a war with Russia that Georgia started 09:54  |  Tupac 15/08/08
      21.   Giving jobs to unemployed Israeli generals. Highly paid too... 09:55  |  S 15/08/08
      22.   Israel and Georgia= terrorist states 10:00  |  Russian 15/08/08
      23.   Same mad eyes as Bush, Blair and Bibi 10:01  |  Chanalau, Tova 15/08/08
      24.   Need for action on Georgia 10:10  |  Aaron 15/08/08
      25.   13 Colin Wright - A Play from Nixon-Kissinger? 10:36  |  Mark of Lewiston 15/08/08
      26.   16 Tupac - Haven`t You Learned? 10:47  |  Mark of Lewiston 15/08/08
      27.   By not aiding 11:22  |  Ralph 15/08/08
      28.   The ones harming efforts against Iran nukes 12:15  |  Joseph.E 15/08/08
      29.   #10, Otto, Georgian sovereignty already compromised 12:16  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 15/08/08
      30.   Misha the new Don Qixotes 12:16  |  Steve the Pals. 15/08/08
      31.   to #10-Israel and Georgia and Iran 12:23  |  jerri i 15/08/08
      32.   by NOT aiding??? 12:47  |  Sergei 15/08/08
      33.   Europe is divided, Israel must not 13:36  |  Jonathan S 15/08/08
      34.   Russian 13:41  |  x-ray 15/08/08
      35.   Military aid must also contain manouvers... 13:49  |  The Archives 15/08/08
      36.   With the withdrawal of Russian troops, more 13:57  |  The Archives 15/08/08
      37.   # 24 CJK 14:09  |  Axel 15/08/08
      38.   durson #7: Once again you reveal your hatred towards Jews. 14:17  |  Vittorio 15/08/08
      39.   Cipora Julianna Kohn#24 clueless as usual 14:45  |  Roo 15/08/08
      40.   Neither Israel nor US need lunatic Saakashvili as a friend 15:33  |  Dr.L. Brnd 15/08/08
      41.   Saakashvily is a glimmer of hope - Support Georgia 16:35  |  IchBinEinGeorgier 15/08/08
      42.   Don`t ignore the Armenia-Turkey conflict 17:50  |  Anonymous 15/08/08
      43.   Georginan army and Israeli help 17:54  |  Nick Potzayid 15/08/08
      44.   Dr.L. Brnd #36 Analysis on Saakashvili is spot on. 18:19  |  examiner 15/08/08
      45.   draw the line 18:22  |  frenz 15/08/08
      46.   Jews wiped out or saved in South Ossetia? 18:36  |  Anonymous 15/08/08
      47.   Loyalty? From Olmert? He doesn`t have it to his own people 19:51  |  Alain 15/08/08
      48.   Jane and the `Right Thing` #3 20:39  |  Roo 15/08/08
      49.   New Warsaw Pact 20:39  |  Michael 15/08/08
      50.   Brenda Shaffer and Georgia 20:42  |  Goldie Klugman 15/08/08
      51.   To Nick Potzayid 20:47  |  Otto Rand 15/08/08
      52.   I AM ASKING YOU ABOUT IRAQ MR SAAKASHVILI 20:50  |  indrajaya 15/08/08
      53.   A Sad Day 21:00  |  Objectivity 15/08/08
      54.   Cipora Kohn 21:15  |  Otto Rand 15/08/08
      55.   Goys versus Oil ? Part # 1 21:35  |  North American 15/08/08
      56.   Jane and the `Right Thing` #3 21:39  |  Roo 15/08/08
      57.   The Goys and Oil 22:17  |  goldie klugman 15/08/08
      58.   Paramilitary Thugs - Serbia, Russia, Abhazia, Ossetia - Pogrom? 23:08  |  NoToPogroms 15/08/08
      59.   Europe invited Russia to rape Georgia 23:20  |  Jonathan S 15/08/08
      60.   #8 Fish - Don`t concern yourself with BSnews 23:21  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
      61.   American Jewish Organizations said what? 00:02  |  Pssd Off American 16/08/08
      62.   Give the Georgians Arrow Defense 00:04  |  Bob 16/08/08
      63.   #25 Kissinger not smart 00:25  |  jpudentain 16/08/08
      64.   NoToPogroms (#58) 00:40  |  jjvanka 16/08/08
      65.   aid to georgia 00:56  |  tom 16/08/08
      66.   Oh look, another Haaretz article blaming Israel for stuff 01:00  |  Steve Randolph 16/08/08
      67.   For Brenda Shaffer 01:05  |  TonyL 16/08/08
      68.   Jean Van Daem 02:06  |  Persian Kitty 16/08/08
      69.   How is it different ? 02:32  |  truth 16/08/08
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