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Last update - 09:45 18/02/2008 Dangerous safe haven By Anshel Pfeffer Tags: Jews, Iran, Israel, Mugniyah Let us entertain the purely theoretical hypothesis that despite its denials, Israel is behind the killing of Hezbollah's chief operations officer, Imad Mughniyah. In that case, one would presume that some of the highest ranking decision-makers held a meeting - if not a series of meetings - to discuss the implications of the assassination. Did anyone think twice when the forum finished discussing the near-certainty that Hezbollah would avenge the death by striking Jewish targets abroad rather than inside Israel? Was the advent of a murderous attack on Diaspora Jews part of the considerations that guided the Israeli leadership in deciding to okay the hit? Should it have been part of those considerations? Advertisement Like it or not, Jews all over the world are automatically identified with the State of Israel. The attack on the building of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires in 1994 and the bombings in synagogues in Istanbul over the past couple of years have proven that the Diaspora is Israel's soft underbelly. The level of security in Jewish communities around the world varies. In countries like Turkey, which has experienced a recent terrorist surge, and Germany, with its unique and historic trauma, entering a synagogue or a Jewish school is like entering a submarine. In such places, the Jewish community's structures are situated inside fortified military compounds, guarded by a significant police presence. In other countries, like the United States, for example, security is lax to nonexistent. In any case, potential targets are not in short supply. From a security perspective, Israel's ability to provide security to Jews around the world is limited. After all, they reside in sovereign countries as the subjects of governments whose job it is to provide security for their citizens. This, therefore, presents a very difficult dilemma. Israel was founded, first and foremost, to be a safe haven for all Jews. In that respect, actions that are meant to contribute to Israel's security should in fact contribute to the security of Jews living outside Israel. Except those Jews are at once exposed to grave physical danger in the form of reprisals for Israel's said actions. The explosion in the AMIA building in Buenos Aires killed more Jews than all the anti-Semitic incidents around the world that have since occurred. Shouldn't these figures bind the prime minister to consider them before okaying the next hit? Shouldn't our moral debt to our brethren in the Diaspora - who helped with their money and efforts to augment Israel's military and political strength - be part of our scheme of considerations? Or have we covered these debts by forming a safe haven for all Jews? Despite their better interest, world Jewry is a part of Israel's ongoing war against Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. But it's difficult to see how Israel can take their concerns into account each time it plans to inflict a significant blow on one of these organizations. This is not about ineptitude on the part of government bodies. Expanding and upgrading the authority enjoyed by bodies handling the connection with the Diaspora Jews would not alter the fatal equation. Israel needs to ensure its long-term survival, even if it means risking the lives of Jews elsewhere. This system of considerations, which this article oversimplifies to some degree, can be presented in more concrete terms. It can be focused around a single fateful decision which would have immediate repercussions for Jews living in the Diaspora. The 25,000 Jews living in Iran are direct hostages vis-a-vis any decision Israel and the U.S. make about the Iranian nuclear issue. One can assume that in case Iran is attacked, the Iranian regime would retaliate by striking Jewish targets abroad. How important a factor is the fate of the Jews of Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz when considering whether to strike or not? Iranian Jews are not held captive today. They are able to emigrate. The main impediment is financial, since they would have to leave most of their assets behind. Only several hundred took the opportunity and left Iran in 2007. Those who stayed are aware of the risks to the survival of this age-old community, but they opt to remain. One could argue, it appears, that Israel is directly responsible for their fate in the same way it is responsible for the fate of other Jews in the Diaspora: Their security needs to be a component in the risk-assessment process, when these risks are weighed against the potential gains. But it cannot be the supreme consideration, when measured against a clear Israeli security interest. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Intrigue at Heathrow According to the BBC, an IDF general dodged arrest as U.K. police feared shootout. Decency in remission A Ramat Yishai widow is suspected of faking cancer to receive donations.   1.   Do Israels decision makers care about Diaspora Jews....???? 10:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   2.   WHAT`S new Hesbala long ago said they wanted to kill ALL Jews. 10:08  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   3.   One of the reasons Israel does such things 10:11  |  Chanalau, Tova 18/02/08   4.   Israel doesn`t worry about the Diaspora for a microsecond 10:21  |  Clickfool 18/02/08   5.   Dino, but you aren`t a Jew 10:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 18/02/08   6.   #4 boris the clucking fool makes a point 10:42  |  v hardman 18/02/08   7.   # 5 Margie in Tel Aviv 10:43  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   8.   Die or survive upright 10:43  |  Metanomski 18/02/08   9.   Israelis Actions Constantly Endager Worlds Jewry 10:44  |  Lev Bronstein 18/02/08   10.   They do not care 10:51  |  David Ferrara 18/02/08   11.   dangerous thesis 11:19  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/02/08   12.   V Hardman is Right! (Post No. 6) 11:27  |  Johnny Weintraub 18/02/08   13.   Israel a heaven sent for every Jew 11:30  |  Jonathan S 18/02/08   14.   #5, Margie, T.A. 11:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 18/02/08   15.   to Clickfool 11:34  |  Harry 18/02/08   16.   You are next? 11:42  |  joshe 18/02/08   17.   The Jewish people at risk 11:45  |  Cecilia B 18/02/08   18.   "BRONSTEIN" What was the excuse before you had the Israel excuse? 11:55  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   19.   the question posed is rendered completely moot... 11:55  |  eric 18/02/08   20.   # 14 Cipora Julianna Kohn 12:08  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   21.   BRONSTEIN.The Arab war of extermination was NOT insidious 12:15  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   22.   PETERSM RE BRONSTEIN 12:24  |  danny 18/02/08   23.   # 4 Clickfool 12:28  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   24.   Peter SM - Jews Make Their Own Beds 12:42  |  Lev Bronstein 18/02/08   25.   FERRARA THE mistake is&was Arab intolerance,rejectionism& self- 12:49  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   26.   #4 youare wrong 12:53  |  Rab Burns 18/02/08   27.   Hammer & Anvil 12:57  |  Jeroen de Jager 18/02/08   28.   SWISS DINO 13:10  |  DANNY 18/02/08   29.   So what? 13:23  |  Nicole 18/02/08   30.   BRONSTEIN Look around you &see how many killed by Islamists 13:29  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   31.   trotsky still has an ice pick in his brain 13:33  |  v hardman 18/02/08   32.   # 28 DANNY 13:44  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   33.   Peter SM 13:53  |  reminder 18/02/08   34.   "REMINDER" you have a memory lapse.Jewish presence was continuous 14:07  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   35.   Perhaps the estabishment of the `jewish` state of israel was a 14:26  |  lakshmi 18/02/08   36.   Jews are responsible for each other - whether you like it or not 14:43  |  Boris 18/02/08   37.   Jews are responsible for each other - whether you like it or not 14:43  |  Boris 18/02/08   38.   Jews are responsible for each other - whether you like it or not 14:43  |  Boris 18/02/08   39.   feeling in my guts 16:08  |  Reisz 18/02/08   40.   Once there are Murderous attacks against DJ 16:37  |  Amnon 18/02/08   41.   to anshel pfeffer whatever that means 16:40  |  Proud Israeli 18/02/08   42.   # 11 Cipora Julianna Kohn 16:48  |  Harald 18/02/08   43.   Jewish safety 16:54  |  howiej 18/02/08   44.   #5 thnaking the antizionists/anti semites. 16:58  |  Hilda 18/02/08   45.   hi. folks, shouldn`t have the crew of enola 17:10  |  bozhidar balkas 18/02/08   46.   Jews are not safe because of Israel`s terrorism 17:11  |  * BEN JABO 18/02/08   47.   #44 hilda 17:11  |  Harald 18/02/08   48.   Israel doesn`t care.............. 17:27  |  Deborah 18/02/08   49.   the most deplorable article i ever read on haaretz 18:05  |  don 18/02/08   50.   Jewish Destiny 18:12  |  Danite 18/02/08   51.   Swiss dino 18:13  |  Danite 18/02/08   52.   Israel do what is best for Israelis 18:19  |  Snuffy 18/02/08   53.   # 51 Danite, let`s make a little quiz......... 19:23  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   54.   diaspora and israel 19:44  |  nick bailey 18/02/08   55.   the question is over 60 years too late 19:51  |  someoldyid 18/02/08   56.   And then again maybe not 20:20  |  Ilan 18/02/08   57.   This excuse or that excuse 20:23  |  Scharker Yid 18/02/08   58.   Swiss Dino (#53) 20:24  |  Ralph 18/02/08   59.   Mughniya was responsible for the AMIA bombing 20:26  |  DJStahl 18/02/08   60.   Dangerous safe haven 20:40  |  Connie 18/02/08   61.   Swiss a quiz for you 20:55  |  Danite 18/02/08   62.   Ralph #58 20:56  |  Danite 18/02/08   63.   hiya 21:03  |  kay 18/02/08   64.   # 58 Ralph 21:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/02/08   65.   LAKSHMI.Creating those artificial Arab countries a major mistake 21:55  |  PETER SM 18/02/08   66.   clickfool #4/ Israel and Diaspora 22:09  |  norman A. Blumberg 18/02/08   67.   Eric 22:11  |  Reid 18/02/08   68.   Olmert and His Gang Don`t Care About Israel`s Jews 22:12  |  tinashkuli 18/02/08   69.   54 23:13  |  Israel 18/02/08   70.   Clickfool 23:23  |  Allon 18/02/08   71.   Lev Bronstein 23:33  |  Allon 18/02/08   72.   #47 Harold 23:34  |  Hilda 18/02/08   73.   NOT ONLY JEWS will be ,killed 23:37  |  TOBIA 18/02/08   74.   Why Israel inhabits the Moral Highground 23:39  |  FOX 18/02/08   75.   Dino`s childish assumptions 23:44  |  FOX 18/02/08   76.   RESPOND TP DON 23:53  |  TOBIA 18/02/08   77.   if israel does anything stupid, jews will pay 00:01  |  raw truth 19/02/08   78.   Israel Needs To Do What It Needs To Do 00:03  |  Yosemite 19/02/08   79.   LEV BORNSTEIN THANK JEWS 00:07  |  TOBIA 19/02/08   80.   #11 - CJK - Can not be said better 00:11  |  17 19/02/08   81.   bronstein #9 00:12  |  norman A. Blumberg 19/02/08   82.   # 9 Lev Bronstein - Leva, you are wrong 00:14  |  17 19/02/08   83.   Blackmail of non-Israeli Jews 00:20  |  Truths 19/02/08   84.   Peter Sm it is colonisation 00:24  |  Truth 19/02/08   85.   # 53 DINO - You sre right - Jews are bad 00:29  |  17 19/02/08   86.   53Dino`s Quiz on Jewish Religion and Anti-Semitism 00:46  |  Rob 19/02/08   87.   46 Fake Ben Jabo: Arab Terrorism rules supreme, right? 00:55  |  I 19/02/08   88.   can they possibly deny it? 01:11  |  hollingsworth 19/02/08   89.   If Israel defines itself as "the state for the Jewish nation" 01:29  |  Johnboy 19/02/08   90.   Weak Israel risks ALL Jews! 01:40  |  Jeff 19/02/08   91.   Clickfool, you are right 01:44  |  Janice 19/02/08   92.   #12 Johnny Weintraub 01:55  |  Janice 19/02/08   93.   #60.Why choose tolive next door to Brabarians 02:13  |  ben ali 19/02/08   94.   i am telling you all was Syria not NOT N O T Mossad RIGHT ??? 02:28  |  M. S. 19/02/08   95.   Get Real! 02:38  |  Nathaniel 19/02/08   96.   Swiss..then it is good you are not 02:38  |  Lynn 19/02/08   97.   Dino since I am a Jew....(2ndtry) 02:43  |  Danite 19/02/08   98.   # 81 Johnboy - If Arab Republic of Egypt and Islamic Rpublic 02:54  |  17 19/02/08   99.   TRUTH Indigenous Jews preceded Arab colonisers 03:33  |  PETER SM 19/02/08   100.   The message cuts both ways 03:46  |  Wiktor 19/02/08   101.   PAL LOST SUPPORTERS 9/11 03:49  |  Tobia 19/02/08   102.   Reply to Janice (Post Number 90) 03:58  |  Johnny Weintraub 19/02/08   103.   Excellent post Swiss (Dino) #1 04:13  |  Maki 19/02/08   104.   Israel has to do what it has to do to survive. 04:13  |  Ben Kobi 19/02/08   105.   one starts not caring about "Diaspora Jews" 04:26  |  hipolito dormal 19/02/08   106.   #96 No, 17, I do not agree at all. 04:31  |  Johnboy 19/02/08   107.   tricky, pushy,arrogant, greedy Swiss Dino 04:37  |  Ben Kobi 19/02/08   108.   #102 reply to Johnny 05:42  |  Janice 19/02/08   109.   I authorize Israel to endanger me 06:52  |  McQueen 19/02/08   110.   Peter Sm I hope all zionists are like you 07:00  |  Truth 19/02/08   111.   # 61 Danite, unlike you , I am not shying away from......... 08:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   112.   # 75 FOX, I know it was late when you wrote your post...... 08:41  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   113.   # 17, As a proud Swiss, I would be deeply ashamed..... 08:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   114.   # 86 Sorry, Rob, I don`t know where you got your message from.... 08:56  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   115.   # 103 Maki 08:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   116.   # 107 Ben Kobi 09:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   117.   # 67 i understand that reid 09:17  |  eric 19/02/08   118.   #99 Truth hurts, doesn`t it PETER SM? 09:48  |  Johnboy 19/02/08   119.   #20, "we" Dino? 09:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/02/08   120.   jOHNBOY #106, SHALLOW AND WRONG 09:56  |  FOX 19/02/08   121.   # 119 Cipora Julianna Kohn 10:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   122.   #121, "enlightened," I seriously doubt 10:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 19/02/08   123.   Even if Israel had peace with her neighbours, there still would 15:08  |  Sara 19/02/08   124.   # 106 Johnboy 18:03  |  17 19/02/08   125.   DINO, our fashion victim #112 part 1 20:02  |  FOX 19/02/08   126.   # 125 FOX, sorry, I don`t wanna interrupt your...... 20:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   127.   response 21:10  |  Judah 19/02/08   128.   # 125 By the way, FOX, if you need an example..... 21:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/02/08   129.   #120 Shallow indeed, FOX 01:15  |  Johnboy 20/02/08   130.   #124 You are simply wrong, 17 01:29  |  Johnboy 20/02/08   131.   # 130 Johnboy 06:24  |  17 20/02/08   132.   #131 So sorry 17, but you confuse your definitions 07:13  |  Johnboy 20/02/08   133.   Johnboy, you wrong again buddy! 11:04  |  FOX 20/02/08

Today Online Israel still building in settlements despite Olmert's promise Responses: 97 Abbas aide: PA should mull declaring statehood like Kosovo Responses: 37 Peace-minded residents of Gaza and Sderot share joint blog Responses: 19 Amira Hass: Israel is stealing Palestinian land, private or not Responses: 18 Uzi Benziman: Olmert thinks peace is a deed done through trickery Responses: 4 More Headlines 10:55 PA official: We should mull declaring statehood like Kosovo 09:18 Israel still building in West Bank settlements despite PM's pledge 10:34 ANALYSIS: When it comes to Jerusalem, both sides are right 11:20 Obama sweeps Wisconsin and Hawaii, securing 10 straight wins 10:52 MKs to fan out globally to warn of Iran threat 10:36 Beit Hakerem - The last secular holdout in Jerusalem 11:14 MKs question Winograd panel member on `political` remarks 08:39 Peace-minded residents of Gaza, Sderot blog together online 06:20 Sweden accused of persecuting civil servant for pro-Israel views 04:05 Officials at odds over first planned Arab city since Israel established 07:05 Labor party minister appeals bill 'empowering' rabbinical courts 05:41 Business owners in north told to return Lebanon war compensation Previous Editions Select Day 19 feb 18 feb 17 feb 15 feb 14 feb 13 feb 12 feb 11 feb 10 feb 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb

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