Former Israeli Intelligence Chief: Arab Spring Is Good for Israel

Israel's former Military Intelligence, Amos Yadlin, said Wednesday that he believes the unrest in the Arab world would ultimately benefit Israel.

In a panel titled Looking toward Tomorrow: Trends, Challenges and Decisions, held during the second day of Shimon Peres' Presidential Conference in Jerusalem, Yadlin said that "the long-term changes in the Arab world are a great opportunity for Israel The values that they fought over in Tahrir Square are our values. The fact that Arabs are attacking their own regimes and not Israel is historic."

Also at the panel, Ms. Abby Joseph-Cohen, from Goldman Sacks, said she does not expect the U.S. to go through another recession, and that the U.S. and Israel are vital players in the global economy. "The U.S. and Israel are producing high quality, high value added items that cannot be produced anywhere else, he said.

Tzipi Livni, head of Kadima opposition party, said at the end of the panel that there is a Palestinian partner to negotiate with. Those who state that we dont have a Palestinian partner for peace are deceiving the nation, she said. Benjamin Netanyahu's government, she added, "lacks vision."