Gantz Will Try to Convince China to Support Sanctions Against Iran
Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz, is headed to China for
another milestone in the fickle relations between the countries. Iran will
launch a satellite on the day of the meeting between the two powers

Amir Rapaport 18/5/2012
http://www.israeldefense.com/?CategoryID=483&ArticleID=1261

The relations between Israel and China are exceedingly complex. In the
1990s, they bloomed to such magnitude that Israel signed a deal for selling
Falcon intelligence aircraft to the Communist titan. The deal stirred the
wrath of the US, which resulted in Israel’s eventual cancellation of the
deal (and even compensated the Chinese by nearly $300 million).

The lesson had not been learned properly, as Israel signed a deal at the
start of the previous decade to upgrade UAVs, and once again angered
Washington (which provides its best technology to Israel, as well as
billions of dollars annually). Israel had to forego the deal in order to
avoid losing the assistance, and even committed to establish the Ministry of
Defense’s department for supervising exports, so that such occurrences would
not happen again.

The additional cancellation resulted in a deep freeze in the relations
between Israel and China, which lasted for many years before starting to
thaw last year, when the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, conducted
a state visit to China. Half a year ago, the Chinese chief of staff visited
Israel, and another milestone of this magnitude will take place next week,
when IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz departs for China with a large military
delegation.

As with any other thing in 2012, the warming Chinese-Israeli relations
entail an Iranian aspect: China is one of the powers making it difficult to
impose effective sanctions against Iran. It’s likely that Gantz will devote
at least part of his visit to explain to his hosts the danger that a nuclear
Iran will pose to the world’s well-being. He will not attempt to promote
Israeli defense exports, as is accepted in similar visits to other countries
(the prohibition against the sale of Israeli military equipment to China
remains absolute. Israel is no longer trying to act clever, it won’t even
try to sell the Chinese bullets, just to avoid angering the US again).

Is there a loophole that nevertheless allows for defense assistance to
Israel? Of course. There are close relations in the field of internal
security between the Chinese police forces and the various elements of
Israel’s police. A delegation of the Chinese Police arrived to Israel for
training at the Magav instruction base in December, and these relations
continue.

Barak in the US

Returning to the same subject: Ehud Barak was in the US this week as well,
for the thousandth time in the past year. Given this, is there anyone who
still believes that Israel and the US are not deeply coordinated on the
Iranian issue? Probably not. Does this fit with the fact that Israel is
retaining its right to attack Iran without US permission? Absolutely. Israel
can’t really provide such commitment (nor does the US want it), but it's
clear that Israel cannot ignore the US considerations and interests in this
burdensome issue.

Another thing: The representatives of the world powers will meet on
Wednesday to discuss the continuation of the Iranian sanctions, or their
escalation (which is the reason why Gantz’s visit is very important). As
always, Iran has its own way of creating a provocation. It is planning to
launch another experimental observation satellite on that very day – another
anticipated accomplishment for the Iranian space industry.

A Calm Nakba Day

The headlines of this week could have looked different: the Palestinian
Nakba Day, marked on May 15, passed in relative calm – calmer than the early
expectations. A reminder from the previous year: on this day, hundreds of
Palestinians breached the Israel-Syria border, and riots were recorded
throughout the Palestinian territories.

The agreement with the Palestinian prisoners, where they committed to
refraining from dealing in terrorism from within the walls of the prisons,
in exchange for improving their conditions (originally toughened after Gilad
Shalit’s abduction), aided in calming the atmosphere during this day. An
agreement? A capitulation as well.

The Israeli defense establishment found itself in a considerable crisis due
to the prisoner hunger strike, which might have ended in the deaths of
several would-be martyrs. The Prisoner Authority excelled in preventing the
occurrence of large-scale disaster. The Shabak, the Prisoner Authority, and
the Ministry of Public Security held fervent meetings and eventually decided
to sign the agreement. The Israeli accomplishment in the agreement is the
commitment of the leaders of the prisoners to refrain from dealing in
operating terrorism from within the confines of the prisons.

At the bottom line, the large strike erupted after Israel caved in on the
demands of one prisoner who went on a hunger strike. And as one capitulation
invited other demands, this is how the agreement from this week will invite
the next hunger strike, sooner or later.

And what of the next abduction? Sadly, there is a good chance that it might
occur sooner or later. The IDF’s new campaign that was launched this week to
increase soldier awareness to the risk of abductions won't necessarily be of
assistance.

New IAF Commander

Against the background of a relatively calm week, the new IAF Commander,
Major General Amir Eshel, made his way into his new role. Once all the
ceremonies and farewells for the outgoing IAF Commander, Major General Ido
Nechushtan, ended, Eshel sat down and began his work. The Israeli Air Force
does not even have a single week of a grace period – Eshel already made
decisions on operational issues and manpower topics during his first three
days in office.

The Fire Conference

Next week's Fire Conference will provide tremendous interest, and not just
because it's being organized by IsraelDefense. The conference will be held
at the initiative of the Artillery Association, the IDF Artillery Corps, and
the Ground Forces branch, with the participation of the IAF, the C4I
Directorate, and the Directorate of Military Intelligence.

The 2nd International Fire Conference will start with a cocktail evening
which will be held next Monday (May 25) at the Tel Aviv Carlton Hotel. Major
General (Res.) Amos Gilad, head of the Political-Security Bureau at the
Ministry of Defense, will present a regional situation review before
international guests.

The conference will take place at Beit HaTotchan, and will focus on joint
fire operation in the complex environments that characterize the present
era. The conference will begin with a special review by the IDF Deputy Chief
of Staff, Major General Yair Naveh.

Additional lecturers during the two days of the convention include:
Commander of the Ground Forces, Major General Sami Turgeman; Head of the C4I
Directorate, Major General Uzi Moscovitch; Head of the IDF Homefront
Command, Major General Eyal Eisenberg; Head of MAFAT, Ophir Shoham; Head of
the IAF Helicopter Group, Brigadier General David Barki; Chief Artillery
Officer, Brigadier General David Swisa; Deputy Commander of the Depth Corps,
Brigadier General (Res.) Gal Hirsch; Commanders of the Polish and Romanian
Ground Forces; The US Army Chief Artillery Officer; and Ben Lambeth of the
RAND Institute, who wrote a unique research on IAF operations in Lebanon and
Gaza. The conference in Zikron Ya’akov will conclude with the Israeli
Minister of Strategic Affairs, Moshe (Bogi) Ya’alon speaking.

Next Thursday (May 24), a fire demonstration of unprecedented scope will be
conducted at the Shivta Base in the framework of the conference, which will
also include the fire of Tamuz missiles and fighter aircraft bombing,
alongside the operation of artillery weapons.

The leading defense industries are establishing a unique exhibition of
firearms and equipment in the framework of the conference, the likes of
which have not been seen in Israel for many years.

The Conference President is the former IDF Chief Artillery Officer and
Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General (Res.) Dan Harel, and the conference
chairman is the Chairman of the Artillery Association, Brigadier General
(Res.) Danny Kasif. Key issues will be discussed during the conference
regarding the joint force build-up of the various branches.

Farewell to Gideon

Thousands met at the Kochav Yair Cemetery on Thursday afternoon to say
farewell to the late Knesset member Gideon Ezra.

For most of the Israeli public, Ezra was primarily a politician; for the
veterans of the defense establishment, he was a Shabak person in body and
soul. Gideon Ezra's last role in the organization was as the deputy head of
the Shabak, but it was in his role as head of the Jerusalem region that he
made a name for himself. He reached his zenith when he headed the swift
investigation that led to the discovery of the location of the late Nachshon
Vaxman – a soldier who was abducted by Hamas operatives and held in a house
in Bir Nabala in 1994.

The story of how Ezra and his men revealed the location of where the soldier
was being held has thus far only been told in part. The full story, which
will be revealed when its time will come, will reveal how much Ezra was a
brilliant Shabak person.