Joel
On Jan 15, 2011, at 10:16 PM, Seth Kulick wrote:
> "the stability of our system".
>
> http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/3926.aspx.
>
>
> Israel dreading a democratic Arab world
> The Israeli deputy PM expresses . his concern over the democratisation
> of the Arab world, following the dissolution of the Tunisian
> leadership
> Saleh Naami in Gaza, Saturday 15 Jan 2011
>
> The fall of Tunisia’s regime headed by Zine El Abidine Ben Alican have
> serious repercussions, said Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan
> Shalom.
>
> In an interview on Israeli radio Friday night, Shalom said that he
> comes from a family of Tunisian immigrants.
>
> “I fear that we now stand before a new and very critical phase in the
> Arab world. If the current Tunisian regime collapses, it will not
> affect Israel’s present national security in a significant way,” he
> said. “But we can, however, assume that these developments would set a
> precedent that could be repeated in other countries, possibly
> affecting directly the stability of our system.”
>
> Shalom added that if regimes neighbouring the Israeli state were
> replaced by democratic systems, Israeli national security might
> significantly be threatened. The new systems would defend or adopt
> agendas that are inherently opposed to Israeli national security, he
> said.
>
> The deputy indicated that Israel and most of the Arab regimes have a
> common interest in fighting what he referred to as “Islamic
> fundamentalism” and its “radical” organisations which threaten Israel.
>
> This threat, he added, is the reason behind much of the direct and
> indirect intelligence and security coordination between Israel and the
> Arab regimes.
>
> Shalom emphasised that a democratic Arab world would end this present
> allegiance, because a democratic system would be governed by a public
> generally opposed to Israel.
>
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