WarSclerotic

Clinton to ease Israel fears on Iran – FT.com.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, attempted to assuage Israeli concerns about Iran’s nuclear programme, while providing reassurance about the political upheaval in Egypt and escalating bloodshed in Syria, in a series of talks with Israeli leaders on Monday.

Mrs Clinton is one of a few senior US officials who have recently visited Israel or are about to in the coming weeks, in what officials admit is a broader effort to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme amid renewed concerns in Washington about an Israeli attack on Iran.

It was the secretary of state’s first trip to Israel in almost two years, and the first since the start of the uprisings that have occurred around the Arab world. Over the past 18 months, Israeli leaders have watched the escalating regional turmoil with growing concern, and have come to fear in particular for the country’s crucial relationship with Egypt, where the ousting of Hosni Mubarak last year paved the way for a new Islamist-led government.

Arriving fresh from her first meeting with Mohamed Morsi, the new Egyptian president, Mrs Clinton sought to give a message of encouragement to Israel. “It is a time of uncertainty but also of opportunity,” she said. “It is a chance to advance our shared goals of security, stability, peace and democracy.”

The international campaign to halt Iran’s nuclear programme and the conflict in Syria were also likely to be high on the agenda, said one Israeli official. Mr Netanyahu – who was due to meet Mrs Clinton later on Monday – was expected to highlight Israel’s longstanding concern over the proliferation of advanced Syrian weaponry. Israel fears in particular that part of Syria’s arsenal, including chemical weapons, could end up in the hands of militant groups such as Hizbollah, the Lebanese Shia movement.

The discussion on Iran’s nuclear programme is likely to bring to the fore once again the critical gaps between the US and the Israeli approach towards Tehran. Israeli officials have questioned whether diplomacy and the current regime of sanctions alone can stop Tehran, and have called on the US and others to sharply raise the pressure on Iran.

“The Obama administration is very anxious for Israel not to act, and to respond patiently to the current diplomatic effort [aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions],” said Itamar Rabinovitch, a former Israeli ambassador to the US and now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

Tom Donilon, the US national security adviser, and deputy secretary of state Bill Burns have just completed a trip to Israel, while defence secretary Leon Panetta is due there in the coming weeks. Mrs Clinton was accompanied on Monday by Wendy Sherman, the state department official who is leading the US team in the ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.

Given the apparent stalemate in the talks with Iran, the flurry of American visits to Israel has been interpreted in some quarters as a sign of concern that the Israelis might decide to launch their own attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Speaking before Mrs Clinton’s meetings on Monday, a senior administration official said the US would brief the Israelis on the state of play with the talks with Iran and with the new sanctions that have recently been introduced. “The intense pace of engagement we have had with the Israelis only matches the intensity and urgency of the issue,” the official said.

Mrs Clinton’s visit to Israel comes two weeks ahead of a scheduled trip to the country by Mitt Romney, the Republican challenger for the US presidency. His stay will include a fundraising event as well as meetings with Mr Netanyahu and other senior leaders. Much to the disappointment of many Israelis, Mr Obama did not visit the country during his term as president – despite making trips to nearby countries such as Egypt.

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