Ronen Bergman
Photo: Dor Malka
Israeli arrogance in Munich
Ronen Bergman slams Israel’s failure to send high level representative to Munich Conference
MUNICH – The whole world sent senior representatives to the Munich Security Conference, with the exception of Israel,
which made do with its deputy foreign minister.
Here is a partial list: Henry Kissinger, Madeleine Albright, Afghanistan’s president, the presidents of the Muslim Republics in the Commonwealth of Independent States, US National Security Advisor Jim Jones, Iran’s foreign minister, German’s defense minister, Russia’s foreign minister, China’s foreign minister, France’s foreign minister, Japan’s national security advisor, Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief, the German vice chancellor, Ukraine’s president, and Canada’s defense minister.
This is the most important global forum on security and foreign affairs; the site where world leaders and heads of the diplomatic, intelligence and army community meet, share views, and argue. This is where they deliver speeches and embark on secret negotiations.
And who thinks this forum is not important enough? Who was arrogant enough, ignorant enough, and showed enough chutzpah not to send a proper representative? The State of Israel.
Many participants in the conference harshly condemned Israel for not sending a higher level representative to the event. “Of all states, it is the one which sustains so much criticism that does not show up at this highly important arena,” Very senior French, German and British officials told Yedioth Ahronoth.
Yet the State of Israel did do something: It harshly protested to conference organizers the invitation extended to Iran’s foreign minister. Instead of sending a serious representative to face him, Israel believes it was wrong to invite him.
The Munich Security Conference was inaugurated 46 years ago. Since then, it has turned into the most exclusive and important club of its type. It’s like Israel’s Herzliya Conference, on a global scale. Last year, the conference was scheduled a short while before Israel’s general elections. This was the excuse for Israel’s failure to send a representative back then.
Conference organizers approached then-Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and granted her the opportunity to write an article in a special section published by Germany’s most important daily, Süddeutsche Zeitung, on the occasion of the event. Last year, Merkel and Sarkozy, among others, published a joint article there. Yet Livni’s aides said she had no time for it, because of the upcoming elections.
Eventually, Ehud Barak enlisted to the cause. This year, the organizers did not even make such enquiry and made do with an Israeli journalist.
No senior Israeli official found the time to come here this year. The Foreign Minister’s Office said Lieberman had no time for it. The same was true for the Prime Minister’s Office and Defense Minister’s Office. National Security Advisor Uzi Arad was supposed to arrive, but canceled at the last moment due to a “strategic” discussion at the Prime Minister’s Office.
We should not be suspecting the innocent, and it is clear that all these people are truly busy, and only with national affairs. On the other hand, why does General Jim Jones, who is in fact the most important figure in America’s defense establishment and has a few other things to deal with, or China’s foreign minister, who represents 1.3 billion people, find the time - yet Israel doesn’t?
Even without going into the criticism warranted by the arrogant speech delivered by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon - who preached to attendants about changes the Arab world must undertake, laid all the blame on the Palestinians, and showed a lack of understanding to the European audience’s sensitivities – it is clear that Ayalon should not be the person representing Israel.
Yet this is how things are around here: An amateurish state that is only interested in what goes on in the United States and believes that whatever lies beyond Uncle Sam’s territorial waters doesn’t exist.
Dr. Ronen Bergman is a member of the "Munich Young Leaders 2010" participating in the "Munich 46 Security Conference" in cooperation with the Körber Foundation
