Def. Sec. Panetta: Israel risks isolation

Palestinian women wave national flags during a protest calling for a Palestinian state with full UN membership at the Qalandia Israeli checkpoint in the West Bank, near Ramallah, on September 17, 2011. / Getty Images

ON BOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned Sunday that Israel is becoming increasingly isolated in the Middle East, and said Israeli leaders must restart negotiations with the Palestinians and work to restore relations with Egypt and Turkey.

In a blunt assessment made as he was traveling to Israel, Panetta said the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East makes it critical for the Israelis to find ways to communicate with other nations in the region in order to have stability.

"There's not much question in my mind that they maintain that (military) edge," Panetta told reporters traveling with him. "But the question you have to ask: Is it enough to maintain a military edge if you're isolating yourself in the diplomatic arena? Real security can only be achieved by both a strong diplomatic effort as well as a strong effort to project your military strength."

Panetta is scheduled to meet this week with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, and then travel to a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. His visit comes as Mideast negotiators push for a peace deal by the end of next year, amping up pressure for the resumption of long-stalled talks.

The Pentagon chief said Israel risks eroding its own security if it does not reach out to its neighbors.

"It's pretty clear that at this dramatic time in the Middle East, when there have been so many changes, that it is not a good situation for Israel to become increasingly isolated. And that's what's happening," he said.

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta answers questions aboard an Air Force plane over the Atlantic Ocean Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011.

/ Pool,AP Photo/Win McNamee

Panetta said the most important thing now is for Israel and its neighbors "to try to develop better relationships so in the very least they can communicate with each other rather than taking these issues to the streets."

His visit comes at a particularly critical and fragile time.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has asked the U.N. Security Council to recognize an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. The United States opposed the U.N. bid, saying there is no substitute for direct peace negotiations. But with Israel continuing to build settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, Abbas says there is no point in talking.

Some 500,000 Jewish settlers now live in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005.

The United States, Britain, France and other council members are likely to try to hold up consideration of the application while they press for a resumption of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, diplomats said.

Negotiators, known as the Quartet, are asking both the Israelis and the Palestinians to produce comprehensive proposals on territory and security within three months.

Israeli officials have welcomed parts of the proposal, but have also expressed concerns about the timetable for some discussions. They also have refused to endorse the 1967 prewar borders as a basis for the future Palestinian state — something President Barack Obama has endorsed.

The Palestinians, meanwhile, have said they won't return to talks unless Israel freezes settlement building and accepts the pre-1967 war frontier as a baseline for talks.

The Quartet — the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia — is urging both sides to avoid "provocative actions." Just last week, Israel approved the construction of 1,100 new housing units in an area of Jerusalem built on land captured in 1967, a move that drew widespread international condemnation.

Panetta said he wants to stress to both sides that instead of setting conditions or pursuing other approaches, "the most important thing they can do is go to the negotiating table. That would be a tremendous signal to the world that both the Israelis and the Palestinians want to try to find a solution to these problems. I don't think they really lose anything by getting into negotiations."

Panetta is scheduled to meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

His visit to Israel comes six months after his predecessor, Robert Gates, traveled to the region to meet with Israeli leaders and make the first journey to the West Bank to talk with Fayyad

The U.S. has said it would veto the Palestinians' U.N. request, despite the high political cost in the Arab world. However, Washington would not need to use its veto if the Palestinians fail to get the support of at least nine of 15 council members. Palestinian officials have said they believe they have eight yes votes, and are lobbying for more support.

[tibu987]

As long as the U.S. blindly supports Israel in all things, the U.S. will be involved in "wars" in the middle-East.

[gandaulf2001]

...Panetta said the ongoing upheaval in the Middle East makes it critical for the Israelis to find ways to communicate with other nations in the region in order to have stability.

Hey PANETTA!!! Its really difficult to comunicate with countries that have it written in their constitutions not to talk to Israel.

[gandaulf2001]

...and said Israeli leaders must restart negotiations with the Palestinians and work to restore relations with Egypt and Turkey.

OR WHAT!!!!

[Levygp]

Mr. Obama, how could you have appointed Leon Panetta to a top cabinet post???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

[Levygp]

Mr. Panetta, you are neither Jewish nor a citizen of Israel. Mind your own business. What is this bloated lie about Israel becoming isolated? That could never happen in a thousand years, for the simple reason that Jerusalem is the "home base" and generic origin of both the Christian and Jewish religions, well, and also the Catholic religion, Mr. Panetta. Isolated??? It would taker a crushing demolition of those three world-leading religions to isolate Israel. Listen, and learn, Panetta. You may be an aetheist, but most of America isn't. To even think of Israel, the Homeland of Catholicism, Christianity and Judaism, of ever being isolated from the rest of the world is a rank outside impossibility. What other religions have dominated the entire world? Certainly not Islam, the creed of isolationism and terrorism. What could be more isolationist than terrorism by Islamic fanatics???? Panella, you have tried to plant your anti-semitic views in our country...and you have failed. Shame on you. Shame on Obama for appointing you. The Holy Land will survive!

[nomorelibs]

Seems like my entire adult life, I have heard nothing but "Israel needs to negotiate and make concessions". I have seen nothing but concession after concession from the people of Israel. When is the other side going to concede, even once? Never! And all the while people still blame Israel. It's like we live in Bizzaro world sometimes. Rockets on top of rockets being sent into a city that wants nothing more than peace. What is wrong with some of you?

[shnovitz]

What "security" will Israel be eroding? Since when has Israel ever been "secure"??? Arabs have been starting wars against Israel since before the State was born; they have a Charter stating categorically that they are going to annihilate Israel; they say Israel does not exist, has no right to exist. How does a State negotiate with people who deny its right to exist? All that Panetta concentrates on is "settlements." Perhaps he doesn't know history: Israel was FORCED to occupy the West Bank after the Arabs started a war and Israel won. The USA occupies countries for half a century after it wins wars, and no-one complains. Panetta also forgets that Israel gave Gaza back to the Arabs, and received only attacks on civilians in return. Jerusalem is Israel's undivided capital, and will remain so. Look at what the Arabs are doing in Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia - and you choose to accuse ISRAEL? What is the matter with all of you?

[cigar-smoker]

What countries does the US occupy? The US has treaties to maintain military bases in several countries. However, the US is not building "settlements" and importing citizens armed to the teeth into another country.

[formerusmcsgt1]

Def. Sec. Panetta: Israel risks isolation
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A consequence of giving the whole world the finger.

[stopoil]

Protecting Israel is the same as protecting America. America spends $2 billion per week in Afghanistan and $1.5 billion per week in Iraq fighting the same type of fundamentalist Islamist as the Iran funded Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. Creating a Palestinian state with Hamas still in power will ........... lead to WWW III. Figure out the details such as indefensible Israeli borders, hostile Islamic Hamas, Iran and Syrian supported Hezbollah in Lebanon, more radical Islamic Egypt and Turkey etc. and who's side do you think China and Russia will be on? Radical fundamental Islam including the fundamentalist Islamic Palestinian Hamas is the issue not Israel. America has not spent enough of its blood and money fighting fundamental Islam that you Jew haters would still rather support Islamic Hamas against Israel rather than our ally Israel?!

[cigar-smoker]

@stopoil - America has not sent "settlers" to Afghanistan or Iraq. America is not requiring either country to relinquish lands. Just because Muslims are involved does not make Israels and Americas situation the same.

[TampaBayTed]

Israel, right or wrong, is always right by me.

[kiljare]

Israel makes no bs airs about being friends with all the Arab nations that want to kill them. If our policy was the same, we might be in better shape. Go Israel, build those settlements on YOUR land.

[shnovitz]

Absolutely.

[EffortPA]

The Israelis do not want peace, they want to maintain the status quo so that they can claim to be the victims and continue to receive our billions of dollars in aid. Peace with the Palestinians can only be achieve once they return to the 1967 borders. The claim that those borders are "indefensible" is absurd, after all they managed to defend them very well during the 1967 war. The only way Israel is going to return to the 1967 borders is by stopping all aid to them. Once we do that, they will really see the true costs of occupying those lands. The status quo is unsustainable, at least without our billions in aid.

[nomorelibs]

They do not want peace. Wake up! They only want the destruction of Israel. Which is what some of you sound like you want.