RELUCTANTLY, ISRAEL LOOKS TO EUROPE TO BRING IRAN IN LINE
By Safa Haeri, IPS Editor
TEL AVIV 4TH Feb. (IPS) In a rare move to save the stalemated Middle East Peace Negotiations, the European Union is envisaging to send it's special Envoy Miguel Moratinos to Iran to tell the ruling Iranian aytollahs that their backing for the Hezbollah operations could harm Iranian relations with Europe, according to Israeli press.
Quoting unidentified European diplomats in Washington, the Jerusalem Post said Thursday that the US had encouraged the 15-members European Union (EU) to use it's influence to bring Iran, the main backer for the Lebanese Hezbollah "in line".
Considering the fact that routinely both Israel and the United States are much reluctant to see the Europeans playing a role in the Peace Negotiations, analysts here in Tel-Aviv interpreted the move as a prove of the Israeli's growing perplexity.
In fact, as the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah scored new military operations in the Israeli security zone, killing in one week four Israeli soldiers and assassinating colonel Hashem Akl, the number two commander of the Israeli-supported South Lebanese Army (SLA); the Israeli-Palestinian "Marathon negotiations" stalemated, with Chairman Yaser Arafat walking out of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak on Wednesday and the Syrian track in coma, there are doubts here if Mr. Barak is not trying to carry several water melons in the one hand at the same time?
"As he fails to show any positive results on either fronts, Mr. Barak is losing the support it used to have with the Israeli public opinion. The situation worsen in the security zone, the Syrians do not show any flexibility while Mr. Barak has gone a long way and negotiations with the Palestinians are getting more difficult", commented an Israeli diplomat who used to keep his anonymity.
Observing that the Islamic Republic has improved dramatically its relations with the EU in recent months, with Mr. Khatami having visited officially Italy and France while his Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi made a "landmark" trip to Britain, Israel look more to Europe for putting pressures on Iran.
The view is confirmed by European diplomats who have told the right wing Jerusalem Post that since Europe has a dialogue with Tehran, it "understands" that Iran can play an important role as far as the peace process is concerned.
The office of Mr. Moratinos in Jerusalem confirmed that the diplomat was planning since "some times" to go to Tehran but no date has been fixed so far. Israeli sources said they don't expect Mr. Moratinos to go to the Iranian capital before the end of the forthcoming elections that are due 18th February that many hopes would carry a new victory for the reform camp that supports President Mohammad Khatami.
If he goes to Iran, it would be Mr. Moratinos first trip to the land of the ayatollahs since he became EU's Special Envoy for the Middle East back in 1996.
"We know that Europe has more influence in Iran than Washington does. If the Europeans are invited to play a more active part in the peace negotiations, they may be willing to put more pressure on Iran as well", the diplomat told Iran Press Service. ENDS EU-IRAN-ME 4100