Vice premier Moshe Yaalon on Wednesday dismissed the notion strong Islamist currents driving the Arab Spring had brought Israel to the brink of war.
"There is no all-out-war on our threshold," Yaalon, a former IDF Chief of Staff, stressed. "We cannot talk of an Arab coalition. The Arab countries are currently occupied with issues within and have no time to deal with Israel."
"Tuesday started off with an all-out-war – according to the IDF commander of the Home Front Command, the day continued with the Turkish prime minister's remarks on severing trade ties with Israel, which was later clarified with a statement explaining that he was referring to defense industry trade which has no significant volume as it is; in the background September tsunami is looming. Naturally, the stock market is sliding – not only because of these events but also because of global declines.
"When we talk about the events unfolding around us, the changes pose no threat to Israel, neither in the short term nor the mid term. What is happening around us is that young people are being exposed to the real word whereas until now they were cut off form the word by totalitarian regimes. Hafez Assad banned cell phones and internet in Syria. He must have seen the world. This wave cannot be contained.
"The shockwaves present an opportunity for radical elements to try and step into the picture and wreak havoc. The West must do all in its power to help moderate elements rise and prevail over radical elements in the Arab world. Israel will not be affected in the short and mid term; however, we are exposed to the threats on part of terrorist elements which are trying to capitalize on the situation and of course, in the long run there are Iran's nuclear aspirations.
"Looking closely at the Arab Spring uprising, one cannot maintain that the uprisings will have only a negative affect on Israel. The situation in Syria which has reached a point of no return may perhaps smash the axis of evil. Insofar as the event in Egypt, is the radical elements in the country are not neutralized Egypt will have a hard time working out of the crisis – this will pose a challenge for any President who is elected," Yaalon concluded.
Yaalon's remarks were unusual in that he singled out IDF Home Front Command chief Maj. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg for rebuttal. On Monday Eisenberg said he believed the 'Arab Spring' may lead to an 'Islamic Winter,' increasing the likelihood Israel would find itself at war.