Flip Flopper and Chuckles

.. Patience on Gaza

Flip Flop John Kohn Kerry .. .. after meetings in Istanbul .. renewing peace talks .. Israel .. Palestinians, MICHAEL R. GORDON 04/21'13

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/world/middleeast/kerry-seeks-turkish-leaders-patience-on-gaza.html?hp   

Secretary of State .. urged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to put off his planned visit to Gaza to avoid disrupting efforts to revive peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

£6.5billion arms deal on Israel visit

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/10006384/Chuck-Hagel-to-finalise-6.5billion-arms-deal-on-Israel-visit.html

Chuck Hagel, the US defence secretary, will present Israel and pro-Western Arab states with a £6.5 billion arms bonanza to defend themselves from Iran on his first visit to the Middle East since sealing his appointment in a bruising nomination process.

 

Hagel, in Israel, Presses U.S. Agenda on Iran, By THOM SHANKER, April 21, 2013>>http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/22/world/middleeast/hagel-in-israel-presses-us-agenda-in-iran.html?hp 

And two systems to be sold to Israel — a new generation of aerial refueling tankers and advanced missiles that home in on radar signals to destroy air-defense sites — would be important in any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Mr. Hagel said the weapons sales served as “another very clear signal to Iran.” But American officials also made it clear that the new arms should not be interpreted as tacit approval for Israel to accelerate planning for an attack on Iran.

An Israeli government official said that one goal of the visit was to strengthen the personal relationship between Mr. Hagel and his Israeli counterpart, Moshe Yaalon, since both men are new in their jobs. Mr. Yaalon, a former military chief of staff and minister of strategic affairs, was named defense minister in mid-March.

Israeli analysts noted that discussions between the two are expected to focus in part on how Israel will pay for the new weapons package. Israeli ideas are said to include purchasing used jets, receiving some equipment in the framework of the installation of American military equipment in Israel, and to channel funding from regular American aid to Israel, which topped $3 billion in the current fiscal year. 

“An improvised solution is necessary,” Alex Fishman, a military affairs analyst, wrote Sunday in the newspaper Yediot Aharonot, adding, “If we have no money, we’ll be left with nothing but paper.”