U.S. Defense Secretary Warns: “Israel Increasingly Isolated”

Local Editor

As he reaffirmed his country’s commitment to Israel, United States Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned on Sunday that the Zionist entity was becoming increasingly isolated. Panetta, who arrived in the occupied territories on Monday morning for the first time since becoming Pentagon chief, said U.S. security commitments should enable Israel to take “risks for peace”. “It's pretty clear, 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 is what has happened", Panetta told reporters on his plane. "The important thing there is to again reaffirm our strong security relationship with Israel, to make clear that we will protect their qualitative military edge," Panetta said. "As they take risks for peace, we will be able to provide the security that they will need in order to ensure that they can have the room hopefully to negotiate". The U.S. Defense Secretary said he was confident that the Zionist entity had maintained its military superiority in the region, however, he wondered: “but the question you have to ask is - is it enough to maintain a military edge if you are isolating yourself diplomatically”? "Real security can only be achieved by both a strong diplomatic effort as well as a strong effort to protect your military strength," he said. Panetta will hold separate meetings with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss bilateral defense relations as well as major security issues.

Source: Israeli Media Israel's friends: 'Panetta's is Wrong!' "... Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, on his way to Israel, told reporters aboard his plane that Israel was isolating itself from its neighbors: Let's break this down country-by-country. Israel is more isolated from Egypt, but is this solely Israel's fault? There are big, chaotic things happening in Egypt, and Israel is mainly a bystander to them. Israel supported the ex-dictator, Hosni Mubarak, but then again, so did the Obama Administration. Is America, then, isolating itself from the Egyptians who overthrew Mubarak? ... Then there is Turkey. Anyone who has followed the dissolution of the Turkish-Israeli relationship understands that Israel is again, a bystander, or an object, in this drama. The Turkish leadership is turning away from Europe and turning away from America as it seeks to lead the Muslim world.... Of course, Panetta's comments came after Israel accepted the Quartet's plan for renewed peace talks, so the timing of his comments seems a bit off..." Posted by G, M, Z, or B at 12:28 PM

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