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Friday, December 25, 2009

Egypt "concerned" about Iranian regional ambitions

Want to know what's really happening in the Middle East?  Read the following carefully.  //Mark Finkelstein, jcrc@dmjfed.org

Al-Ahram Weekly 17-23 Dec'09:  ["Little chance of Egyptian] Rapprochement with Iran"     excerpts

Egypt and Iran have not been able to normalise relations, and Iranian regional ambitions may mean that they will not be able to do so, writes Salah Hemeid

During a tour of the Arab Gulf last week, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit renewed his country's concern over Iran's mounting influence in the region and reiterated that Egypt will stand by its brethren in the Gulf against any threats to their security.

... [I]n recent months Egypt has repeatedly accused Iran of attempts to expand in areas such as the Gulf, Iraq, Yemen and the Horn of Africa, all considered by Egypt as vital to its national security.

....
Mustafa El-Feki, head of the Egyptian parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, described Iranian-Arab relations in general as "unsound", attributing this to an Iranian "tendency for hegemony" and "Persian national aspirations".

Yet El-Feki rejected an Arab school of thought that equates what it calls the "Iranian threat" to that posed by Israel. "It is true that Iran poses a danger, but this cannot be compared to the danger implanted in the heart of the Arab world," he said, referring to Israel.
....

Many  participants [in the conference]  warned that Iran was increasingly interfering in Arab affairs, and that the Arabs should not restore full ties before Iran dropped its current policy of regional expansion and interference in Arab affairs.
 ....

 To Iran, Egypt's efforts to bring about peace in the region, and its encouragement of the Palestinians and other Arab countries to follow its path with Israel, threaten to deprive Tehran of the single most potent regional issue that it can exploit to further its radical agenda.

Therefore, Iran seeks to undermine prospects for peace, and, along with its clients such as Hamas and Hizbullah, it believes the way to do this is by undermining Egypt.
 ....
The battle for competing regional influence also extends to Iraq and Lebanon, where Iran has been building a power base among the Shias in these two Arab countries.
 ....
  Like many other Arab countries, Egypt is worried about Iran's interference in Lebanon, which Tehran is using to bolster its regional influence.  Similarly, Egypt's security interests in the Gulf, and its traditional role as a force for regional stability, present a clear obstacle to Iran's wider regional ambitions.

Also like other Arab countries, Egypt is concerned that any US rapprochement with Iran could ultimately lead to a nuclear-armed, non- Arab, and Shia superpower expanding its influence further in the region.

Egypt fears that the offer of an improvement in US-Iran ties held out by US President Barack Obama could go too far, offering concessions to a powerful regional player long regarded with suspicion.

JTA: Jewish organizations 'tweeting' their way to new kinds of communications



Scores of Jewish organizations are now using Twitter ( http://twitter.com ) to send their members short, cell phone-based, text messages.   See: http://digg.com/u1IKrc



The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines has two Twitter networks to keep community members informed.  One mirrors the JCRC InfoBlog at twitter.com/jewishnewsblog 

A new network that we are still developing is to update information about Federation programming.  It will be especially useful to convey any last minute changes to time/date/location or content of programs.  The network is called Update J and its messages are displayed online at twitter.com/updatej   and on the Federation's website: http://jewishdesmoines.org

The easiest way to sign-on to receive Tweets is to send a text message to 40404 and ask to: follow  updatej  or follow jewishnewsblog  (or any other of the many Tweeters)  . Standard text messaging charges apply, as determined by your cellphone company. 

Consult your synagogue or temple for information about the Tweet networks they operate!


On the Internet, there is an extensive listing of Jewish organizations that Tweet.  Below, for example, is just the very beginning of the directory available at http://listorious.com/MASA__Israel/jewish-organizations
 

For additional information, contact jcrc@dmjfed.org

Now, from the listorious.com list of Jewish organizations that Tweet:

MAZON

MAZON is the leading Jewish anti-hunger organization, devoted to ending hunger among all faiths and backgrounds. (Maintained by Ed Robins, Donor Services Dept.)
11,443 followers |

Israeli Consulate

The official twitter for the Consulate General of Israel in New York
7,860 followers |

US Holocaust Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a living memorial, inspiring citizens to confront hatred, promote human dignity and prevent genocide.
7,727 followers |

92YTribeca

Non profit / Art Space / Music Venue / Cafe / Screening Room / Classes / Comedy / More
4,527 followers |

92nd Street Y

The 92nd Street Y is an arts, educational and community center serving people of all ages, races, faiths and backgrounds.
3,832 followers |

United With Israel

Organizing people of all faiths to unite and show their unwavering support for Israel.
3,481 followers |

JTA | Jewish news

The Global News Service of the Jewish People
2,810 followers |

The Jewish Week

The Jewish Week, an independent community newspaper, is recognized widely as the largest and most respected Jewish newspaper in America.
2,759 followers |