new Israeli ambassador in Germany sending an emotional message

Submitted by myth (Germany), Mar 10, 2012 at 08:51

Today Mr Hadas-Handelsman, the recently appointed ambassador of Israel in Germany, talks to german paper "Bild" in an interview. What he says in the interview relates to Dr Pipes cautious assessment of Israel's position.

the interview is here www.bild.de/politik/ausland/israel/interview-mit-israels-botschafter-wird-es-krieg-mit-dem-iran-geben-23077282.bild.html

In the interview he answers a question concerning Israel's potential actions towards Iran:

BILD: Israel scheint wieder am Rande einer existenziellen Bedrohung zu stehen. Der Iran baut an der Atombombe. Glauben Sie, ein Krieg kann noch abgewendet werden?​

Hadas-Handelsman: Ich hoffe es. Wir arbeiten daran mit den Mitteln der Diplomatie. Aber wenn das nicht funktioniert, liegen alle Optionen auf dem Tisch. Wir schließen nichts aus. Der Iran soll nicht wissen, was wir planen. Ungewissheit – das ist es, was das iranische Regime spüren muss.​

Which I translate as:

Bild: Israel seems to be on the verge of existential threat again. Iran is building a nuclear bomb. Do you believe, a war can still be avoided?

Hadas-Handelsman: I hope so. We are working on it using all means of diplomacy. But if that does not work, all options are on the table. We do not exclude anything. Iran must not know what we are planning. Uncertainty, it is that, what the Iranian regime needs to feel.

The last two sentences of the ambassador are remarkable. Rather than declaring a rational approach he targets the Iranians on an emotional level. "Uncertainty(...)feel" is the emotional device to deliver the message this time. It is intended psychological warfare in my opinion.

Dr Pipes "cautious about believing" corresponds to the ambassador saying "must not know". I conclude, it this a clear policy on the part of the Israeli government, considering the special position of the Israeli ambassador in Germany.

Bild is a tabloid newspaper with 12 million readers ( according to wikipedia.de ). Its publisher Axel Springer AG is pro-Israel as expressed in their mission statement.

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