IN THE EYE OF THE STORM:
IRAN IN GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
A conference titled “In the Eye of The Storm:
Iran In Global Perspectives” was held in Jerusalem on
January 9, 2006 by a non-governmental organization called
“The Israel Project” that conduct studies to inform the
press and the public opinion about the Harry S. Truman
Research Institute in Jerusalem Hebrew University and Israel.
During the said activity, the subjects, such as “the how the
Iranian efforts to establish hegemony in the Middle East is
perceived by Arabic countries; the relations of the Iraqi
groups with Iran, and Iran in Turkish Foreign Policy” were
addressed.
Making a speech at the conference titled “The
Arab System and Iran’s Claim for Hegemony” Prof. Elie Podeh,
from the Jerusalem Hebrew University, said, “the US
occupation of Iraq led the emergence of new dynamics in the
region, and Iran set in efforts to establish a hegemony in
the Middle East and to create a Shiite Crescent in the
region.” Podeh stressed the lack of a common attitude within
the Arab world against Iran and also explained that Egypt,
which views Iran and Turkey as its rivals in terms of its
role in the Middle East, is disturbed with Iran’s replacing
it as the spokesman of the Palestinian cause. Touching on
the Jordanian, Lebanese and Gulf Countries’ points of view
towards Iran, Podeh said that traditionally having good
relations with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Syria has allied with
Iran and re-established diplomatic relations with Iraq.
Another speaker, Prof. Amatzia Baram, from
Haifa University stated, “when the relations of different
Iraqi ethnic and religious groups with Iran are viewed, a
complex and confusing picture is encountered; majority of
Kurd have a skeptical approach towards Iran; PKK is used a
“Sword of Damocles” by the USA; the fact that extremist
Sunni groups Iran provided assistance with set in actions
against Iran is another contradiction; four Iranian
intelligence officers carrying diplomatic passports were
arrested, and the roles of these people are not properly
known”.
Dr. Anat Lapidot-Firilla, who participated
the activity from the Jerusalem Hebrew University, said,
“Maintaining the territorial integrity has an important
place in Turkey’s changing security perception; the key
objectives in Turkey’s foreign policy has not changed, but
only its strategy has changed; Turkey attaches importance
to the cooperation with Iran within the economic context;
the issues, such as the support given to the PKK and regime
export, constitute the most important problem in Turkish-Iranian
relations.”
