While much may hinge on how Palestinian-Israeli talks play out even more is at stake in the arms deals regional players are attempting to conclude. The Middle East already bristles with arms, though this has not prevented states from vying to stockpile state-of-the-art weaponry. The Saudis have placed orders for $60 billion worth of F16s and other hardware from the US. The Israelis are buying F35s, the latest in aircraft technology, also from the Americans. The Syrians are receiving the $300 million worth of the Yakhont anti-ship missiles from Russia, ordered in 2007. And Iran is steadily developing new types of weapons and rockets. Meanwhile, the US and Israel have dissuaded Russia from selling S- 300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran and Syria. With this deal off, Israel will be less hesitant in sending aircraft on hostile operations against Syria and Iran. The Israelis warned Russia publicly against selling the S-300s to Syria or Iran, saying that the sale would upset the balance of power in the region. In other words, it would undermine the military advantage Israel enjoys in the region. Israel has access to all the military hardware it wants from the US, more than enough to maintain its military superiority. Yet this does not satisfy an Israeli government intent on preventing its adversaries from obtaining the means to defend themselves. When Israel says that Syria's procurement of S-300s would jeopardise its own aircraft, what it really means is that its aircraft should be allowed to fly over Syria with impunity. This is how Israel perceives peace in the region. Israel and the US used the same argument to stop Russian missile sales to Iran, paving the way for a future attack on that country. The Israelis are again trying to tell the Russians what to do. Should Russia start arming Israel's enemies, then Israel will sell arms to Russia's enemies. Following the Russian defence minister's announcement that his country would deliver Yakhont missiles to Syria, Yediot Aharonot reported on Israel's threats to Russia. Supplying Syria with weapons was a reward for "extremist countries", a senior Israeli official told the Israeli paper. In response, Israel would feel free to send weapons to Georgia and other areas that the Russians consider "sensitive". The same official suggested that arms sales to Syria may undermine current Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. He did not elucidate how. The only explanation for his remarks is that the Israelis think their only chance of reaching a deal with the Palestinians is by keeping all their Arab neighbours weak. For the Israelis any attempt to redress the balance of power in the region imperils future peace. What makes the remark particularly ironic is that last month Ehud Barak signed a deal to buy F35s from America, an aircraft capable of flying long distances and evading radar detection and ground defences. The Israelis not only want the latest weapons, they want the Arabs denuded of all power. This is one of their conditions for peace.
