• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer

STRATPOL

an independent think-tank - transatlantic relations - European security - Eastern Partnership

Main navigation

  • About
    • Staff
    • Contacts
    • Annual Reports
  • Partners
    • InfoSecurity.sk
    • Slovak Security Policy Institute
    • Central European Institute of Asian Studies
  • Publications
    • Panorama
    • STRATPOL Papers
    • STRATPOL Memos
    • Other
      • STRATPOL ViewPoints
      • Krízový špeciál
  • Projects
    • South Caucasus Security Forum
      • 2017
      • 2018
      • 2019
    • Summer University
      • 2018
      • 2017
    • Bezpečnostná akadémia
      • Eseje
    • Disinformation Resilience Dialogue
    • Slovakia in NATO – NATO in Slovakia
      • Events
      • Outputs
    • We Are NATO
    • Strategic Talks
      • South Caucasus, Turkey, Moldova and beyond
      • Hybrid Wars and NATO’s Eastern Flank
      • Critically Thinking Slovakia
      • Turkey, Refugees and Politics
      • Corruption and the Western Balkans
      • Migration policies of V4 countries and France
      • Ukraine and V4 Security Outlines
    • Strategic Dialogues
      • Western Balkan Security Perspectives
      • Battle for and in Ukraine
      • Conflict in Ukraine: Security Implications
    • Resilient Youth Education Project
    • Volebný monitor
    • InfoKompas
  • Bezpečnostná akadémia
    • Eseje
  • Prístup SR k boju s hybridnými hrozbami
  • Digital Infospace Security Initiative
  • Our.Future: Visegrad 2025
    • Activities

29th March 2019

STRATPOL Memo March 29

Trump hints approval of Israeli occupation of Golan Heights

On 21 March the U.S. President Trump announced on Twitter his intention to acknowledge Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights. Along with the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and Washington’s withdrawal from the Iran deal it is Trump’s third distinctively pro-Israel move.

Israel occupied the Golan Heights in 1967 after the Six-Day War with Syria and has been holding them since. The UN has declared the annexation, announced by Israel in 1981, as an illegal occupation under international law. Trump’s decision has been denounced by the expected opponents – Syria and its allies Iran and Russia. However, the EU, Egypt, and Turkey have also opposed the recognition.

Critics especially point out the unilateralism of U.S. decision-making. Washington has condemned the Russian annexation of Crimea and is now acknowledging an annexation which, according to the UN, is also against international law. Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo explained the decision as recognising „the reality on the ground and the security situation necessary for the protection of the Israeli state“. Similar arguments were used by the Russian president Vladimir Putin in the case of Crimea.

After 52 years it is time for the United States to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which is of critical strategic and security importance to the State of Israel and Regional Stability!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2019

Trump‘s statement could also have an effect on other disputed areas. If the U.S. and Russia can decide about the sovereignty of a territory based “only” on a claim of regional stability and security, why should Armenians not seize Nagorno Karabakh, Pakistanis Kashmir or Turkey the rest of Cyprus?

The recognition could also influence the upcoming Israel elections. Such a decision can be perceived by the Israeli electorate as a success of a foreign policy of current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and thereby help him to get more votes. Netanyahu is currently facing not only tough re-election but also charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.


Kazakhstan’s president resigns after almost 30 years in office

Kazakhstan’s longtime president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, made a surprise resignation announcement on 19 March with immediate effect.  Nazarbayev ruled the country for nearly thirty years since he became the first president of independent Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Nursultan Nazarbayev is the only President Kazakhstan has known. Why has he suddenly resigned? pic.twitter.com/RkZcxyx1gT

— The Newsmakers (@The_Newsmakers) March 26, 2019

It is believed that Nazarbayev intends to secure a peaceful transition of power. The leader announced the establishment of an interim leadership temporarily represented by the speaker of the upper parliament chamber, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. He will be the ‘executive leader’ until the next presidential election which will be held next year.

In honour of the long-term president, Kazakhstan capital, Astana, was renamed to ‘Nursultan’ on Saturday.

Kazakhstan developed significantly during Nazarbayev’s rule, from the formerly poor Soviet Republic used for nuclear experiments it became an upper-middle income nation with gleaming metropolises. Considering macroeconomic indicators, Kazakhstan performed well compared to other post-Soviet republics. Nazarbayev is also praised for finding the political balance between the U.S., China, and Russia.

Nonetheless, his leadership was more often put under criticism. The regime failed to diversify Kazakhstan’s economy and ensure the principles of liberal democracy. The era of high commodity prices – oil especially – lies behind the country’s economic development. Economies which are highly dependent on oil prices are vulnerable to external forces, lacking long-term resilience. Nazarbayev held on power thanks to a series of rigged elections, being repeatedly elected with close to 100 percent of the vote. The country also lacks an independent judicatory and political opposition is repressed.

Despite his resignation, Nazarbayev still holds a great amount of power in the country. He remains the head of the ruling party Nur Otan and keeps his lifetime post as chairman of the Security Council. His current successor, Tokayev, is his close confidant and his daughter, Dariga Nazarbayev, is considered as the potential winner in the 2020 election.


Germany might start shipping weapons to the Saudis again

Germany’s ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, which is in place until the end of March, has not been renewed at the security council meeting on Wednesday. The council has agreed to discuss the issue again. Germany is under pressure from France, which is worried about the joint arms industry ventures. German Social Democratic Party is supposedly willing to lift the ban under the condition that the arms contain no more than 20% German-made components.

The Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) and #GermanArms journalists have been reporting on Western weapons in hands of Saudi-led coalition troops in the Yemen war including the US, UK, Germany, Austria and Belgium-made arms. These weapons are supposed to be protected from further distribution by the end-user agreements and the European countries’ governments including Germany claim that they are not aware of any violations. Despite these claims, last year Germany finally banned arms exports to ‘countries directly involved in Yemen war’, basically admitting it covered up the issue, after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

This afternoon the Bundessicherheitsrat (BSR) – Merkel and some of her ministers – was meeting behind closed doors. The topic: whether selling arms to #SaudiArabia can be re-started after a temporarily ban. #EUarms

— Lighthouse Reports (@LHreports) March 27, 2019

Saudi Arabia is considered a ‘strategic partner’ and an ‘anchor of stability’ in the region by Germany and is also one of the top arms industry partners. At the same time, the West is criticizing the trial and torture of women’s rights activists in Saudi Arabia.


STRATPOL Memos is a project which on a bi-weekly basis provides a short overview of the most important selected moments of Euro-Atlantic security and related areas. Our goal is to provide brief and informative comments with short analysis putting news into a broader context.

Responsible editor Ondřej Zacha

Authors: Jan Slánský, Matyas Bajer & Daniel Kikić

The text has not undergone language revision.

Filed Under: News, STRATPOL Memos Tagged With: annexation, Astana, export, Germany, Golan heights, Israel, Nazarbayev, Nursultan, occupation, Saudi Arabia, step down, Trump, weapons, Yemen

Footer

Subscribe to our newsletter:

Contacts

Address: Štúrova 3, 81102 Bratislava, Slovakia
E-mail: office@stratpol.sk
Phone: +421 908 327 491

Copyright © 2023 · STRATPOL · Log in

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT