Israel fears reprisals from strikes on Iraq
Israeli eyes are turned as much towards Iraq as the Palestinian territories as the United States increases warnings to Saddam Hussein that appear to indicate air strikes sooner rather than later.
Washington is not indicating when - or even whether - Iraq is the next target in its war against terrorism, but rhetoric from President George W. Bush and Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in recent weeks is inadvertently causing unease in Israel.
Israel is the United States' only affirmed ally in the region and although Arab nations such as Saudi Arabia have pledged support for the war against terrorism, any Iraqi retaliation will be immediately directed at the Jewish state.
Such an attack, analysts say, would have a devastating affect on Israel's battle against Palestinian militants.
Suicide bombings and other attacks against Israeli targets have increased dramatically in recent days and in a televised speech on Thursday night, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the security of the nation was at stake.
Former director of the Jaffe Centre of Strategic Studies at Tel Aviv University Yossi Alpher said US air strikes against Iraq would have far-reaching effects on the Middle East, the Israeli Government and security.
'Such a war would require the US to look for ways to keep the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the back burner,' Mr Alpher said. 'That could mean pressures on Mr Sharon. If hit by Iraqi missiles, it is highly likely Israel would respond militarily.'
He said Iraq would most likely react to an American attack by targeting Israel. This occurred during the 1991 Gulf War, waged against Baghdad by Mr Bush's father who was US president at the time.
In his State of the Union address last month, Mr Bush called Iraq, Iran and North Korea an 'axis of evil' and accused them of pursuing weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq's Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan on Thursday described Washington as the 'evil administration' and said it would target all Arab countries in its war on terrorism. Arabs were urged to confront the US threats by adopting a unified stand.
Top American officials say Mr Bush had not yet decided whether to take military action against Iraq, but some analysts predict he could do so soon after returning from his trip to East Asia.
