for the sake of all Creation
Several times on these pages I have voiced my skepticism regarding Israel’s ability to undertake a successful military attack on Iran and for that reason have been against such a venture.
I have however seen a possible American bombing attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities as possibly a reasonable tho short term, attempt to retard Iran’s military nuclear capability.
In the Haaretz Opinion & Comment section for Friday Aug 22 were two op-eds under the heading New thinking on Iran.
One by Daniel Levy, There are better options, http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=1014320 claims that the threats by Israel are counter productive. They in effect, stimulate the Iranians to accelerate their nuclear efforts, they also serve to unify the Iranian people around their (generally unpopular) government. Equally ineffective and counterproductive is the exposure of Israel’s threats as empty. Especially with the Americans unwilling to provide the backing needed by Israel to carry out the threatened military actions.
A second article by Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Attack not the Answer http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=1014321
also points out the counterproductive effect of the strengthening of the popularity of the current Iranian governments policies among the Iranian public. “An Israeli attack would create a popular enmity toward the Jewish state that 29 years of Iranian government propaganda have failed to achieve. Even among the country’s liberal elite, national pride will likely trump contempt for the government”
An attack would also improve Iran’s ailing economy. ” When Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz vowed last June to attack Iran, oil prices skyrocketed $11 in one day, the annual equivalent of $10 billion in additional revenue to Iranian coffers. This allows Iran the luxury to continue pouring money into a costly nuclear program and putting ideological interests ahead of national ones.”
In addition Karim points out that the most important leader in Iran today is Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Kamenei, and it is his views on Israel which are the most important to relate too.
Kamenei is quoted as saying “”We believe that neither throwing the Jews into the sea nor putting the Palestinian land on fire is logical and reasonable. We have suggested that all native Palestinians, whether they are Muslims, Christians or Jews, be allowed to take part in a general referendum before the eyes of the world and decide on a Palestinian government. Any government that is the result of this referendum will be a legitimate government.”
While this may sound less threatening that Ahmadinejad’s vows to incinerate Israel. We also have the words of another high ranking Iranian leader, Ayatollah, Hashemi Rafsanjani who words demand concern and consideration: ” Speaking in 2001 at a Jerusalem Day event, he called the establishment of the Jewish state the “worst event in history.” He said: “In due time the Islamic world will have a military nuclear device, and then the strategy of the West would reach a dead end, since one bomb is enough to destroy all Israel.”
In order not to appear as irrational, Rafsanjani added, that while it would only take one or two nuclear bombs to destroy all of Israel, and the Jews living there; he further clarified the situation : “if the Muslim world had an atomic bomb, it would be in good shape after a nuclear exchange with Israel, because a nuclear bomb would destroy the Jewish state, while Muslim countries (with their much larger populations) would survive! Recognizing the dangers he added the thought that ” Iran would probably lose only fifteen million people, which he said would be a small “sacrifice” from among the billion Muslims in the world.
Yoram Getzler (Israelseen.com)
