Israeli DM, FM Cancel US Speeches to Avoid Debate on Iran
Netanyahu Feared Speeches Railing Against Iran Would Harm Efforts at More Sanctions
Officials from Israel say that both Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman will be cancelling their planned speeches at the Washington DC Saban Forum, a talk on US-Israeli ties. Their speeches were expected to focus on Iran.
The cancellations came at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who expressed concern that such high profile hawkish speeches on Iran might harm efforts to impose more economic sanctions on the Iranian government.
Also of concern were that speeches attempting to make the case for an international war against Iran might inadvertently give Israeli opponents of the war, notably former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former military chief Gabi Ashkenazi, an opportunity to start an actual debate on the conflict.
Israeli officials have been pushing for more and more sanctions against Iran, while simultaneously demanding international attacks on Iran and threatening unilateral attacks of their own. The perception that the Israeli government has been leading the charge to another major war is seen as a turn-off for many nations, and Netanyahu reportedly hopes to keep a “low profile” while letting President Obama and US hawks do the dirty work.
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Sheikh Yamoni Maker
November 17th, 2011 at 12:44 am
It is perhaps more likely that they can see that fewer and fewer people are swallowing their lies.
Yonatan
November 17th, 2011 at 2:06 am
More likely, the speakers would be exposed as lying shills
Tatiana
November 17th, 2011 at 2:38 am
A parasitic infestation of the American host body by the Israeli worm, will eventually kill the host, seeing how the host at present is in intensice care and on life support. RIP America.
persnipoles
November 17th, 2011 at 4:32 am
First the hold-up on Iran was the US intelligence community showing some testicles… now the delay, for Netanyahu, is just how obvious Bibi had makes his involvement… Anybody noticed the trend with Israel lately? I gather they finally sentenced an IOF to more than a night in jail for treatment of Palestinians, and threw out a case against a christian who fought back against spitters http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/ultra-orthodox-spit... , this coming after the state has a word with Ovadia Yosef (written up here by Jason Ditz) after his unusual frankness: http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx... . My guess is that their confidence in their PR was shaken after the Mavi Marmara and they're finally feeling like the world is watching.
Base
November 17th, 2011 at 5:44 am
"Also of concern were that speeches attempting to make the case for an international war against Iran might inadvertently give Israeli opponents of the war, notably former Mossad chief Meir Dagan and former military chief Gabi Ashkenazi, an opportunity to start an actual debate on the conflict."
God forbid we have *actual* debates.
Schmuck
November 17th, 2011 at 6:31 am
I find it very disturbing the Iranian apologists don't blink an eye with their threats to wipe Israel off the map.
Sheikh Yamoni Maker
November 17th, 2011 at 7:59 am
Do your homework, you schm-ck…the real translation simply referred to the zionist regime fading away NOT the physical destruction of the country.
[Edited --moderator, Angela Keaton]
Donna
November 17th, 2011 at 8:19 am
Hey Schmuck:
There never was any "threat" to wipe Israel off the map and to continue spreading that crap is simply warmongering. Language experts–which you certainly are not–have repeatedly stated that what the Iranian PM said was that the zionist regime (i.e. current government of Israel) will disappear one day. As the peace movement inside Israel grows stronger, it wouldn't take a crystal ball to confirm this. Go peddle your warmongering lies on Fox.
Schm-ck
November 17th, 2011 at 10:14 am
The fact still remains that one sovereign state is threatening the existence of another. There already is a “Palestinian” state (if there even is a “Palestinian” people)–Jordan.
baz
November 17th, 2011 at 11:02 am
….as opposed to the actual physical reality of a bunch of racist European colonists wiping the Palestinians off the map??
salah u deen
November 17th, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Iran may have wished the downfall of Israel but Israel is not only treathning Iran with destruction, it’s actually pushing the US to attack Iran. That is the big difference. Israeli Hasbra stinks like bad eggs.
Die Wahrheit zählt
November 17th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
The only 'state' doing the threatening is Israel (as usual) and the only 'state' wiping another off the map is, yes you guessed it, Israel vis-a-vis the Palestinians. That canard about Jordan is the usual ploy of trying to deny the existence of a Palestinian population in PALESTINE, most of whom have been ethnically cleansed by, right again, Israel.
Jaime
November 17th, 2011 at 3:49 pm
You are right. There is one sovereign state the existence of another: Israel keeps on stating to whomever cares that they are willing and capable of hitting Iran when they are not simply asking its tail the US to do the job for them.
John_Muhammad
November 17th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
They're cancelling their talks because they don't want to be met with a boatload of uncomfortable questions from people who aren't buying into their lies.
peace
November 30th, 2011 at 1:04 pm
you are soooooooo right, I completely agree with you!