The Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs is a position initially created in 2006 to give hawkish Avigdor Lieberman a position of nominal foreign policy. The portfolio’s role is simply to threaten Iran on a regular basis. Current Minister Yuval Steinitz takes that job very seriously.
On Thursday, Steinitz warned Israel could unilaterally attack Iran at any time, with no warning at all, and would consider it “self defense” because they consider the ongoing nuclear negotiations a failure.
Steinitz condemned the ongoing negotiations, saying that Iran had “failed to make concessions” on their civilian nuclear program, even though they demonstrably made a number of concessions, and the IAEA has repeatedly noted that they’ve abided by them.
Steinitz went on to say Iran had no flexibility and that Israel was opposed to the settlement currently being negotiated, saying they wouldn’t allow such an agreement to be reached. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is headed to the US next month to urge Congress to sabotage the talks.
It's good that official Israelis are finally stating their position clearly. It's not that Israel disagrees with any particulars of any proposed deal; instead, Israel opposes any deal at all. In fact, Israel is opposed to any conversation with Iran- or any other enemies of Israel for that matter.
"Steinetz says Israel won't allow any agreement to be reached." That's pretty bold coming from a postage-stamp of a country of less than eight million people. I mean, really: not that they will persuade America that it's a bad deal: no, they "will not allow an agreement." Because well, who is bigger: Israel or the United States? Obviously it's Israel.
And if you're not going to talk at all, what's left?
There are only two choices: either Iran capitulates to each and every demand of Israel, or the world must take action- and by take action, Israel means invade and occupy, permanently. Oh, and they don't intend to do the invading or occupying.
Israel's solution to everything is blank ultimata. If that's a word. Surrender. Or our big brother will destroy you.
I so await the day someone will be able to say to Israel, "Well. Not so tough without your friend, are you."
"Steinitz went on to say Iran had no flexibility and that Israel was opposed to the settlement currently being negotiated, saying they wouldn’t allow such an agreement to be reached."
Perhaps the next million dollars we send to Israel should be earmarked for logic and semantics workshops for government ministers, . . . nah– it would just baffle them.
At what point is Iran justified into launching a pre-emptive strike against Israel for threatening them dozens upon dozens of times?
If Israel was going to attack Iran they would have done it a decade ago. This is pure bluster.
When push turns to shove, this American government will fall all over itself to do the will of its paymaster. Sheldon and his friends will provide the seed money to our representatives necessary to generate yet another war. The American people will supply the blood and treasure to eliminate the " threat to the world" that Iran poses. Israeli forces will be held in reserve in case of an uprising in Gaza.
Israel doesn't want diplomacy to work not because they don't think diplomacy will work, but because they want one thing and one thing only – destruction of Iran. It is that Old Testament mentality again – Israel's neighbors (virtually everybody) must be totally conquered – their supine bodies as a foot rest for Israel. Israel is a sociopathic country, willing to lie, willing to shed innocent blood, willing to destroy what they can't have. America is out of its mind to ally with them in any manner.
That might be because America is no better.
Israel wants the destruction of Iran only as long as they don't have to put themselves at risk to do it. They want the USA to do their dirty work for them. If Israel was willing to take that risk they would have done so 10-15 years ago, when Iran was weaker than it is today.
With such an extreme position, I ask what are the right wing hawks in Israel (and the US) not capable of? Would they not be capable of some sort of false flag provocation blamed upon Iran to derail diplomacy? Tell me that they would never ever resort to such a thing and I will tell you that you are very very naive.
I challenge Iran to call Israel's bluff and say 'bring it on'- to borrow from Shakespeare's 'Henry V', "We do not seek a battle, but such as we are we shall not shun it". I challenge Iran to very publicly call out Israel for its hypocrisy- dictating nuclear weapons terms to a nation that does not possess them and is not seeking them, while avoiding those same terms for itself.
israel is not big enough to attack Iran. Iran is not Palestine. they have been killing palestinian any time they want. not Iran we will destroy israel
Given the precedents and history(karma) involved with these miscreants, I wouldn't be surprised if a powerful nation or three are planning to implement a "Delilah Option" on that "sh*tty little country."
The cheering would be so loud as to be heard on the moon..
Israel will attack Iran.America should provide logistics while negotiating with Iran.What a situation!!
Nutty Yahoo is telling the same lies George Warmonger Bush told about Iraq having WMD's and threatening world peace. Iran should have nuclear weapons so that no enemies attack them. Israel doesn't want diplomacy because it wants the USA to colonize Iran.