Israel's Netanyahu Acting Up Again
Just when we were beginning to think that Israel might evolve into a good and peaceful neighbor in the Middle East, they are acting up again. Netanyahu has been fighting the Obama Administration for years, and we thought after his embarrassing effort to get his friend Romney elected which failed, that he would settle down. But Netanyahu continues to fight against negotiations and an improvement of relations of the USA and Iran. Thus far the people most opposed to better relations between the two nations are the radical Islamic militants in Iran, and Israel's Netanyahu. If there is any truth to the old adage that "you can judge a man by his friends and supporters" then Netanyahu must be a militaristic fighter, because the worst of the terrorists clan of Iran, is supporting Netanyahu's efforts to scuttle an Iran friendly to the USA.
Just this week he told CNN that the current negotiations in Geneva with Iran was "an exceedingly bad deal". Netanyahu is not exactly a "peace monger" is he? It seems that Israel, as it gradually has lost support and credibility for years of unwise leadership is becoming almost shrill in it's political rhetoric. One might think that they have taken lessons from North Korea, and would rather rattle sabers than drink the milk of peace.
Netanyahu has aggressively lobbied against the latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and a coalition of Western countries, all of whom, except France want this deal to happen. This effort, which the world sees as a step to gradually bring the nation of Iran back into a moderate and useful member of the global community, is motivated from larger concepts of peace for the world. Also Iran, needs economic relief, and the USA is willing to provide that, if Iran will back off of it's radical political positions and abandon "nuclear enrichment" capability. Iran is giving tangible signs that it believes the radical policies of the past have been unproductive. Netanyahu has become a vocal "Gadfly", and his impact upon American Israeli's is mixed. Some see him as a reckless publicity seeking "Cowboy" others see him as a conservative hero. Yet, a dedicated team of enlightened negotiators are trying their best to build a foundation step for a safer and more peaceful world.
If a deal is brokered with Iran and if Iran and the USA can develop a good relationship, perhaps there is hope for millions of people of Iran. The people of Iran have suffered patiently this inept mixture of church and state for 37+years and they really want and need economic relief. But, the idea of a peaceful and friendly Iran/USA scares the right wing militarists in Israel as much as it angers the right wing militarist radicals of Iran.
Netanyahu sees a possible "deal" as emboldening its regional adversary and allowing the country to continue its nuclear program by covert means. "I think a lot is being offered by the P5 + 1 for Iran," Netanyahu said. "It's getting just an enormous deal, from their point of view, and it's giving practically nothing in return. They're keeping their infrastructure to make nuclear bombs." Iran has just put up a detailed site on the web in English, detailing all of their nuclear plans and assuring the world that they have no development ambitions for "nuclear weapons". Plus the religious leader of Iran, has told the "radical militants" of Iran, to support these efforts for a negotiated settlement, although it is not clear if they are happy to obey.
Just to add color to the situation, in Israel, Yaakov Amidror, a former Israeli national security adviser and a Netanyahu friend made a statement that Israel is prepared to launch a unilateral strike to attempt to disable Iran's nuclear program, claiming that Israel could halt that program "for a very long time." To prepare for such a mission, Amidror reportedly told the FT Magazine that Israel has been practicing "very long-range flights ... all around the world." That does not give the rest of the world a sense of confidence in Israel.
"We don't need permission from anyone -- we are an independent state," Amidror said. "We have our own sovereignty. If Israel is in a position in which Israel must defend itself, Israel will do it." Military experts have long doubted that Israel has the know-how or weaponry to carry out such a strike without the assistance of the United States, but Amidror's comments come at a delicate time as the Obama administration seeks to both secure a nuclear deal with Iran while at the same time protecting its flanks both among its allies abroad and its enemies in Congress.
While paying a visit to Netanyahu in Israel, French President Francois Hollande pledged to keep up the pressure on Iran in negotiations.
Now think with me about this. Is this the same Israel that the U.S. taxpayers send $2 BILLION + a year, to support a peaceful friend who might bring stability to the region? Now we again return to our earlier point…about friends. With friends like this, who after taking our money say: "We don't need permission from anyone…" when they discuss bombing another nation, or starting a regional war, what are we as a nation thinking by sending them billions?