In his “Quds Day” speech on Friday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sealed the fate of Iran’s nuclear program by proving to the world that he is a delusional leader bent on inducing an apocalyptic war in the Middle East. As if to impale negotiations set to start October 1st, Ahmadinejad stated, “The existence of the Zionist regime is an insult to human dignity,” and continued by describing “the myth of the Holocaust”, all to cheers of “death to Israel.” By doing so yet again, Ahmadinejad leaves Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with no choice but to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.
All of the major powers are furiously preparing contingency plans should talks with Iran drag on into oblivion, or more than likely, outright fail. Foremost among the nations making such plans is Israel, with Prime Minister Netanyahu carefully watching what will transpire while justifiably keeping one finger on the pre-emptive strike trigger. This precarious position means Netanyahu must prepare statements justifying Israel’s impending actions, albeit without revealing Israel’s hand. As unnecessary as such statements may seem given Ahmadinejad’s abhorrent behaviour, Israel’s intractable position requires bulletproof scrutiny and well-crafted presentation.
Thus far Netanyahu has openly and repeatedly stated Israel`s preparedness in forcibly stopping the Iranian nuclear program, however what he has not publicly discussed is the inevitable Iranian response to a unilateral Israeli attack. Given there exists a tremendous likelihood that Israel`s pre-emptive attack against Iranian nuclear facilities will precipitate an enormous wave of counter-attacks from both Hizbullah and Hamas, it is pertinent that Netanyahu make equally bold assertions of Israeli sovereignty in the face of such Iranian malevolence. The Goldstone Report highlighted the absurd standard to which Israel is held by the international community. As a result Israel cannot be caught committing further “war crimes” should the Jewish nation be forced to act defensively, as it soon will.
Therefore, Benjamin Netanyahu must state absolutely clearly to the world two critically interlinked realities: Foremost, Israel is ready to and will destroy Iran`s nuclear weapons program should negotiations with the West fail after October. Second, any group that seeks to retaliate against Israel for its pre-emptive actions against Iran -- be it al-Qaeda, Hizbullah, Hamas, Syria, or any combination of the above -- will similarly experience a crushing, unflinching Israeli military response. Only by publicly addressing the reality and history of Iranian proxy counter-attacks will Israel preserve any sense of tactical legitimacy with the world community.
While this may seem like a fruitless effort to save face from the reflexively anti-Israeli United Nations, it is a necessary piece of statesmanship for what is inarguably a war-ready Netanyahu government. Recent history provides obvious examples of the battles Israel might soon be fighting once again following potential strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The Second Lebanon War against Hizbullah and this year’s Operation Cast Lead with Hamas were separate, distinct wars of specified purpose and generally controllable length. However if Hizbullah and Hamas were to begin launching retaliatory rockets toward Israel on direct Iranian orders, or for ostensibly Iranian ends, then Israel will be compelled to respond just as it did in 2006 and 2009.
The timing of these missions against Hizbullah and Hamas, be they immediately following the Iranian nuclear mission or in the violent weeks that are sure to follow in Israel, are the determinable variables that Netanyahu must address publicly in coming weeks. Netanyahu must make logical connections between Israel’s undesirable geographical position – squashed between two terrorist entities both harbouring the goal of destroying Israel – and Iran’s blatant support of both terror groups combined with the pursuit of nuclear weapons. The reality of the utterly lethal relationship therein is what will give Netanyahu even the tiniest shred of credibility with a roiling world community following Israeli strikes on Iran.
It remains to be seen how exactly the UN will pin blame on Israel for a broader war, in the wake of clearly failed negotiations with Iran that result from a Russian veto at the Security Council, compounded by weak-kneed Obamian diplomacy. Netanyahu’s “secret” trip to Moscow last week highlighted how deep Israel’s distrust of Russia is, after Russia attempted to smuggle advanced S-300 anti-air missiles to Iran aboard the Arctic Sea. This high-stakes incident, stopped only by Israeli agents, dramatically emphasized Russia’s overt support of Iran’s nuclear program and Russia’s similar disregard for Israel’s existential security concerns. That Obama topped the week off by scrapping former President Bush’s eastern European missile shield also showcased Obama’s frightening lack of foresight and the likelihood that the US will not, under any circumstances, prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, despite all public pronouncements.
For all of the nonsense that Israel must put up with geopolitically, Netanyahu also has the never-blinking eye of the international media ready to spit back at him. What Netanyahu’s government cannot allow to happen - though the media is almost guaranteed to portray it as such - is for the predictable Hizbullah and Hamas counter-attacks against Israel to be somehow viewed by the world as equally legitimate, given Israel’s “attacks” on an “innocent” Iran. Yes, some Middle Eastern governments like Saudi Arabia will secretly cheer when they see Iran’s nuclear sites destroyed. But the mood on the streets will be much different, with protests against Israel sure to be ignited and promoted by those same governments across the region.
Netanyahu’s job today is thus to aggressively define the terms of future battles in order to recast the coming fight for what will be a very angry world community. These efforts will also instil fear inside the hearts and minds of Hizbullah and Hamas fighters who have certainly already received directions from Iran about what to do after Israel strikes. If these same fighters perceive Israel to be steadfastly engaging in deliberate, defensive action against her enemies despite their latent threats of retaliation, Netanyahu will have made an unequivocal statement about Israeli resolve, and will have effectively manifest the will of the Jewish people for self-preservation.
There can be no illusions about the total seriousness of this matter. It is not said lightly that Netanyahu must begin telling the world that Israel will take matters into its own hands, as a result of the abject failure of the world body. Regardless of one’s personal beliefs, the vitriol emanating from Tehran is as pure of a manifestation of evil intentions as has been since the Holocaust that Ahmadinejad so callously denies. No other world leader but Ahmadinejad is addressing public crowds and delivering such shocking, backward and downright disturbing interpretations of history, all packed with lucid implications of worse events to come.
In order to thwart any chance of Ahmadinejad achieving his frighteningly Holocaust-like dreams, both the man and his nation’s covert nuclear weapons program must be resolutely destroyed. No nation on earth can declare surprise at Israel’s ensuing actions against Iran if talks fail and no other major power steps up to protect Israel. By addressing the outstanding concerns above, Netanyahu will be well prepared to adamantly defend his people from the Iranian threat – a threat which surpasses all others combined throughout the history of the Jewish State. It is nonetheless shameful but unsurprising that Israel is the nation forced to prevent a second Holocaust. History certainly has a peculiar way of repeating itself.
Robert D. Onley
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