So your argument is that Israel should risk nuclear extinction because combating it with a pre-emptive strike might lead to further terrorism here?

By a similar logic, even more strongly, we should stop attacking Al Qaeda in Afghanistan because if we continue there is apt to be more terrorism in Europe.

That said, I'm not in favor of a pre-emptive strike in Iran nor of ceasing to pursue Al Qaeda but your logic is faulty.

The wildcard in your deck of warcards is our President. He may not have the time to deal with bodys on the ground. Just when he is needed in DC to push health care he is on a PR mission for The Daily's. I am waiting to see how he deals when the phone rings a 3 AM.

Gee, thanks, Mr. Inbar.

If Iran asks Obama to resign or face a new terrorist attack in US that would kill thousands Americans, should Obama follow Iranian orders?

The Jews recovered from the Holocaust, even the 150,000 who fought for Hitler so does that mean another Holocaust is OK?

Both American and Israeli intelligence have known about Iran's so-called undisclosed nuclear energy facility for more than a year. But Israel is using it as a further excuse for a claimed pre-emptive attack on Iran before the end of this year.

Iran, currently, has no nuclear weapons and is estimated to be unable to make even one small nuclear device for at least a year or longer.

On the other hand, Israel is estimated to now have a secret stockpile of between 250-450 nuclear warheads together with delivery systems by air, ground and nuclear-armed submarine. These are reported to be operational and ready to strike anywhere in the Middle East, the Gulf or the Mediterranean.

That is the frightening scenario - not Iran who is a signatory to both the NPT and the IAEA, but Israel who is a signatory to neither one and whose massive nuclear arsenal is uninspected and unknown. That is the urgent predicament of the international community.

The nuclear arms reduction as proposed by the US and agreed by existing nuclear weapon states, DOES NOT APPLY TO ISRAEL who still refuses to admit to nuclear arms possession. That means that the US, UK, Russia, France and China, and hopefully India and Pakistan, will start to reduce nuclear weapon stockpiles whilst Israel can continue to increase its massive clandestine arsenal.

We are fast-forwarding to a world where the Middle East could be in flames, international oil supplies cut, stock markets collapsed, economies failing and our living costs escalated to a point that is inconceivable to imagine.

For what reason? So as Israel can extend its illegal occupation of Palestinian land.

Surely, now is the time for all peace-loving people to stand-up and declare that enough is enough! The time for the Israeli lobby to impose its agenda, not only upon the US electorate, but on the entire free world, must be ended!

What we can do is to persuade the European Parliament to immediately SUSPEND the EU-Israel Association Agreement that gives Israel free access to all European markets, and to STOP the bilateral trade that makes up over one third of Israel’s GDP.

Only by applying that pressure can we deliver change and ensure that the world economy is not severely damaged as a consequence of the agenda of political Zionism.

Judaism is an ancient religion that prohibits the killing of innocents or the oppression of another people.

Zionism is a secular, political movement barely 100 years old, that seeks hegemony in the Middle East.

Contrary to often misplaced belief - there is little if any commonality between the two. Judaism teaches the sanctity of all life, the essential importance of human and civil rights, the equality of justice and respect for the law.

That both Palestinian and Israeli should have secure, independent states, is a given and there is an imperative to impose, and if necessary to police, a solution now. The world is tired, frustrated and frightened by the consequences of the intransigence of over half a century.

cv

Arab states in the U.N. nuclear assembly on Friday won narrow approval of a resolution urging Israel to put all its atomic sites under U.N. inspection and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

U.N. Security Council members Russia and China backed the Israel resolution, passed by a 49-45 margin by the IAEA's annual member states gathering. The vote split along Western and developing nation lines. There were 16 abstentions.

"Israel will not cooperate in any matter with this resolution which is only aiming at reinforcing political hostilities and lines of division in the Middle East region," chief Israeli delegate David Danieli told the chamber.

Western states said it was unfair and counterproductive to isolate one member state.[link]

See this animation of dimona based on Mordechai Vanunu's photos and description:
Israel's Dimona Nuclear Weapons Factory In 3D

This reminds me of 9/11--when the Mossad decided that the US could withstand the attack on the Twin Towers.

Remember the 'Israeli movers' celebrating in New Jersey? I do.

If there are Iranians agents waiting for their masters orders to murder Americans, they have to be found and interrogated. No great nation can allow blackmailing as MJ suggests.

if there is a war with iran and it goes real bad for the economy in the usa, it won't take much for joe six-pack to figure out who has been pushing for this war all along. there will then be a rise in real anti-semitism.

the rise of anti-semitism fits in with the desire, some might say 'evil plan', of the israeli government to have all jews live in israel. this is not something new. see Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged all French Jews to move to Israel immediately to escape anti-Semitism.

As per the usual, I am late to the party.

I write--and I am also a member of-- for the Chicano Veterans Organization (CVO) and the CVO is already on record that NO Native American or Chicano will fight or die in Israel for Nation of Israel. And the "logic" is that the Israelis have had an overwhelming number of years to reach their political accommodation with the Palestinians. As such, Jimmy Carter laid out the road map. As such, faux-conventional wisdom, is simply unacceptable, but Common Sense will apply.

So, when I hear or read of the pundits on either the airwaves, the print media, or the Internet, speaking of Israel's future, none have the faintest inkling of what will transpire here in the USA for when the Latino Community refuses to cooperate with our Jewish Brethren. Perhaps a permanent rupture of a good will relationship will come about and remain a permanent fixture in America politics? If so, the incoming Demographics will only reinforce this behavior for the Spanish-speaking community. And yet, the creation of the J-Street, is a good but faint first step.

Jaango

And no one said that anyone was asking a Native American or Chicano to fight or die in Iraq or Afghanistan?

Thus, Bush's War of Choice 'circumvented' the Constitution and the 'criminally stupid' moved the levers of power to fast forward in order to invade the wrong nation.

Consequently, I recognize and acknowledge American History.

Jaango

So, when I hear or read of the pundits on either the airwaves, the print media, or the Internet, speaking of Israel's future, none have the faintest inkling of what will transpire here in the USA for when the Latino Community refuses to cooperate with our Jewish Brethren...If so, the incoming Demographics will only reinforce this behavior for the Spanish-speaking community.

In this Jpost article about an IDF survey scoring Hezbollah vs the IDF in '06 , the author of the study includes warnings about diminishing American support that includes the changing Hispanic/Latino demographic :

During his research for the article, titled "How the Arabs are preparing for the next war," Sandman asked 24 senior IDF officers to grade the army and Hizbullah in 10 categories, on a scale of 1 to 10.

While the IDF enjoys superior technology, the scorecard revealed that the army performed poorly in gathering intelligence on Hizbullah, did not command its troops effectively during the monthlong war and lacked motivation to win.

snip]

Sandman also warned of the possibility that in a future conflict, the United States might not help Israel as it had in the past. During the 2006 war and the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the US airlifted advanced weapons and ammunition to Israel to refresh dwindling stockpiles.

Sandman warned of two main catalysts for a possible lack of support. The first was what he called the decreasing influence the Jewish community had over the US government.

"This trend will continue to get worse, due to assimilation and the fast rise of other minorities such as the Hispanics, which amount to 30 million [people] today in the US," he wrote.

The second was a possible change in government and subsequent policy that "could leave Israel without an ally."

As a result, Sandman recommended that the IDF ask the US to establish additional warehouses with emergency stockpiles of weaponry in Israel, even "if Israel has to pay for their maintenance."

The US already has several warehouses with weaponry in Israel.

His second recommendation was that Israel and the US hold joint training exercises to prepare for the possibility that the IDF will one day be under threat and require American troop support.

"This type of support will be important one day in an emergency, but could also serve as a deterrent for enemies when planning an attack," he wrote.•

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1254163537499&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

MJ: Potential column idea: Is the 2-state solution dead? This looks like the murder weapon. See http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=228636

"And as an aside, the AIPAC has spent a sizable dollar amount over the years, taking our "leaders" to Israel, and yet, the fact remains that this political behavior has not reaped any of the anticipated rewards for the Israelis."

I guess, Jaango, this is your little joke?

Israel has received US 'AID' totaling in excess of USD 3 billion nearly every year, plus tanks, Apache helicopter gunships, and F-16 fighter jets. Egypt also receives a similar amount to conform to US/Israeli wishes to close its border with Gaza tightly shut so that not one of the 1.5 million prisoners of Gaza can move freely for food, medical supplies or work.

Without checking, that would probably come to ITRO about $100 billion, in tax dollars, over only the past decade.

Have you any conception of much medicare that would buy for less well-off Americans? How many hospitals? How many new jobs? How many houses? How many schools? How many factories?

ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS!