Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., October 15, 2009 Tishrei 27, 5770 | | Israel Time: 20:54 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Share |
Last update - 14:44 14/10/2009
Nobel for Obama rules out U.S. strike on Iran
By Reuven Pedatzur
Tags: Nobel Prize, Iran nuclear 

In giving the Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, the members of the Nobel committee effectively closed the lid on the American military option in Iran. The prestigious award ties the president's hands; even if he had planned to order a U.S. military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities in the event that diplomatic negotiations failed, now he will have to forsake this option. It is clear that someone who has just been crowned a champion of world peace cannot take military action against a state that did not attack his country. We may also regretfully conclude that the Nobel Peace Prize is Iran's secure ticket to nuclear arms. If there was still a chance that an American military action could end the Iranian nuclear project, now the members of the Nobel committee have sentenced that project to life.

The Norwegian decision should force policy makers in Jerusalem to acknowledge that the likelihood that Iran will acquire nuclear arms in the near future has grown considerably. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, convinced that he returned from Washington with a U.S. promise to prevent Iran from going nuclear, must now accept the loss of the American military option. And the chances of a successful Israeli strike against the Iranian facilities have always been low. The natural conclusion is that Israel must prepare for a new Middle East in which it is no longer perceived as holding nuclear hegemony.

The first important step is to stop scaremongering. Statements claiming that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons means Israel's certain annihilation are damaging and unnecessary; if the true assessment is that Iran will use such weapons against Israel, the best thing Israelis can do is to start packing. Attempts to convince the public that it is necessary, and possible, to defend ourselves against nuclear weapons are tantamount to deception. Nuclear shelters cannot be built for everyone in the country, and the talk about hiding in the tunnels of Haifa's Carmelit railway or the basements of the New Tel Aviv Central Bus Station are pure fantasy. Relying on an antimissile system such as the Arrow is also wrong, because no such system can provide hermetic defense, and if just two nuclear missiles get through the price would be unbearable.
Advertisement
So what to do? If Israel indeed has nuclear weapons, we should approach the new Nobel laureate and agree on Israel losing its nuclear ambiguity and becoming a full-fledged member of the nuclear club. Obama's toleration of the end of Israeli ambiguity will spare us international pressure and the sanctions the U.S. administration is legally obliged to apply to a country crossing the nuclear threshold.

An Israeli declaration that it possesses nuclear weapons, if it does, would completely change the regional rules of the game. It would enable the introduction of a reliable early warning system between Israel and Iran, when Iran acquires nuclear weapons of its own. Policy makers in Tehran understand only too well the meaning of Israel realizing its military option, and the meaning of American backup for Israeli warnings.

A clear Iranian recognition that any attempt to attack Israel with nonconventional weapons will lead to the certain demolition of Iran as a modern state should prevent its rulers from even thinking about using their nuclear arms . Rulers, even strict Islamic ones, do not commit suicide with their states. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his followers may not be particularly nice, but they are certainly very rational.

Related articles:
  • Russia FM: Threats of sanctions against Iran won't work
  • Ahmadinejad, Netanyahu and the Holocaust: The ethics of memory
  • Obama is worthy of Nobel, he has changed the world
    • PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
    Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    'Dipomatic sensitivities'
    Turkish Prime Minister said 'sensitivities' led to Israel's ban from joint air force drill.
    Rival rescue services
    Magen David Adom said a Rival ambulance company 'kidnapped' their patient
      1.   nuclear iran 05:40  |  dano 14/10/09
      2.   Thats the spirit! 05:57  |  mark 14/10/09
      3.   Utter drivel 06:09  |  Fortuna Benmayor 14/10/09
      4.   one point 06:41  |  ron 14/10/09
      5.   Excellent article dealing with the reality 06:57  |  Manny Goldstein 14/10/09
      6.   American Military Option - Fantasy! 06:59  |  Mark of Lewiston 14/10/09
      7.   War with Iran 07:48  |  Jack 14/10/09
      8.   Incredibly naive 08:30  |  Albrecht Klein 14/10/09
      9.   I Accept That These Are Editorials 08:32  |  Brendan 14/10/09
      10.   "An Israeli declaration" - BUT can Reuven GUARANTEE that things 09:14  |  CK Tan 14/10/09
      11.   The "clear Iranian recognition" already exists 09:30  |  AB 14/10/09
      12.   Mr. Pedatzur circumnavigates a little problem 10:41  |  Axel 14/10/09
      13.   Iran, a national of "shaheeds" to atomic war? 11:07  |  Edward 14/10/09
      14.   #4 - AB 11:35  |  Gully Foyle 14/10/09
      15.   Very rational? 11:48  |  Jon 14/10/09
      16.   Unbelievable! 11:54  |  Milton 14/10/09
      17.   Obamas noble prize. 12:31  |  interested observer 14/10/09
      18.   Bush ruled out an American strike! 12:33  |  Jack 14/10/09
      19.   Pedatzur understands the new realities 12:47  |  Realist 14/10/09
      20.   US military action against Iran 12:49  |  Philipp Weiss 14/10/09
      21.   No other site today mentions Obama`s added triumph... 12:57  |  Esther 14/10/09
      22.   You would certainly hope so but... 13:23  |  Rod 14/10/09
      23.   MILITARY ACTION WAS NEVER AN OPTION FOR OBAMA 13:36  |  zionist forever 14/10/09
      24.   A nuclear Iran 13:42  |  WHG 14/10/09
      25.   That is a good news 14:26  |  Mohammad 14/10/09
      26.   It Was Never Going to Happen Anyway 14:47  |  Druid 14/10/09
      27.   zionist forever 15:15  |  proud american 14/10/09
      28.   obama 15:57  |  badran 14/10/09
      29.   Turkey is the regional power 16:01  |  Anonymous 14/10/09
      30.   iran 16:07  |  oz 14/10/09
      31.   You don`t have to kill a rattlesnake ... 16:07  |  Jasper 14/10/09
      32.   existential threat paradox 16:09  |  Ilan 14/10/09
      33.   Turkey will try to get her own nuclear bombs from Russia 16:10  |  Anonymous 14/10/09
      34.   The US was not going to strike Iran anyhow 16:26  |  Mark Lincoln 14/10/09
      35.   Iran is NEVER going to be the regional power 16:27  |  Anonymous 14/10/09
      36.   crucial point 17:37  |  citizen zero 14/10/09
      37.   Geez, what a bummer, the US isn`t gonna attack 17:38  |  ballistic 14/10/09
      38.   But they still hope Iran wont start trading oil in Euros just.. 17:51  |  Tcherkessi 14/10/09
      39.   Question to Manny 17:59  |  A TRUE American 14/10/09
      40.   re:21 Ester 18:00  |  JTA 14/10/09
      41.   We in the States are grateful 18:02  |  Christopher 14/10/09
      42.   To Esther in Occupied TA 18:05  |  A TRUE American 14/10/09
      43.   It was a preemption on Obama 18:05  |  Brod 14/10/09
      44.   Obama`s Nobel Peace Prize 18:06  |  Ahmed 14/10/09
      45.   FORTUNA, # 3 18:14  |  EL 14/10/09
      46.   The real question is: are Islamic states acting rationally? 18:47  |  Joe 14/10/09
      47.   another point Ron 19:51  |  prof 14/10/09
      48.   OK, TRUE #30, we`ll meet here again when it`s finalized 19:58  |  Esther 14/10/09
      49.   JTA #28... ditto my response to TRUE #30 20:03  |  Esther 14/10/09
      50.   NOBEL PEACE PRIZE DIDN`T STOP ARAFAT..... 20:12  |  Ian 14/10/09
      51.   Fake Realist 19 20:17  |  Realist 14/10/09
      52.   #29 Well, alas, JTA, it is indeed gonna happen! 20:34  |  ballistic 14/10/09
      53.   #21 Esther, you are way ahead of your brethren! 20:35  |  ballistic 14/10/09
      54.   #23 Zionist Forever 20:39  |  ballistic 14/10/09
      55.   #32 Poor Brod, there is no threat! 20:48  |  ballistic 14/10/09
      56.   Absurd piece 20:52  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 14/10/09
      57.   Absurd piece 20:52  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 14/10/09
      58.   Great response by #3 Fortuna 21:07  |  Mike 14/10/09
      59.   Obama was never remotely capable of a strike on Iran`s nukes. 21:08  |  Chaim 14/10/09
      60.   Peace is the goal 21:48  |  Peacefull Observer 14/10/09
      61.   Once Israel strikes, the US will be drawn in 22:02  |  Mark Lincoln 14/10/09
      62.   Nobel for Obama rules out U.S. strike on Iran 22:18  |  White Russian 14/10/09
      63.   DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO 22:32  |  Esther 14/10/09
      64.   stupid 22:39  |  michel 14/10/09
      65.   # 35 joe 22:45  |  Axel 14/10/09
      66.   to Joe.........#35 22:50  |  Tony Silver 14/10/09
      67.   To 31, A True American: when are you... 23:02  |  Kokoko Loko 14/10/09
      68.   Esther - you love Obama so much why not take him there? 23:16  |  Michael Anderson 14/10/09
      69.   Israel is not the only potential target. 23:57  |  a wandering Jew 14/10/09
      70.   Obama would never strike Iran 01:29  |  Martin K 15/10/09
      71.   Phillip Weiss in Switzerland 02:45  |  Eaglebeak 15/10/09
      72.   A ? American`s question to Manny 03:00  |  Eaglebeak 15/10/09
      73.   44 03:25  |  zionist forever 15/10/09
      74.   What about working toward a 2 state solution? 04:05  |  Shelley 15/10/09
      75.   Iran is very irrational. 04:36  |  Rubicon 15/10/09
      76.   Noble Prize a Norway Trojan Horse against Israel 05:15  |  Arturo 15/10/09
      77.   Axel and Pakistan 13:42  |  Peter Williams 15/10/09
      78.   #69 IRAN TRYING TO GET IN RANGE OF EUROPE 20:36  |  Ian 15/10/09
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Date Local Jewish Singles
    Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
    Junkyard
    Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
    More Headlines
    20:54 Egypt FM: I refuse to be in the same room as Lieberman
    18:44 Turkey: We foiled al-Qaida plot against Israeli, U.S. targets
    19:57 Turkish producer: TV drama only depicts IDF murderers
    19:51 UN human rights chief endorses Goldstone Gaza report
    20:38 Lebanon elected to UN Security Council
    20:15 Hezbollah vs. Israel: Who has 'real' video of Lebanon blast site?
    12:45 Goldstone, Israel's Frankenstein's monster
    08:08 TV ROUND-UP: UN discusses Goldstone report; Israel slams Turkey TV drama
    18:22 Iran awash with rumors of Supreme Leader Khamenei's death
    14:07 In Gaza, actress Mia Farrow voices 'outrage' over blockade
    14:18 Hamas in Syria spurns plan to reconcile with Fatah
    18:14 Mother of murdered girl Rose Pizem: Ronny Ron nearly beat me to death
    09:52 Auschwitz museum launches Facebook site
    15:30 Chinese leader dashes hope for sanctions against Iran
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
    | Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
    | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved