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Last update - 03:40 10/02/2008 No need to wait for Russia or China By Silvan Shalom Tags: Iran, Israel, sanctions  The permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are currently talking with Germany about formulating a resolution on more sanctions against Iran. As in past years, the United States and the European Union do not see eye to eye with Russia and China, which are opposed to severe sanctions against Tehran. The reasons are obvious. President Vladimir Putin's Russia has returned to the Soviet policy of the past, under which America's friends are Russia's enemies and vice versa. Thus, Iran has become Russia's close friend. Furthermore, little help can be expected from China on this issue. Its dependence on Iran for energy is total and was greatly increased by its accelerated growth in the last decade. A few years ago, the two nations signed an agreement whereby China will pay Iran $75 billion to supply it with natural gas over the next 30 years - the largest such contract in history. We must ask ourselves whether there is any point in waiting for Sino-Russian consent, or whether the two countries should simply be overlooked on this issue. In my opinion, waiting would be unnecessary and ineffective, and would not achieve the hoped-for result, namely, making Iran abandon its military nuclear project. Advertisement Iran's trade with Russia is negligible: only 2 percent of its total international trade. Therefore, Russia's participation in the sanctions will not step up economic pressure on Iran. On the other hand, China does not interfere in international disputes that do not affect it directly. China never has vetoed any Security Council resolutions that did not affect its interests. Furthermore, its dependence on Iran is greater. There is no point in waiting. The U.S. and the EU can reach a clear, unequivocal and immediately implementable decision. Since most of Iran's international trade is with the U.S. and the EU, the decision to impose severe sanctions will have a strong, hard impact. Iran is already feeling the pinch of economic pressure. Recent decisions by a number of American states, forbidding pension funds from investing in companies operating in or conducting business with Iran, already are having an effect. The same can be said for the recent decisions by European and American banks to cancel the credit lines of Iranian companies and international corporations that do business with or operate in Iran. These decisions, which exert an economic stranglehold, already have caused considerable agitation in the Iranian business community, many of whose members fear that the international sword is now resting on their neck. The Tehran government already has decided to transfer a large chunk of its deposits from dollars to gold, in preparation for tougher times ahead. Iran's economic hardships are beginning to become apparent. The decision to ration fuel - each private vehicle is limited to 100 liters per month - is one tangible result. While it has one of the world's largest oil reserves, Iran must refine its oil in foreign refineries. The rationing of fuel has sparked great bitterness, a wave of protests and acts of arson against hundreds of service stations. Furthermore, the recent student riots are worrying Tehran and underscoring a complex problem that its leaders are now facing. Undoubtedly, the sanctions are working. In my opinion, they are the best option. In posing a threat to Israel's very survival, Iran markedly differs from Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad or even Syria. Thus, Israel must do everything possible to prevent Iran from acquiring a military nuclear capability. Israel can, and must, prepare for every option. Nevertheless, the alternatives are clear. The military option is problematic, complex and fraught with dangers. Certainly, the report published by the American intelligence community has tied President George W. Bush's hands and seriously narrowed his prospects of ordering an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. The question is: What should Israel do? Israel attacked the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, but today's situation is very different - Iran has many more nuclear facilities than Iraq had at the time. Moreover, Iran is further from Israel than Iraq, and in order to reach Iran, Israeli fighter jets will have to fly over friendly neighboring countries, which in itself is a problem. This does not mean, however, that Israel should not make the necessary preparations for the military option. Israel should be ready for any possible scenario. Yet it must also realize that sanctions are a much better and more realistic option. Economic sanctions have an impact, and have caused regimes to capitulate. They worked on South Africa's apartheid regime and on Libyan dictator Muammar Gadhafi, and will soon force North Korea to radically change its policies. Global resoluteness and tightening sanctions against Tehran will force it to capitulate as well, and to abandon its ambitious program to develop a nuclear bomb. Silvan Shalom is a Likud MK and has served as both foreign minister and finance minister. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Google N for Nakba Israeli town sues Google over claim it was built on ruins of Palestinian village. A Belgian treat U.S. Jew says he was kicked out of a Bruges cafe because he was wearing a skullcap.   1.   Sanctions do not work and never have worked 11:04  |  Natallie Durson 10/02/08   2.   iran 11:49  |  english jew 10/02/08   3.   Israel, trying to bend the world to its will 11:50  |  Clickfool 10/02/08   4.   Shalom living in a virtual world 12:32  |  Jonathan S 10/02/08   5.   Sactions Only Drive Iran`s Need for Independence 12:56  |  Lev Bronstein 10/02/08   6.   WHAT GLOBAL? 13:26  |  indrajaya 10/02/08   7.   Why promoting hatred? 13:26  |  Bob 10/02/08   8.   #4 trotsky on soviet style economics and its failure ! 13:41  |  v hardman 10/02/08   9.   For Bob in Munich # 6 14:54  |  Clickfool 10/02/08   10.   Sanctions will not work. Only diplomacy..or.. 15:53  |  Stephen. 10/02/08   11.   What a strange article 16:03  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/02/08   12.   Sanctions are a better idea than another war 16:28  |  Natallie Durson 10/02/08   13.   Iran is Nazi Germany of today 17:10  |  Jonathan S 10/02/08   14.   Iran will get a bomb - nothing will be done 17:29  |  Sandor 10/02/08   15.   #13 Jonathan S Stupidity is no excuse 17:49  |  Chris Linthwaite 10/02/08   16.   Israel is currently under sanctions. Are they working? 19:44  |  Pablo B 10/02/08   17.   # 16. Pablo. Ready for another round.? 20:35  |  Stephen. 10/02/08   18.   BRONSTEIN.The UN has NOT had full acccess in Iran.Why is that? 20:50  |  PETER SM 10/02/08   19.   Wait it out.. read real Iranian blogs..... 21:13  |  Josh 10/02/08   20.   # 18 Peter SM . The dude is a fiddler. 21:47  |  Stephen, 10/02/08   21.   Sanctions should be on Israel the occupier 21:51  |  JJ 10/02/08   22.   BRONSTEIN "water starved"Israel exports water recycling 22:01  |  PETER SM 10/02/08   23.   Iran will never attack Israel - 100 to 1 wager. 22:30  |  Houston 10/02/08   24.   # 23. Houston. The Saudis will wipe Iran off the mat.l 23:11  |  Stephen. 10/02/08   25.   BRONSTEIN..........Answer Peter SM !! 23:33  |  Stephen. 10/02/08   26.   tell the regime in Tehran that the multitudes of Israeli tourists 00:21  |  amos 11/02/08   27.   Tehran recently pushed some old buttons at the National Geogr mag 00:25  |  amos 11/02/08   28.   The UN has Not had ANY acccess in Israel, Why is that? 02:05  |  Lev Bronstein 11/02/08   29.   when will they learn? 02:08  |  Andrew 11/02/08   30.   No need to wait for Russia or China 02:10  |  Non Jew 11/02/08   31.   A response to Mr Silvan Shalom - as above: 02:15  |  M. Bakhtiar 11/02/08   32.   Saudi Force against missile attack ?? 04:58  |  Houston 11/02/08   33.   Iran and Russia 04:58  |  Mannstein 11/02/08   34.   Gog/Magog 05:35  |  Matityahu 11/02/08   35.   why should iran want to attack? 05:50  |  Andrew 11/02/08   36.   All conflicts are essentially economic ... 14:47  |  Houston 12/02/08

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