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Living forever by bombardment
By Gideon Levy
Tags: Israel, Iran

So what is the "great plan"? As things look now, this is the way Israel is planning its future: Every time some Middle Eastern country tries to obtain nuclear weapons, Israel will bomb it. Bomb - and bombard. Beyond the problematic assumption that we are allowed to do what others are not allowed, and what is secure in our hands is dangerous in the hands of others, this kind of conduct will lead to disaster. We tried twice, in Iraq and in Syria, and it worked; it is doubtful it was essential.

Now it seems we are going to try a third time against Iran. It may even be successful, but nothing lasts forever. It will end in catastrophe. From bombardment to bombardment, that is not the way for Israel to establish itself in the Middle East in the long term. But no one discusses the long term beyond tomorrow.

We could and should now discuss the chances, and especially the risks, of an attack on Iran. We usually hold such a discussion, if at all, under impossible conditions: either retrospectively, when it is too late, lacking information or after receiving disinformation. Those in on the secrets are also the ones to make the decision. But those in on secrets always lean in a belligerent direction; war is the only doctrine and craft they know. So it is very dangerous to depend solely on them.
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We could and should now consider an attack on Iran, but not only by consulting our own security experts. We should, for example, also listen to the impressive and knowledgeable Hans Blix, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who had reasonable things to say in an interview with Yedioth Ahronoth; things that are missing from our warped public discourse. Blix warned that if Israel acts against Iran the whole region will go up in flames, that Syria's nuclear capabilities are primitive, that the attack on the reactor in Iraq was unnecessary, and above all, that the government in Iran can be made to give up the bomb, but not by force.

The Swedish diplomat believes that if the international community offers guarantees of Iran's security and accepts it as a member in good standing as was done with North Korea, perhaps there will be no bomb. This has not been tried. The international community is making do with threats and sanctions that do not deter Iran, and the Israel Air Force is already conducting drills, it is believed, for the next dangerous adventure. The assumption that the window of opportunity is about to close because of the changing of the guard at the White House is distorted: Might not Barack Obama, if elected, talk to Iran and prevent it from developing the bomb without bombardment? Could anything be better?

But talking about an action against Iran is not our main problem. For or against bombardment, Israel never thinks in terms of beyond tomorrow. It acts like a person who puts buckets in a house with a leaky roof instead of thoroughly fixing the roof. So we bombard Iran, and even if it is successful and we do not have to pay a heavy price for it - a dubious scenario - what happens then? What will happen when Egypt wants a bomb? Will we bomb again? And Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Iraq? And perhaps Hezbollah has some "dirty bomb" or other? And will we "allow" Turkey to go nuclear? Will we bombard and bombard, and live forever by bombardment?

Israel can fix the holes in the roof only if it seriously tries to be accepted in the region. Such acceptance will be the only guarantee of its existence beyond the next bombardment. A real chance for this was created in the Arab peace initiative that Israel is ignoring in intolerable arrogance. Our national effort continues to be aimed only toward expanding the range of the F-15 and options for in-flight refueling. Nothing has been done in the opposite direction - grounding the planes and refueling diplomatically.

Imagine peace with the Palestinians, the Syrians and most of the Arab world. Would Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dare threaten Israel then, too? On what pretext? Imagine that Israel announces it will not attack Iran until all other means have been exhausted, simultaneously calling on the West to talk to Iran about security guarantees. Does it sound unreal? Will we not contribute more this way to reduce the danger? After all, Iran has so far shown itself to be a rational country, not insane. We refuse to pay the price of peace; we continue to prefer the price of bombardment. But this time the price might be a particularly heavy one.

Israel's pyromania may now have reached the most dangerous point in its history, in the face of Iranian pyromania, just when an alternative track has opened up. The dread of the implications of an attack on Iran may be exaggerated. We might succeed again. And what if we do not? But then again, what if we do?
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  1.   Unfortunately Israel Cannot Be Accepted 09:40  |  Khaled 06/07/08
  2.   "it is doubtful it was essential" 09:47  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
  3.   Er...small correction, Gideon 09:48  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  4.   Why an Israeli attack is mad beyond imagining 09:54  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  5.   "we sould listen to the knowledgeable Hans Blix" 10:00  |  Cipora Juliana Kohn 06/07/08
  6.   Living forever by bombardment 10:08  |  Ralph 06/07/08
  7.   "imagine peace with the Palestinians" 10:10  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
  8.   "Iran is not insane," just suffering from "pyromania" 10:17  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 06/07/08
  9.   Levy, as messed up and ignorant as usual 10:19  |  David Teich 06/07/08
  10.   Israel needs eternal war. 10:28  |  Andreas 06/07/08
  11.   levy ... you from israel...? 10:35  |  ravi 06/07/08
  12.   For David Teich # 9 10:40  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  13.   Gideon is a true Christ of Israel, listen to him, Jews! 10:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/07/08
  14.   Khaled, we Christians give another cheak, why don`t Moslems? 10:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/07/08
  15.   CLICKFOOL 10:56  |  chasaboy 06/07/08
  16.   to Clickfool Why letting Iran have a bomb is mad beyond imagining 11:08  |  CM 06/07/08
  17.   Uh, N. Korea was Building Secret Nuke Site In Syria... 11:10  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 06/07/08
  18.   Living forever by stupidity 11:24  |  tz 06/07/08
  19.   Israel could easily go the way of the Crusader Holy Land state 11:40  |  Michael 06/07/08
  20.   the sane Iranians 11:42  |  dbar1954 06/07/08
  21.   # 1 11:53  |  MORDECAI BEN NATAN 06/07/08
  22.   For db1954 # 11 11:58  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  23.   Why doesn´t Blix tell Iran: if she attacks the ME´ll flame up? 12:03  |  AY 06/07/08
  24.   G. Levy 12:12  |  Arthur 06/07/08
  25.   Israel bites on Ahmadinejads bait 12:13  |  Natallie Durson 06/07/08
  26.   The End justifies the Means? 13:08  |  Imad 06/07/08
  27.   Well somebody has to, don`t they!! Apathy, everywhere. 13:11  |  Harvey (Chaim) 06/07/08
  28.   ISRAEL PREFERS TO LIVE AND NOT BE DESTROYED BY ISLAM`S NUKES ?? 13:39  |  Bill 06/07/08
  29.   Ahmajinejad is the contemporary Nasser 13:54  |  ScotGuy 06/07/08
  30.   Not by the sword 14:02  |  Shimon Cleopas 06/07/08
  31.   Live by the sword and you will die by the sword 14:04  |  Ivar 06/07/08
  32.   Peace, Communism, Genocide Denial 14:05  |  Anonymous 06/07/08
  33.   As Oslo accords promoted heavily by leftists undermine Peace chan 14:09  |  Genuine Tosefta 06/07/08
  34.   BETWEEN STRATEGIC CONCESSIONS AND TACTICAL BLA..BLA..BLA.. 14:11  |  indrajaya 06/07/08
  35.   Peace, communism, genocide denial (cont) 14:13  |  Anonymous 06/07/08
  36.   There will be a diplomatic answer here 14:18  |  Ronnie Wolman 06/07/08
  37.   To all those who say an attack will merely delay Iran 15:03  |  MR 06/07/08
  38.   # 1 Khaled 15:13  |  Bob 06/07/08
  39.   # 2 Cipora Julianna Kohn 15:23  |  Bob 06/07/08
  40.   For Clickfool # 13 15:26  |  Uri 06/07/08
  41.   Living forever by bombardment 15:46  |  James 06/07/08
  42.   To MR # 19 15:50  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  43.   # 5 Cipora Julianna Kohn 16:06  |  Bob 06/07/08
  44.   YEEEES ! 16:06  |  gerhard 06/07/08
  45.   Gideon Levy=Neville Chamberlain 16:10  |  Murray the Mongoose 06/07/08
  46.   # 7 Cipora Julianna Kohn 16:12  |  Bob 06/07/08
  47.   # 7 Cipora Julianna Kohn II 16:14  |  Bob 06/07/08
  48.   Delusions 16:19  |  daat y 06/07/08
  49.   Some salient points. 16:27  |  examiner 06/07/08
  50.   For Uri # 40 16:29  |  Clickfool 06/07/08
  51.   # 20 dbar1954 16:29  |  Bob 06/07/08
  52.   Living from day to day. 16:41  |  Nod 06/07/08
  53.   Herzl`s "Rampart" 16:41  |  The Other Alan 06/07/08
  54.   #14 Yaakov 16:45  |  John Allen 06/07/08
  55.   To #34 16:48  |  Amram 06/07/08
  56.   Gideon Levy, are you for real? 16:50  |  John Allen 06/07/08
  57.   Israel is racist 16:52  |  David 06/07/08
  58.   Gideon Levy suggests prioritizing comprehensive ME peace .... 16:53  |  Smadar 06/07/08
  59.   Item by Item 16:54  |  Ron 06/07/08
  60.   Israel sells nuclear information and material 16:57  |  Marilyn 06/07/08
  61.   Wishful thinking Wollman 17:09  |  Dror 06/07/08
  62.   Bombs Away 17:11  |  Hank N Tennessee 06/07/08
  63.   Premise Number One 17:17  |  Mark Lincoln 06/07/08
  64.   # Kohn--- Traveller from outer space is back 17:19  |  Labhras 06/07/08
  65.   Iran will respond furiously on Israel, and especially on Dimona 17:21  |  Aounist 06/07/08
  66.   #44 examiner...Iraq has just transferred 17:25  |  Lynn 06/07/08
  67.   only if it seriously tries to be accepted in the region? 17:30  |  Freethinker 06/07/08
  68.   Is It Absurdity or Naivety? 17:38  |  Victor 06/07/08
  69.   Iran has already breached the NPT it signed 18:00  |  SDHD 06/07/08
  70.   Living forever by bombardment 18:05  |  American