Military strike on Iran is what unites Netanyahu and Barak
Barak, with his ranks and medals, can give Netanyahu the kind of backing he needs to advance aggressive moves on the Iranian front.
By Aluf Benn Tags: Israel news Ehud BarakEhud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu share a worldview. Both enjoy smoking cigars and reading biographies of Winston Churchill. Both consider Israel a Western bastion in the heart of a hostile Muslim world. Both do not trust the Arabs and believe that there is "no partner" on the Palestinian side. And both consider the Iranian nuclear program a major threat to Israel and support a military operation against it.
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The reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant is seen, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. |
| Photo by: AP |
The activist view against Iran unites Barak and Netanyahu and gives sense to their shared place in the country's leadership. Bolstered by the incoming chief of staff, Yoav Galant, who is considered a supporter of their position, the prime minister and defense minister will seek to foil the Iranian nuclear program in their remaining time in office. Their move to offload the Labor ministers who opposed Barak sought to keep Barak in his defense minister's chair. Concerns that Barak may be forced to resign in April because of Labor's infighting have been lifted.
Without Barak by his side, Netanyahu would find it hard to advance aggressive moves on the Iranian front. Netanyahu has no military record that grants him supreme defense authority, as Ariel Sharon had. Only Barak, with his ranks and medals, his seniority as a former prime minister, can give Netanyahu this kind of backing.
Likud's senior defense figure, former Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon, is considered a moderate on the Iranian issue, as is Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who more than anyone symbolizes the right in the right-wing government. Netanyahu cannot overcome their opposition without the defense minister's definitive analyses, accompanied by his circular hand motions.
The press conference of former Mossad chief Meir Dagan undermined the view of Barak and Netanyahu: If the timetable for an Iranian bomb has been pushed back to 2015, there is no need to send the bombers to Natanz this year. But they have not given in. Barak's political-security chief at the Defense Ministry, Amos Gilad, was quick to warn that the Iranian timetable is even shorter, and Dagan took back some of his statements yesterday at the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, apparently under pressure by the prime minister.
Netanyahu and Barak have hinted over the past two weeks that Israel is on the verge of a surprising diplomatic move. In his address to foreign reporters, Netanyahu promised that in 2011 "the truth will emerge" about who really wants peace in the region.
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An Israeli attack on Iran will not improve Israel's actual long term interests in any way at all. It will only serve to help individual politicians in their elections. It won't stop any secret Iranian nuke program, it will only justify it, and give Iran leverage in getting outside assistance in its rapid completion.
Surprising fair and square review ! Anyone close to Bibi understand that his main concern is Iran threat. And he is absolutely RIGHT !!
this article is out dated. The attach has already been done. Natanz is not operational, even Iranians admit that they have been hurt. There is no need to send airplanes. All u dooms day predictors, wake up, first stage of the war is over, no bombs and none of those horrible predictions from any of u "know it alls".
The war against Islamic fascism is in full swing. The winner, however, is yet to be determined.
a hundred of that puppet couple of Netanyahu-Barak would be able to attack Iran. Otherwise they would have done it already. Terrorizing civilians and bombing Gaza is the extent of their might.
If Netanyahu and Barak were serious about a credible military threat, they would deploy troops to the Persian Gulf. Call up about two Divisions and park them on US Amphib Assault Carriers in the Gulf and do it at Israeli Taxpayer expense. Then put half the IAF at Diego Garcia. Plan and budget for a decade deployment, without spouses or families. You can rotate troops home every 16 months or so. On the bright side, if your government makes peace with any Gulf States, there will be the possibility for shore leave, occasionally. You just need to get an agreement with Palestine.
A strike on Iran might unite Netanyahu and Barak, but a war might disunite innocent Israeli family members and might destroy so many livelyhoods. War is a game played by presidents with the lives of other people's loved ones.
barak and bibi will attack iran by playing computer games and both will destroy iran once and for all . but only through play station games .
Israel should send the jets cruising over iran to blow the mullahs and their nukes to smithereens before it is too late......
Iran and Arab countries also have a jet, you are not alone Egypt and Saudi Arabia UEA have more jet than Israel so stop your bragging
....those super-duper IDF jets can't stay in the air merely because you are feeding hot air into their intakes. May I suggest that you work out the "combat radius" of an IDF F-16I, and then measure the distance between Israel and Iran......
Israel obtained long time ago "the right"to attack Iran from the "civilized countries" but to do it alone and that is not what Israel wants,she inclined that US will to it alone.Barak said short time ago that Iran is not "an existential threat" but of course he could change his mind daily.However Barak is now exactly as Hamlet father was ,a ghost on Israeli politic scene.
One possibility is that Netanyahu plans to pursue peace. Unlikely. Perhaps he is anticipating some "truth to emerge" that would suggest the Palestinians don't want peace? Anyway, tension has been building and war or peace is very close.
If both are convinced that there needs to be a greater military threat against Iran, they should be loading IDF troops onto US AAC ships in the Gulf and negotiating to station at least half the IAF at Diego Garcia, with a plan for at least a decade long deployment at Israeli taxpayer cost. No room aboard ship or at Diego Garcia for dependents. War and real threats of war are expensive. and who runs the shops back home with 100 to 200 thousand troops abroad.
the British would allow Israelis to be stationed on Diego Garcia? The U.S. might use the island, but it's sovereign British territory. I know what your saying though, the Israelis couldn't afford it.
Once leased, the island is effective American territory. Not only could the Israelis not afford it, the absence of the soldiers for a decade and the resultant disaffection with a pointless political exercise would be found unacceptable, even without casualties.
but the British did have a say, (even if it was only lip service) regarding the storage of certain U.S. armaments on the island. I think (hope) they would kick up a real stink if the Israelis came within 500 miles of the place.
The Brits have centuries of experience on leasing territory, so I would imagine they would have inserted articles into the lease prohibiting the USA from "on-selling" without the UK's permission.
Barak and Netanyahu share with Galant the wish for atacking Iran preemptively. Dagan has pulled the rug under them somewhat. But if Stuxnet + covert ops + humint + satellite and drone intel + engaging in luring Iranian scientists out has indeed worked in delaying the Iranian bomb four or five years, then playing with adventurism is absurd, and extremely dangerous. Hamas and Hezballah will fire for their patrons in Tehranhundreds if not thousands of missiles into densely populated areas inside Israel, as well as into sensitive areas of defense and intel importance, oil deposits, airports, etc. The hollow phrase about Netanyahu warning about a peace surprise is an expired dairy product. The year was 2009 and expired in 2010. Any promise for 2011 stinks.
Iran isn¿t making nukes. Mossad says it would take them 5 years even if they were trying. But lets start a war anyway' with a brave and heavily armed country that has 10 times Israel's population...... thats counting all the israeli arabs too! And is 80 times her size. Sounds pretty suicidal to me as nobody will join her in this looney venture............ specially not the Saudis as all their oil exports have to be shipped through the "Persian" gulf. Which Iran can close any time.
will keep this region burning for decades to come and will change the entire world for ever. People be careful what you wish for, it may come true and it would not turn out the way Israel planned it.
Don't read the news then, and stop whining. Indeed this is important to the entire world.
Israel has no realistic military option against Iran (with US disapproval), other than a nuclear strike which is unacceptable before the Iranians have a nuclear weapon and are ready to use it. The distance to Iranian nuclear installation is bigger than what the roundtrip range of the most capable Israeli plane can do without midair refueling. (Where?) The installations are also well dispersed and some locations may be unknown. For this reason I find it hard to believe that Barak the realist is seriously considering such a strike. I think that what unites him with Netanyahu is sitting around the government's table as Minister of Defense.
I believe Israel is preparing for a conflict, however when the conflict does start I believe the Iranians will never agree to a cease fire unless they feel significant pain and Israel's military can't do much damage to Iran unless they actually did the unthinkable. I believe the Israeli strategist would ignite a war knowing that Iran would drag the US in the war and if that happens Israel knows the outcome. The total destruction of the Iranian military but a lot of pissed off Americans blaming Israel for the cost of hundreds or possibly thousands of Americans lives and hundreds of billions of dollars not to mention Israeli gas prices $8,00 a gallon coming to the US.
A war with Iran is not going to lead just hundreds but thousands, and a regional conflict Worse than Vietnam, iran with 1000 000 of soldiers and 12 million Basiji militia trained and motivated, the vast country like alaska and steep terrain, a war with Iran is purely the folly. the American people will turn against Israel Definitely! Without American support israel is over
want to see yet again more Saar V just go in the Persian Gulf
should make clear to Israel once and for all that the US will not take part in a war with Iran. Dominos are falling.
There will be a moment of truth when those remaining see who once and for all is the real obstacle to peace
Children will always return to what made them successful when ever they are in trouble. There is an intense commonality between Barak and Bibi. They were successful young commando types, and miserable failures as Prime Minister. Young successes at young things, and utter failures as adults who have spent their entire lifetimes living off the glories of their youth, and in one case their brothers. Is there anyone who would deny them the right to relive the days of their lives by wasting the lives of others? All either has proven as an adult is that they are miserable failures, why not relive their pasts? They should hijack an airliner to Natanz, where each will stand on a wing an show Marshal Matt Dillon how to clean up the East. Why should two losers not be allowed to live out their fantasies and relive their childhood by getting others wasted for nothing but their vanity? How far down the road to national suicide is Israel willing to follow two failures?
You obviously have some inside information that the rest of us imbeciles seem to lack. Perhaps you should write a news blog.
None of them was elected, and there they sit. Many losers would want to surf up and down such "failure as adults" as the one these two astute cretins do.
A failed country does tend to follow the like.