By Steve Kramer
KFAR SABA, Israel — While the U.S. and the Europeans dawdle and vacillate at the JCPOA (Iran nuclear agreement) meetings – or non-meetings – in Vienna, Iran gets ever closer to nuclear weapons capability. This situation is very dangerous to Israel and the West. Europe and the U.S. are oblivious to this, but if they do get it, they have another agenda.
Russia and China, also parties to the Iran deal aren’t too concerned with Iran getting nukes, because either one would (probably) incinerate Tehran if it felt threatened.
Western weakness is giving Israel the green light to attack Iran. Not because Iran is anti-Western but because Iran’s nuclear capability would be an existential crisis for the Jewish State. In fact, it’s so crucial that Israel might have to attack Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza simultaneously, to eliminate Iran’s threat.
An Israeli think tank reported in July 2016: “A year after it was finalized, the nuclear deal with Iran has clearly made the region and the world more dangerous, notwithstanding the temporary respite won in Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon. The Obama administration’s advocacy of warmer relations with Tehran appears totally removed from realities on the ground. Iran is using its new legal position to obscure, rather than clarify, past activities and present inventories; work on ballistic missiles and on the acquisition of materials for Iran’s non-conventional weapons arsenal continues apace; repression has worsened; regional subversion is at its peak; and deadly positions towards Israel are openly put forward. The JCPOA has in no way moderated Iran’s stance, nor made it a legitimate member of the community of nations.”
The Biden administration has picked up where the Obama team left off. This isn’t a surprise, since America’s negotiators are almost the exact same team as previously. Israel, which was adamant in its opposition to the deal from the start under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is just as adamant under Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Israel points out incessantly that Iran’s works behind the scenes to create nukes while it procrastinates in negotiations; its Iran’s MO. Yet the West ignores that fact and makes empty gestures to counter Iran’s accomplishments.
9/12/21: “Stability is restored. And the Iranian nuclear threat is back to the pattern of long, dragged out but hopeful negotiations to a deal. That was the message the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Tehran each wanted to deliver on Sunday, each for its own purposes….
More than three-and-a-half years after the Mossad revealed the full depths of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, and two years after the IAEA started to press for answers, Iran has offered nothing….the quick willingness of the IAEA and the West to forgive everything and start over from square one sends a clear message to new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi that brinkmanship works.”
The article concludes with this: “Now there will be a race to see if a real deal – with however many holes – is reached before Israel starts to feel that Tehran is too close to the nuclear threshold, and that it must use force to end the march.”
Neither the actions of Europe nor America show alarm over the Iranian nuclear threat. Israel has no such luxury (perhaps the West doesn’t either). Israel has the means to forcefully impede Iran’s acquisition of nuclear weapons, even if it can’t destroy the whole program. In addition, Israel has the will to do it, if necessary.
Iran, a Muslim country run by radical jihadists, just might decide to attack Israel, relying on its burgeoning military might, its many allies on Israel’s borders, and the West’s apparent disinclination for confrontation. Russia, which has lately been flaunting its power with impunity, supports Iran, another factor which may give Iran confidence. Additionally, China has lately shown support for Iran, even promising the terrorist country $400 billion in investments in the next two and a half decades. Both China and Russia are on Iran’s side — if it doesn’t get too ambitious and target them.
An Israeli attack on Iran would have dire repercussions. But nothing could be more dangerous for Israel than to bet on Iran’s good will or good sense not to attack Israel. The dithering West, coupled with the resolute mullahs of Iran, may result in a military confrontation that should have been interdicted years ago.
I wonder about this: is the U.S. government so stupid (it couldn’t be ignorant at this point) about Iran’s drive to achieve nuclear capability, or is the government actively promoting Iran as a nuclear threshold state? If it’s the first reason, what can wake the government up? If it’s the second, a devastating Middle Eastern war is probable. One thing is sure. Israel is serious about “Never Again” and will not passively await a military onslaught against it by Iran and its proxy armies. So I repeat: Western weakness is giving Israel the green light to attack Iran before it’s too late.
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Steve Kramer is a freelance writer based in Kfar Saba, Israel. He may be contacted via steve.kramer@sdjewishworld.com