Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007?

Mike Ion Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 06:58:04 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

It may surprise many that Israel has never signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Despite this many leading pro-Israeli politicians and commentators believe that Israel is entitled to 'punish' Iran for its non-compliance with the treaty. According to today's Sunday Times Israel is preparing to 'punish' Iran sooner rather than later. Many leading Israeli politicians are growing increasingly concerned over what they describe as Iran's 'backdoor' influence over Washington via the Iraqi Shia. The same is true of the Saudi Arabia - a largely Shiite country. Both Israel and Saudi Arabia are telling President Bush that he needs to pull the plug on Iraq's Shia Government, ignore the findings of the Iraq Study Group (whose most important advice was to open diplomatic channels to Tehran) and prepare to attack Iran, either directly or using the Israelis as a proxy.

Last year, the Pentagon delivered 500 "bunker-busting" bombs to Israel. In 2007 will we see the first use of a nuclear weapon since 1945? What should the policy of a Brown led government be?






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Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? | 13 comments (13 topical)

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#1)

by Glass House on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 08:49:34 PM GMT

Things like this generally don't just leak and we'd be missing a trick if we considered the Sunday Times  story in isolation from this (STILL yet to be confirmed) one.

I guess we're trying to scare whoever the new Ayatollah will be into putting pressure on Ahmadinejad to play ball.

That said, I'm a lot less squeamish about Israel using bunker busters than I am about Iran having a nuclear weapon.


Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#2)

by swatantra on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 09:11:57 PM GMT

Yes. Absolutely no doubt about it. It is the raison d'etre for all the conflict which we categorise under the label of terrorism. Zionism gave rise to fundamental Islamic tendancies. The West has a guilt complex over the 6 m Jews slaughtered in the Holocaust, and quite rightly so. But it should not cloud a rational judgement that Israel has grabbed more than its fair share of terroritory on the West Bank and colonised all of Jerusalem by its provocative policies of encouraging illegal settlements. When is the West ever going to stand up to this belligerent State.


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#3)

by Loz on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 09:34:07 PM GMT

People like you disgust me. You pose those questions to israel, yet not a word on the historical demons of the israeli state.

Israels territory grab was the result of repeated arab invasaions.

Not that I support some of the most recent israeli settlement approvals which are very wrong. However, the Palestinians need put their weapons down and to stop inflicting terror onto the Israeli state.

Thankfully outflanked by the extremist Hamas terrorists, Fatah is increasingly moderating both privately and more importantly publicly. Hopefully the Palestinians will vote next time with their brains and not their guns.

This story has little or no credibility.

I can't see there being any chance of any sort of israeli strike on iran, let alone a nuclear strike.

People should however turn their attention to the islamo facist led iranian terror state that seeks to wipe israel off the map.


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#4)

by swatantra on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 10:30:55 PM GMT

The trouble is Loz you take a very blinkered attitude and can't see through to the root of the problem. If the West took a more even handed approach to the question of Palestine we could solve the problem. But it refuses to and will not put pressure on Israel and continually sides with Israel. At least there is some hope for you; you at least recognise the provocation of these illegal settlements. Israel cannot be allowed to seize and retain terroirtory it aquired in the Six Day War and flout International convention.


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#5)

by Loz on Sun Jan 07, 2007 at 11:37:45 PM GMT

No it shouldn't, something I strongly agree with you with (as are increasing numbers of israelis) but that doesn't negate from the fact terrorism against the israeli state is a root cause of the strife.

Surely you salute the late great Ariel Sharons pullback?

How did the Palestinians respond? They elected Hamas. Something the now regret.

I think you will find plenty of pressure is put on the Israelis behind closed doors, but Israel is a sovereign nation and has the right to defend itself (something I would on occations condemn them for considering some rather excessive measures).

But while we talk of international conventions, do you  not think it is interenting that our beloved UN human rights committe has condemned officially only ONE country?

ISRAEL

Strange but true.

Of course those bastions of human rights saudi arabia, china and zimbabwe are 'fair and balanced'.

So this one sided picture could easily be painted in both sides colours.


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#11)

by swatantra on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 11:11:57 AM GMT

What is so depressing Loz is that the Israelis have got themselves into a seige like mentality, even more so than pre-1967. There was abrief glimmer of hope with Yitzak Rabin but then some right wing religious fanatic assinated him. From then on its been a lurch to the Right ever since with Yetananu and Sharon. Youre right Sharon actually came to power as a Hawk but began to realise that the only solution was to trade terority for peace and security. But it was too little too late. Then he went into a coma and an even a further lurch to the Right with, can you believe it, Peres and also the Israeli Labour Party supporting an invasion into Lebanon! and destabilising Lebanon. That seige mentallity gets even worse. Israel has to break out of it. And brave socialists like our own Gerald Kaufman and the World Jewry at large have to say to Israel: enough is  enough. What you are creating in the Teritories is worse than apartheid. It has got to stop.  


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#6)

by guido fawkes on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 12:05:32 AM GMT

No.


Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#7)

by Glass House on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 12:11:58 AM GMT

I agree with Guido


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#13)

by CitizenAndreas on Tue Jan 09, 2007 at 01:23:04 PM GMT

Me too


[ Parent ]

Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#8)

by MM on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 12:57:37 AM GMT

I've no doubt Brown will have a 10 year economic plan to solve this problem.  No need to fear!!!


Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#9)

by stuartbruce on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 09:10:46 AM GMT

Yes. That's I think our government's single biggest mistake was its failure to utterly condemn Israel for its invasion of Lebanon this summer.


Re: Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#12)

by Loz on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 09:47:09 PM GMT

I think they did the right thing as did the Israelis.

Maybe you should look at the cause.

All of a sudden the terrorists (iranian funded) pulled off one of their largest operation in israel for many years.

Why?

A certain UN date on the iranian nuclear issue had everything to do with it.

These terrorists had been firing missiles into israel at the rate of dozens per month as the UN forces stood by and 'observed'.

Then government, so banal it could do nothing, the people so coerced they could do little.

Israel has every right to defend itself, having already pulled out of lebanon, it was yet more proof of the islamo facist holocaustII doctrine at play.


[ Parent ]

Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? (#10)

by Mark Wadsworth on Mon Jan 08, 2007 at 10:30:09 AM GMT

No, of course Israel isn't, it's strategies are largely defensive not agressive.

Who says Israel will use nuclear weapons? They will use bunker busters to try and destroy Iran's nuclear weapons factories, that's a different thing.

Why on earth does Brown need a policy on this? Doesn't concern him and he has no influence anyway.
 


Is Israel the biggest threat to peace in 2007? | 13 comments (13 topical)