See: Ya’alon: Iran threat still top priority – spring 2013 is still ‘red line’ to halt Tehran’s nuclear weapons development.
Could it be that these statements by Yaalon and by Danon and also the announcement of building 6000 units in Jerusalem had anything to do with the fact that Obama announced last week that he is selling or giving bunker bombs to Israel. Of course it does. That’s what Israel has been waiting for. Ted Belman
Danny Danon, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, declared in an exclusive interview with Newsmax TV that Israel must ultimately “bring down the Hamas regime” to secure peace in the Middle East.
“We know it’s temporary. We will have to take action,” Danon, a rising Israeli political star, tells Newsmax in an exclusive interview. “It’s a matter of time until we do.
“But, unfortunately, when you have such forces, which are full of hatred and enticement, it’s only a matter of time until we will continue with the hatred again. And when you look at Gaza today, you don’t have any Jewish settlement today in the Gaza Strip. You ask yourself why they are sending missiles, why they are attacking the civilian population in Israel, and you understand the hatred. That’s something we have to realize.
“So it’s not about making more concessions or staking out more settlements,” Danon said. “We did it in Gaza and we received missiles in return.”
Danon, whose latest book is “Israel: The Will to Prevail,” said the Jewish state is prepared to act alone to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons.
“We will do whatever is necessary to make sure that Iran will not become nuclear. It is not a threat only to Israel. It’s a threat also to the American people — and it’s including a military strike,” he said. “We did it in the past in Iraq in 1981 — and we are ready to do whatever it takes to make sure that Iran will not become nuclear.
“We want to see cooperation from Washington, from the White House, and if we feel that there is no cooperation, we’ll have to take whatever steps necessary to secure the safety and the well-being of the people in Israel — and that’s including acting by ourselves. I hope to not reach such a provision, but we are getting ready for every scenario.
“Not only have we proven that we can do it alone — and we will do whatever is necessary, even if it means we will do it ourselves, but when we speak about support, first of all we need the moral support,” Danon added. “Moral support to get the backing of the U.S., and then you can go ahead and speak about the technology issues, military support.
“We are not excited to see American forces on the ground, but yet the U.S. has the technology — and the strength of the military is something that Israel cannot do by itself. If the U.S. will support Israel, it will be much easier for us,” he said.
Danon, however, does believe the US will ultimately align itself with Israel.
“Absolutely, because when you hear the voices coming from Iran, you understand that the hatred is not against people in Israel. It’s hatred against Israel, but also against the U.S. They’re talking about the ‘little Satan,’ which is half of the Jews in Israel, but also they’re talking about the ‘great Satan,’ which is the American people. And they’re facing in different ways. If they will go after the Saturday people, then they will go after the Sunday people, the Christians.
“The thing is you people in the U.S. cannot afford to ignore the voices — and that’s why we do have to work together.”
And that cooperation starts with a fresh perspective on the Mideast by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who is expected to be nominated as Secretary of State by President Barack Obama.
“John Kerry must realize there is a new Middle East — and it’s not something he expected in the past,” Danon said. “He had very high expectations for the regime in Syria — and we’re looking at what’s happening today in Syria.
“I would extend an invitation to him to come to the region, to see what exactly is happening today — and he will realize Israel is really the only real ally of the U.S. today, the only democracy that shares the same values as the American people — and he will understand that what he thought would happen in the Middle East is not happening today.”
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Danon-israel-end-hamas/2012/12/17/id/468114#ixzz2FQS0VKqX
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@ yamit82:
Got it. I was under the impression that Israel could inflict worthwhile damage to the Iranian program even with a conventional bombing. I also thought, based on what i read in the media, that Netanyahu wanted at least to get the ok from Obama for a unilateral strike (even if the US wouldn’t participate) – the NYT had an article (last year, i think) quoting an anonymous American official saying that they were trying to dissuade Israel from a unilateral strike. And, until very recently,David Goldman was vouching for an Israeli strike.
Just to give you a heads-up on Greece-Israel relations, yesterday the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos, leaked to a reporter that he is not welcoming an increased commitment to our relation with Israel, because he thinks that the major player in the region (from Greece’s perspective) is Turkey, not Israel.
The above was published yesterday (Monday)in an opinion column by one of the big guns of the journalistic team of the newspaper “ta NEA” (the NYT of Greece). The journalist mentioned, without further clarification, that this reluctant attitude of the Minister is showing in some “diplomatic strokes emanating from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.
He (the journalist) also mentioned that the rest of the Greek political establishment hold a different view from the Minister’s.
Maybe the Minister got some friendly advise during his April visit to the US with Leo Panetta, who was the one that invited him? The Minister is apparently liked by the Obama administration, so i wouldn’t be surprised.
@ dionissis mitropoulos:
I don’t believe Israel under BB will ever attack Iran. I do believe he has been trying to push America into doing the Job for us. No American soldiers need die if America uses only Air Power and or missiles to do the job. Which would include the destruction of the Iranian’s ability to retaliate.
There is only one scenario I can envision of BB attacking Iran and that is if Obama effects a break with Israel and Israel faces that reality like a mature grown up and shakes it off. And we do what we have to do because we believe there is no other choice. Even if Iran after getting their weaponized Nukes holds off, I can’t see Israel for long agreeing to live under such a threat. It would at the least destroy our economy without even firing a single shot across our bow. Many Israelis would leave the country, Many would not come and the tourist trade would dry up. It would force Israel to invest and inject huge amounts of capital just for our defense over and above our limited capability.
@ yamit82:
yamit82 Said:
Yamit, do you think Israel will not attempt a conventional bombing? And she will accept a nuclear Iran? I am asking because the anti-Israel spin (as i had the chance to find out) is that Israel is trying to drag America into a war and “why should our soldiers die because of Israel”?
:))))))) I miss them a lot. They gave many people joy and laughter.
I bought many years ago a Panama hat, of course in Ecuador, where else would one buy Panama hats?
I made a bet with our group, about 30 correspondents from Israel, US, Canada, Brazil and Russia.
I’ll eat my said hat if any of the Netanyahu’s promises ever comes to anything. The man is an inveterate liar, untrustworthy, underhanded cheat. With a red marker…
And he will “coalesce” with Livni, Yehimovitch and even meretz.
What is fascinating is how stupid we, the Isreali voters are, even when presented with blunt evidence. He will assault JEWISH people only. He will never do a thing of permanent value about Iran, Hamas or any other enemy.
Yet, they vote for that.
@ the phoenix:
@ Shmuel HaLevi:
A classic from the ‘gashashim’ 🙂
@ yamit82:Let’s hope that the “dummies” are not the ones sitting in Israel making the decisions.
@ yamit82:
Excellent comment and information. The “building” prattle is classic ISRABLOF. So is the Iran red line job.
Just one or two obervations. i like analyses by Yamit above. They are realistic.
I still am very uneducated about these various leaders and parties being thrown up and would welcome ALL material produced by Ted and yamit plus others right there in Israel on all of these characters. I do try to read elsewhere but much of what I read is very unrewarding for the effort I make.
I tend to focus on this labourite cum stalinist cum peace now type of movement and the question is why they still exist after such betrayals in the past such as OSLO
I read recently that Bibi wanted to attack Iran a few years ago but Barak and Ashkenazi put the kybosh on it.
I have been reading and hearing of Israel’s impending attack on Iran since 2006–I’ll believe it when I see it!
As for John Kerry–he is not an issue yet. This is for sure–John Kerry is not a friend of Israel or of the American people.
You have bought into the hype and spin. Israel waited too long and the only way Israel can stop Iran now is to nuke their sites. The Americans have the conventional ability to do the job but they won’t. We know they have enough fissile material for at least 5-8 low yield A bombs already so where is our red line?. We know they have delivery systems, another red line moved backward. It is probable that they have purchased a few nukes from North Korea and Pakistan if not from the FSR. These could be stored in warehouses in downtown Tehran. So what are you going to do wipe out 25 million people in Tehran to get at them?
Israel has already developed our own Bunker Busters and we certainly have the technology where America has no advantage. The only Advantage America has over our own production is cost. Israel would prefer that America supply theirs paid for out of the annual aid package.
The way to stop them is to deny them the financial ability to build and pay for them: Destruction of their oil fields and destroy and their missile capability to attack us. Iran is faced with the problem of our missile defense (Arrow 3). If they were to fire only a few Nukes at us and were knocked out before reaching their target they would have accomplished nothing and Israel would incinerate Iran. They would need to overwhelm our system with enough nukes and dummies so that some get through. That means they would need at least from 10-20 nukes fired at us simultaneously with as many dummies.
Ya’alon knows best.
I always follow this dictum.
..
But he has been subverted by Israeli politicians in the last ten years.
He’s what Rambo means when he said “Do we get to win this time?”
….
The article sounds like wet dreams. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Ont he other hand, with the fall of Assad, who knows what black swans might fly?
..
Obama attack Iran? That’s not a black swan flying event – that’s when pigs fly.
I don’t like or believe Danon. He is a demagogic populist. In many ways he is like BB says what some want to hear but when it counts he conforms to the safe majority. He is also corrupted by Christian missionary money.
Poll today gives likud and Lieberman joint list 35 seats and Bennett 12 plus 2-3 for Eldad and Ben Ari 14-15 together. Labor 19 2nd laargest vote getter.
Interesting stat is that if the elections today were held with just the age 35 and under age group: Bennet and Eldad would together have the largest political party in Israel. According to the same poll up to a third of the “Yesh Atid” party headed by TV personality Yair Lapid consider themselves identifying with the political right. Every political leader in recent times that has tried to form a centrist party has lost the votes of the political right. Sharon, Olmert then BB in the last election and this time trying the same thing and losing voters. (Finkelstein is drawing blanks here in Israel).
All of BB’s moves re: Building are attributed to the political threat that Bennett is showing in the polls. The 12-14 mandates they are showing today is reflected in the 7 they have in the current Knesset. a loss of 7 to “Likud”, “Israel Our Home” joint list. If Feiglin had any common sense he would have partnered with the right wing parties weakening even more BB and strengthening the political right.
If Lieberman is convicted he will probably be barred from holding a ministerial position by the courts. That could cost the Likud another couple of mandates from the Russian sector.
As of today the right and religious have 68 mandates and the left including the Arabs have 52. There is about 10 mandates floating out there with parties that won’t meet the minimal threshold and will be divided among the parties gaining the most votes. The soldiers votes not counted in the polls will give the parties to the right of the likud another 1-2 mandates.
The people of Israel do not like BB, give them any credible option they will jump with both feet.