President Obama stopped Israel from launching an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities a year ago, according to the then head of Israel’s National Security Council, Gen. Giora Eiland. Gen. Eiland spoke with Israeli journalist Rotem Sella, a former former senior writer for the daily Ma’ariv, at the Daily Capitalist blog on the “Mida” online news site. Some quickly-translated extracts from Sella’s report are below:
-
Exclusive: Prime – Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was about to order an attack on Iran in September 2012, but canceled the operation in response to U.S. pressure, the former head of Israel’s National Security Council said last month. Gen. Giora Eiland (retired) added that Israel “has a real ability to destroy Iran’s nuclear program,” and that it is possible that the American veto was related to the presidential election then in progress.
“At the time [September 2012] the Prime Minister thought that we had gotten to a critical point on the Iranian issue and planned to carry out attacks,” Gen. Eiland said at a closed-door conference held on August 19, adding that “Israel did not have in principle approval of U.S. military operations, unless Americans require one – cut prevented any action. ” According to Eiland, the issue was raised at a meeting between Netanyahu and the Americans, who said that the planned attack was out of the question for them, which led to its cancellation.
Since the cancellation of the planned Iran’s nuclear program has continued to progress. Today, argues Eiland, Israel again faces a difficult choice. “Time has passed and we stand before exactly the same decision, with less time. ” He added, “The lack of resolution is dramatic.”
In an interview, Gen. Eiland said, “There are many things Israel can do things independently. In the case of construction in Jerusalem, an assault in Gaza or other issues relating to our area we do not need to ask the Americans when we act, even if they do not like it. Yet when it comes to something with broader concerns to U.S., we cannot act against their judgment. “
The best scenario for Israel, Eiland believes, is an American attack on Iran, but “the lack of U.S. enthusiasm for action in Syria signals that this possibility is not realistic.” The issue of prospective US approval of an Israeli attack remains an open question. “There are variables that have changed since last year primarily in the internal affairs of the United – States, which was then in full swing in elections,” the retired general said. In September 2012, when Eiland headed Israel’s National Security Council, Obama was in trouble due to his poor performance in the first televised debate with Romney. He may have preferred to avoid a war that could harm his re-election campaign.
Do circumstances today allow Netanyahu to attack? That is difficult to assess. But while the Syrian story and Obama’s hesitations occupy the headlines, it is important to remember that the real drama is in Iran.
@ yamit82:
Mad cow disease… Well, Netanyahu’s first choice as coalition ally is Livni, so obviously he finds that affected one ideal as “justice minister”.
I have never accepted Gedaliah’s execution date as a day of sorrow. His types must never have any different end.
dweller Said:
Her description of him is the answer. It’s not an open question. His actions are self defining.
Today marks the fast of Gedalia Tzom Gedalya to lament the assassination of the governor of Judah of that name, whose murder ended Jewish autonomy following the destruction of the First Temple.
When the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem, he killed or exiled most of its inhabitants and appointed Gedaliah, son of Achikam, as governor of the now-Babylonian province of Judah. Many Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other neighboring lands returned to Judah, tended the vineyards again, and enjoyed a new respite after their earlier suffering.
“However, Baalis, king of Ammon, was hostile and envious of the Judean remnant and sent a Judean, Yishmael Ben Netaniah, who was descended from the royal family of Judea, to assassinate Gedaliah. In the seventh month (Tishrei) of 582/1 BCE (some four to five years following the destruction of the Temple, although the exact year is unclear and subject to dispute; others claim the assassination took place in the same year as the destruction), a group of Jews led by Yishmael came to Gedaliah in the town of Mitzpa and were received cordially. Gedaliah had been warned of his guests’ murderous intent, but refused to believe his informants, having the belief that their report was mere slander. Yishmael murdered Gedaliah, together with most of the Jews who had joined him and many Babylonians whom the Babylonian King had left with Gedaliah. The remaining Jews feared the vengeance of the Babylonian King (in view of the fact that the King’s chosen ruler, Gedaliah, had been killed by a Jew) and fled to Egypt.
The rabbis did not approve of assassination of public figures even if they were stooges for….the likes of Nebuchadnezzar conqueror of Jerusalem. I disagree. A Rodef and Moser Must be killed.
dweller Said:
I say egomania, sociopath and paranoia best describes him. Put together what do you get??? Ans. BB
What do you do with a cow infected with mad cow disease?
@ Bill Narvey:
If you were an American who would you prefer in place of Obama today?
CuriousAmerican Said:
Who would you prefer in place of Obama today?
@ Bill Narvey:
We have visited our respective corners many times and I do not intend to invest time gyrating in neutral again.
Netanyahu is trash from any angle one looks at him. I do not know about others, by I prefer not to support liars, cheats, cowards, people users and Aesop’s frog disciples.
Anyone could easily replace him and bring some self respect to us. If those I suggest to lead instead of the garbage now in there, refuse to do so, I could understand them. Entering the putrid carcass is not an option.
I advanced the suggestion for a shadow government leading to a total system change.
If the people remains aligned with the pestilent setting as it is, I forecast a huge disaster. And we do that very well by following inane “realism”, meaning conformig to the guide of unJews.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
What she actually SAID was that he was “being a coward,” and “behaving like a coward.”
But it’s clear that she doesn’t sign on to any of the other things you said in your post, SHmuel.
She seems to think it remains AN OPEN QUESTION as to whether behaving that way is all there is to him:
It has long seemed to me that Netanyahu has persuaded himself that he can OUTFOX the Americans, the Palis, the Euros, the Turks, the Mullahs, et al. (not to mention, his Likud rivals, his coalition partners, the opposition parties, etc, etc).
And he may be very good at maneuvering & outthinking everybody else.
What troubles me, frankly, however, is that such an attitude CAN put one’s head into a place where he comes to overlook the big picture — and winds up outsmarting himself. . . .
There’s an element of hubris in it
— and I think BB’s father, the late Ben-tziyohn Netanyahu, harbored this same concern for his son.
Shmuel, I expect none on your list of potential leaders who would be superior to Netanyahu, have any political aspirations and if they do, that they have any real chance of winning an election to lead Israel.
Where does that leave you?
Damning Netanyahu and those in the Israeli government who support him amounts to spitting into the wind.
More sober analysis and criticisms of Netanyahu has come from Israeli pundits including some you noted in your potential alternate to PM Netanyahu leader list. I presume Netanyahu is well aware of their criticisms and suggestions on how he might better deal with and manage issues.
Is Netanyahu spurning that advice because he is as bad a leader as you make him out to be or is he much constrained by circumstances to take and act on it? Is he actually taking that advice, but incorporating it in incremental baby steps into his political game plan vis a vis the Palestinians and to ultimately advantageously position himself into better withstanding and responding to U.S. and Western pressures and threats?
Shmuel, I understand your frustrations with Netanyahu.
I don’t however, see how your venting your spleen against Netanyahu serves any valuable purpose when it comes to bringing greater insight into Israel’s situation with the Palestinians, the U.S. led West, her Middle East adversaries and enemies, defining Israel’s national interests and aspirations and how they can best be achieved in the context of what compromises Israel may have to make in giving up some of the pie of Israel’s best interests in order to get most of it.
What do you have to say in this regard?
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
Yup. Netanyahu could not say “NO” to subverting justice to hold phony peace talks with Jew-hating Arabs who want to see Israel destroyed! A man incapable of doing the right thing on such a fundamental issue is not a man to be trusted to stop the Iranian nuclear bomb.
@ CuriousAmerican:
He was afraid, always and about everything outside his personal sphere, afraid in general would be more precise.
Any decent, truthful human being would do, be that person from any and all religious denominations.
Some people I respect and would prefer over Netanyahu? At this point anyone emerging from a bus at the Jerusalem Central Bus station would be more trustworthy than him.
I would very much enjoy seeing anyone of the following superb persons.
Mrs. Sarah Honig, Mrs. Caroline Glick, Dr. Uzi Landau, Dr. Steven Plaut and there are many more.
I suspect he was afraid of blowback.
Who would you have preferred for PM?
@ Bill Narvey:
Shmuel calls’em as he sees’em….
What’s wrong with that?
To extrapolate further, were one to quote passages from the Koran, where it is indeed very graphic and explicit what should be done to the kuffar nonbelievers, why, that person now would be called an islamophobe, a racist etc etc…
In other words, damn the blatantly obvious evidence, for all to see….. We must stick to the program….
NOT!!!!!!!
Badmouthing Netanyahu is real insightful. NOT!!!!!!
@ CuriousAmerican:
No pressure was applied at all. Netanyahu never did or will do a thing about Iran, the PLO, Hamas, Syria, Hezbollah. The only direction one can expect from him is to hurt Jews, abandon Eretz Israel, Har Habait, etc. Many have defined that person as a coward, people user, liar, deceitful item. Caroline Glick explicitly called him a coward.
A nobel for himself and money are the only goals outside harming as above.
Idiot! He should have helped Israel.
Why did Netanyahu listen?