Why Israel Must Not Attack Iran

There are two ways to fight an enemy’s military superiority: brut force or ingenuity. Modern Israel, the infant country, had neither the means nor the power against her Arab neighbors that sought her destruction. Greatly outnumbered, she survived against all odds.

What was the secret to her success? She was driven to survive, and that was stronger than her enemies’ will to destroy her. Her enemies heard they were winning, even before the fighting started: The Egyptian army walking onto Tel Aviv, and the Jews surrendering. The Jews, however, had no option to surrender. They needed to win to survive.

The Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising were similarly at a disadvantage. Their weapon: They faced death, and preferred to fight than die. In their heroism, they captivated the imagination of the resistance and allowed others a sliver of hope during humanity’s darkest hour.

The Nazis, like the Egyptians, could not admit anything aside from their propaganda, did not believe that so few, so miserable few, would be able to stand not minutes, hours or even days but weeks. The uprising was an element of sheer surprise, until finally crushed.

But things have greatly changed over the six plus decades since Israel was reborn. Israel, the David, became Goliath. Her military is considered second to none, at par with the most advanced forces in the world. But is this really the case? Many would say it is not.

In 2006, Israel learned a tough lesson in Lebanon. Hezbollah was armed with anti-tank missiles and explosives that rendered the most advanced tanks in the world unprotected. They melted with their inside inhabitants, leaving charred bodies in their wake. It was Russian technology and development, and Israeli tanks were not properly equipped.

Israel learned its enemy in the north, possibly with the aid of Iran, was able to listen to all its chatter. Israel was an open book to the enemy. Their intelligence gathering capability was mesmerizing, and Israel lay naked at their feet.

It was actually much worse: Israel was unable to penetrate the discourse and communication transference of the enemy. Not even able to stop Hezbollah’s broadcasts to the world, and what a show it was, directed toward international audiences and the psyche of the Israelis alike! “I am looking at one of your navy vessels,” said Nasrallah, and less than five minutes later the vessel was hit, all on live broadcast. “Never threaten if you do not intend to execute,” was the guideline that Nasrallah made a classroom example.

Excuses abound (systems were turned off, no one expected Hezbollah to attack, no one knew Hezbollah had such capabilities), Israel had to mourn her dead and absorb a lesson in humility from its enemy to the North. Israel had been blindsided by a vicious enemy with powerful friends.

The Israeli prime minister was quick to declare “WE WON!” (he forgot to declare it was a war in the first place; that was done months later). So Nasrallah had to correct misguided notions by Israeli politicians and to constantly comment about Israeli internal affairs and happenings. This hurt, since every statement made was directly to the soft belly, each punch direct and accurate.

Israel subsequently had a Commission of Inquiry. Who was the first to comment about its findings (i.e. the failings of Israel during the 2nd War in Lebanon)? You guessed correctly—Nasrallah.

Thus, the Goliath turned out to be weak and without conviction; pathetic. Another two years passed, and during Operation Cast Lead three years ago, Israelis at all levels were congratulating themselves for having advanced so much. From a failing grade they were now barely passing, although they forgot that grading is not individual but on a curve, and their “classmates,” i.e. Hamas and others, did not waste the time that passed for idle joys of life. Instead, they trained, studied and implemented the lessons learned.

One did not need the 2nd War in Lebanon to highlight the deficiencies in Israel. For 18 years Israel has been involved in self-deceit, much like Nasser’s informing his people and the world his army was at the gates of Tel Aviv (and Haifa too). “Peace” shouted the multitudes. “Peace,” answered those at the helm. The Government (right or left), the media and the academic elites, all strangled Israel to surrender to its enemies.

The enemy, incidentally, did not waiver one iota in its conviction to destroy Israel. It is the very cradle of its existence, and it is constantly reiterated and reinforced by its leadership, the media and its educational system. Their very being is one designed to bring about Israel’s destruction. [In sharp contrast, Israel’s very being is focused on life, living in peace and making contributions and discoveries from science to technology, arts to culture, agriculture to nature. The recent Nobel Laureates are just one indication of their success.]

Israel mistakes its supposed strength for power, but the fact of the matter is Israel is powerless against such an enemy. The enemy is cunning, determined, driven and focused. Tanks and bombs (even the nuclear type) will do nothing to deter it. Had Israel learned nothing from the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising?

So weak is Israel, she is determined to turn a blind eye to her predicament and continue partying in the Land of Make-Believe. Let us pretend we are strong and indestructible. We know we are a super-power. No one will be able to stand against us. We are all-powerful.

There is, however, yet another enemy, and that enemy is a greater threat to Israel’s existence. IRAN. Iran is likely more advanced technologically than Israel. It may have not had a nuclear arsenal as the one Israel is purported to have for that long, but otherwise its missiles, space program and advanced technologies (from communications to weaponry) are the most advanced in the world. Their great friend and ally, Mother Russia, provides Iran’s supplies. An empire of evil that like a hit man’s mother cooks as her son carries out her evil agenda.

Let us not forget that the Iranians learn the craft and trade in none other than the USA. There are thousands of Iranian doctoral and post-doctoral students in the USA at this very moment, whose allegiance is promised to their motherland. They are Muslim who go back and forth to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Many working at the very cutting edge companies across the USA are here on a mission. The US Government and its various agencies do not even have a complete, updated compilation of all these foreign agents [that would infringe on their “rights,” whatever these might be], and they are permitted both to be here and easy and safe travel.

In many respects, the USA and Israel share stupidity and naïveté. The latter ignores the threat from within, the threat that surrounds her from those who cry “Peace” and deem everyone not willing to surrender to the enemy an “enemy of peace,” while the former enables transfer of the most up-to-the-minute advances from the USA directly to Iran. A wonderful system indeed, if you seek to self- destruct. Is this political correctness or just a failing of modern democracies that enjoy too good a life and ignore their most basic need to survive?

For a long period of time the United States has muddled its feet and refused to attack Iran. The failure to pressure Russia and China into sanctions with teeth is simply the fault of a weak administration. The State Department announced in an annual threat assessment there is no nuclear program being developed in Iran, and even if there were one, it would be strictly for peaceful purposes. Even when proven how erroneous their conclusions, the decision makers (now Democrats rather than Republicans) did nothing of substance to thwart the advance.

On the contrary, Iran was aided and abated. A drone was allowed to land directly into Iran, and the Secretary of Defense, with his head down and eyes looking at the floor, asked Iran to return it to its rightful owner. These drones are supposed to have “self destruct” mechanisms that should actively engage without any possibility of an over-ride (say by the President).

Why on earth would President Obama allow an American drone and U.S. secrets to be delivered directly to the hands of Iran? How did we arrive at a day when American lives and the country’s future are compromised by our own Commander in Chief? Why is everyone silent, not a voice criticizing the Obama Administration?

Imagine, for a second, the Iranians were actually able to land the drone by penetrating the encrypted top-secret communication systems. Or alternatively, imagine that the drone is programmed to land under certain circumstances (like an auto-pilot in a passenger plane), and U.S. forces were held back from attacking it lest we upset the gentle nature of the Iranians (who would have called it a “declaration of war” as it happened over their air space).

We have proven, first and foremost to the Iranians, that we are weak, much like the Israelis are proving day in and day out that they are weak to Hamas, Fatah, Hezbollah and the world at large.

Israel should not attack Iran, for that will only increase Iranian determination. Using several bombs from the arsenal Israel holds on land, in the air and deep in the sea will not help destroy Iran, but simply galvanize its resolve, and at the moment Israel is unwilling to go all the way.

There will inevitably be a war. Israel will have no choice but to fight, battle for its survival. Then, and only then, Israel should engage in whatever means necessary. At the moment, unequipped and lacking determination, Israel should wait on the sidelines.

The world is in no hurry, and apparently Israel is not the final and only goal of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Twice in recent memory Israel acted, alone. The first was the attack on the nuclear reactor in Iraq, which resulted in global condemnation of Israel, an element that usually turns in time to commendation, and the much more recent one was in Syria, where the world was more acquiescing.

There are several unexplained instances in Iran in recent years that may be the work of the Israelis. If indeed they are, then Israel understands wisely that by brut force alone she cannot overcome, as Iran is far superior. If these “attacks” are the work of Israel, then apparently there are still elements in the Jewish state that remember what ingenuity, confidentiality, courage and daring are all about.

What is seen on the surface is Israel’s weakness, lack of focus and loss of determination. It is hard to believe it is all designed to persuade the enemy to lower its guard. Alas, the enemy is not stupid, and does not buy into anything Israel does until it is finally destroyed, utterly and completely. Thus playing dumb or the court’s fool is meaningless.

There is only one conclusion, if indeed the recent events are the works of the Israelis. Israel has not completely lost its drive and capabilities. Notwithstanding the great division within its ranks, the various ills that plague the country and its outward appearance of weakness, there is still an inner light burning, warmth and ingenuity, the likes of which allowed Israel its past successes and its continued existence.

May indeed this be the case. In the meantime, for all those speculating Israel will attack in December 2011 or January 2012, may you be proven wrong. This is not a racetrack, and Israel is not a horse. This is not a laboratory, and Israel is not a test case. Israel does not exist to do the world’s dirty work.

If one can gamble in advance on operational plans, then these plans must be scrapped for security has been compromised and those plans have been breached, thus rendered ineffectual. Israel alone must choose the manner, time and place.

This is not a consensus or group play. Eventually, everyone will be dragged into the fray, but no one in the world is willing to act, no one has the courage to do what is needed, and the world as a whole forgets the recent history of two wars not even a century ago.

Israel must not be the aggressor but defender. Then it must retaliate as it will have no other choice but to respond.

The series “Postcards from America—Postcards from Israel” by Ari Bussel and Norma Zager is a compilation of articles capturing the essence of life in America and Israel during the first two decades of the 21st Century.

The writers invite readers to view and experience an Israel and her politics through their eyes, Israel visitors rarely discover and Israelis often ignore.

This point—and often—counter-point presentation is sprinkled with humor and sadness and attempts to tackle serious and relevant issues of the day. The series began in 2008, appears both in print in the USA and on numerous websites and is followed regularly by readership from around the world.

Zager and Bussel can be heard on live radio in conversation on the program “Conversations Eye to Eye between Norma and Ari.”

Too many keep hoping Israel will do the dirty work. Israel takes the risk, and then takes the world’s condemnation for doing what the world dared not do, but hoped that Israel would do.

But dismantling Iran’s nuclear program is not something Israel can do. There are too many sites, too well fortified. A handful of jets, flying over enemy airspace, beyond their fuel range, aren’t going to be able to sustain that kind of campaign.

We are the ones with the air force sized for such a job, with a ring of bases on all sides of Iran. We are the ones with the navy capable of shutting down Iran’s oil lanes and shutting off her gasoline imports. If we don’t do it, it won’t happen.

And we aren’t going to do it until Iran over-steps and provokes a confrontation. Then its game on.

War is coming, like it or not. Iran will sooner or later force us to deal with them. The only question is, will we be allowed to avoid war until after they have deployed their nuclear weapons, until after perhaps they have detonated one of their nuclear weapons, or will they make a mistake and force us to deal with them before they have become a nuclear state.

Obama and his handlers will not use our power on Iran, but may use it on Israel. Maybe not directly, and may hinder Israel when they do try to attack Iran themselves.

Obama and crew is facing many different factions in our country. Many do not like war, many that hate Israel and would like to see Israel destroyed. Both with strong pull on the dem base. Israel's destruction or crippling will serve both factions.

Obama functioned poorly but his handlers functioned well to turn around the Maersk incident where Obama did not want the Seals to shoot, the Afghanistan surge.. where he did not want to do that at all, the Iran/Drone incident where the drone was possibly sabotaged to turn over our technology to the Iranians/Chinese, or the Obama killing where our seals preformed brilliantly but we again left technology in an enemy country-- and various other failings history will show were covered by the press.

Clinton gave over technology to the Chinese several times but Obama has been the best at doing it! Obama will get out of Iran with Israel hobbled and his base protected. He ill also pad his retirement fun with with Soros, the Iranians, Chinese, and/or Russian all providing funds and tiding him and Michelle over to their golden years.

The US is not gonna do anything substantial with Obama as its leader. Would someone who is gearing up to attack Iran, pull all his ground forces out of Iraq ? And possibly soon out of Afghanistan. What Obama wants is a play fight so he can use it to look tough for the 2012 elections and so he can institute martial law if his polling says he will definitely lose the election. And when the Iranians call his bluff, Israel will have to get the job done.

Granted, Israel probably wouldn’t be wise to launch a first strike on Iran under present circumstances, but this almost sounds like suggesting Israel shouldn’t even think of retaliating if Iran strikes it (and do what, hope the US steps in, which it might or might not?) I find that suggestion morally implausible. Maybe I misunderstand.

Clinton gave over technology to the Chinese several times but Obama has been the best at doing it!

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Hardly. Just giving the klystron switch to China - so they sould make thermonuclear weapons - alone, pales in comparison to anything BHO has given away so far. Clinton remains king. BHO is just continuing the tradition, but the store is mostly empty.

“Israel must not be the aggressor but defender. Then it must retaliate as it will have no other choice but to respond.”

The most important statement from the author; and one that Israel should keep to, in spite of the initial suffering that will mean.

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