‘Chutzpah’ is a wonderful Yiddish word that means outrageous nerve, or unmitigated gall.
This week’s Chutzpah Award goes to Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Standing in front of props of data files and cd’s, Netanyahu claimed Israel’s renowned Mossad spy agency had stolen a small mountain of secret Iranian nuclear data from a warehouse in Tehran.
The never-understated Netanyahu claimed that the purloined material proved that Iran was lying about having halted its covert nuclear program and must not be trusted.
Netanyahu’s supposed nuclear bombshell was likely the warm-up act for President Donald Trump to reject Iran’s nuclear freeze deal with the US, Russia, China, Germany, and France, blessed by the UN and the European Union. The only thing Trump apparently hates more than Muslims is his predecessor, former President Barack Obama (whom he accused of being a secret Muslim). The Iran nuclear deal was the most important foreign policy accomplishment of the Obama administration.
Netanyahu repeatedly warned the world about Iran’s alleged nuclear arsenal while making no mention at all of Israel’s own large, secret nuclear arsenal, which is believed to comprise of over 100 warheads, perhaps even several hundred, that can be delivered by aircraft, missiles and submarines. Every Mideast nation can be hit by Israeli nukes as well as Russia, which some experts say is or was on Israel’s target list.
Trump, of course, made no mention of the awkward fact that Israel had stolen much of its nuclear technology and uranium from the United States, sometimes with the connivance of very senior US government officials. France, that paragon of world peace, had the rest.
Listening to Netanyahu accuse Iran of hiding secret nuclear facilities was pure pot calling the kettle black. Israel’s early nuclear program at Dimona in the Negev desert was entirely concealed from US and UN inspectors, including fake walls in the nuclear complex that completely fooled them. When Netanyahu accused Iran of cheating, he knows of what he speaks.
Most of what Netanyahu ‘revealed’ about Iran’s alleged nuclear program was old stuff, dating back to 1999-2003 and readily available in reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency. This respected UN agency now reports that Iran has fulfilled all of its commitments and abandoned its earlier nuclear program that did not produce any weapons before it was ended.
But facts don’t matter in this Trump-produced, made-for-TV drama. The key point is that with the naming of Michael Pompeo as US Secretary of State, and appointment of the rightwing fanatic John Bolton as US national security advisor, Israel’s rightwing government has completed its virtual takeover of US Mideast policy. As I’ve previously written, Trump looks more and more like a Trojan Horse for Netanyahu and his extremist allies.
Besides Pompeo and VP Mike Pence, both ardent Christian Zionists, and Bolton, Trump now has around him the UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, of Indian origin, who is the darling of the US far right and a handmaiden of arch-pro Israel billionaire, Sheldon Adelson, a major bankroller of the Republican Party. Add in Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and, of course, Trump’s daughter and son-in-law. In short, an amen-chorus for Israel’s far right.
This American Israel-first coalition has joined Netanyahu’s Likud alliance in pressing for war against Iran. The first skirmishes have already begun with over 100 Israeli air attacks on Syria, ostensibly against Iranian positions. A great propaganda hue and cry against the purported dangers of Iran is being raised in the US and Europe. According to Israel’s right, Assyrian hordes are about to engulf Israel.
In reality, Iran has very little offensive power. Like Iraq before it, Iran is militarily dilapidated with 40-year old equipment, a largely grounded air force, little artillery and poor communications. Tehran has a few inaccurate missiles but no nuclear warheads.
Israel’s powerful air force could easily turn any attacking Iranian forces into chopped falafel. Iran’s only strength is defensive, in urban combat or mountainous terrain. Iran has no capability to seriously threaten Israel except by aiding the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in showering northern Israel with light artillery rockets, a nuisance rather than a mortal danger.
Israel is moving to repeat its triumph in 2003 when the Bush administration, US partisans of Israel, and dishonest US media pushed the nation into a war of pure aggression against Iraq. Israel emerged the victor from this unprovoked war and is trying to repeat its success again with Iran.
Overthrowing Iran’s Islamic Republic would leave Israel the unchallenged power in the Mideast.
Source: the author’s blog
In The Name of ALMIGHTY GOD, THE ONE, THE INCOMPARABLE.
All Praises belong only to ALMIGHTY GOD, THE TOTALLY TRANSCENDENT, THE ABSOLUTE, THE UNIQUE REALITY.
Everything is absolutely nothing in front of HIM.
ALMIGHTY GOD IS BEYOND-Being and nothing will ever be know about “HIM AS HE REALY IS”.
His Creatures only know HIM as “HE MANIFESTED HIMSELF” to them.
By the Grace of GOD, THE UNIQUE REALITY,
I would like to congratulate Mr. Eric Margolis for his excelent article which shows his deep knowledge of what is really going on in the Middle East.
It is an aknowledged fact by Western Historians that the Zionist Movement seized the land of Ancient Palestine and established there a Zionist/Racist/Apartheid State.
But before saying anything else, it is fundamental to say two things:
— Zionism has nothing to do with the Religion of Judaism, which, despite it’s many different and sometimes contradictory sects, preaches peace, tolerance and good values to it’s followers.
— More than 1.5 million Israeli Jews belong to the “Peace Camp”, and are in favor of a two state solution in Ancient Palestine, namely an Arab State and an Israeli State, being both totally viable and independent.
Zionist Israel is one of the most warmonger countries in the World.
Since it’s foundation, it has been robbing arab lands and unilaterally annexed many of them, being the Syrian Golan Heights one example.
If one reads books from renowned Israeli Jewish Scholars like Arno J. Mayer and Tanya Reinhart, one easily reach the conclusion that, the current israeli mainstream politicians want to keep the Apartheid State, want to annex the West Bank and have no interest at all in the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian State.
Some zionist members of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, often say loudly that Israel should never allow the creation of a Palestinian State, because according to them, Jordan is already a “Palestinian Country”.
Zionist Israeli Politicians still dream with the “Great Israel” project, a future jewish country with an area that would cover the Sinai Peninsula, Israel, Gaza and Westbank, Jordan, Lebanon, and some parts of Syria.
But because they know they can’t attain this goal, they are staunchly holding the idea of keeping the Westbank for themselves.
According to the above mentioned israeli jewish scholars, Zionist Israel is applying in the Westbank a strategy of making the arabs get tired of so much oppression, with the final result being the arabs leaving the West Bank to settle in the neighbouring countries!!!
Were it not for the 5 billion dollars plus the state of the art weapons that the United States donate annually to Israel, the Zionist Country would not survive on it’s own.
Israel is very far from having a self-sufficient economy and it has little products made there.
But the zionist political establishment knows perfectly well that the greatest threat to the existence of Zionist Israel does not come from abroad. It comes from within!!
How is this so?
Simple!!
Since the expulsion of the jews from Ancient Palestine by the Roman Empire in the II Century of the Common Era (EC), jews became deeply divided among themselves.
They have many branches within Judaism Itself, having each branch, regarding those essential matters that makes the Core of a Religion, opposite views.
Humanistic Judaism neither believes in GOD nor in the so-called “Infalibility” of the Jewish Scriprures.
Conservative Judaism tries to adapt Itself to Modernity without losing their Identity and Creed.
Orthodox Judaism is the most conservative sect. Some branches of this sect reject many aspects of modernity.
Orthodox Jews follow all aspects of Jewish Law, both the Oral and the Scriptures.
Reconstructionist Judaism has a view of God that resembles Pantheism, and they consider the Jewish Law as non-biding.
These schools are included in what is called Rabbinic Judaism.
Then, one has Karaite Judaism, who abide by the Written Law only, rejecting the Oral Law.
Karaites consider Rabbinic as heretics!!
Rabbinic considers Karaites as heretics!!
Inside Rabbinic Judaism, each branch considers the other as heretic!!
There are even non-zionist jews, who are about one fifth of total jewish population. These groups advocate “the peaceful dismantlement of the State of Israel”, because according to them, after the Romans expelled jews from Ancient Palestine, ALMIGHTY GOD has forbidden jews from having a country of their own, until the coming of the Jewish Messiah, a fact that according to them hasn’t happened yet.
Mentioning some Mundane Facts, one can not even say that there is such thing as a “jewish race”. This is so because in Israel, one finds jews from all racial backgrounds, each race speaking Hebrew and it’s native tongue.
So one sees russian jews speaking Hebrew and Russian, Yemeni Jews speaking Hebrew and Arabic, Ethiopian Jews speaking Hebrew and their particular Ethiopian Language, French Jews speaking Hebrew and French, and so on….
And if one stays one month in Israel, one can see with one’s own eyes how different jews hate so much other jewish groups!!
Now, having said all this, I would like to conclude this small text by stating my opinion about Israel and Palestine.
Though Zionists stole the land they now call Israel, my parents generation of jews, my generation of jews and younger generations of jews were all born in Israel.
So, it would be wrong to think that all jews should “be thrown to the sea”, as a very small minority in the Palestinian Side advocate.
It would also be wrong for Israel to retain land that do not belong to them according to the United Nations.
My suggestion for definitive Peace in that part of the World is the following:
— Israel should exist as a viable, independent, democratic, and prosperous state according to the borders internationally recognised of 1967. This means that Israel would have to pull out from Gaza, West Bank and the Golan Heights.
It should also be a land where arab israelis and other israeli minorities, should have exactly the same rights as jewish israelis.
Israel’s Capital should be Tel Aviv.
— the creation of an independent, viable, democratic and prosperous Palestinian Country in the territories of Gaza and the West Bank, with It’s Capital City in Ramallah.
Jewish settlers living in the West Bank should be granted full Palestinian Citizenship, having the same rights as arab palestinians;
— Jerusalem, which is a Holy Place for Muslims, Christians and Jews, should be an Independent, Viable, Democratic and Prosperous City-State directly administered by the United Nations.
The United Nations personnel should rule the City-State.
The police and military forces should be provided solely by the United Nations.
And It’s inhabitants should have a Jerusalem Citizenship.
It should be a place where muslims, christians and jews, should freely worship at each religious sites.
And all Praises belong solely to ALMIGHTY GOD, THE ABSOLUTE LORD of all the Worlds.