The Tail Wagging the Dog
I was shocked when I read the Benjamin Netayahu showed up on Meet The Press and very openly spoke against President Obama and his middle east policy toward Iran. It is so inappropriate for a head of state to speak directly to the people of another country deliberately bypassing the elected government This is particularly true in the midst of an election campaign. within a friendly country, not only friendly but a major contributor of money for the military in the country. Netanyahu made it very clear he would prefer Romney over Obama.. I am sure Obama knows this and in fact he has been too busy to meet with Netanyahu, no doubt to keep him out of the campaign.
Where was the public outcry from all sides in the United States condemning such a meddling in US politics??
We had an experience like this years ago in Canada, The head of State of a country that was an ally and with whom we had fought and died for to liberated it from Nazi Germany came to Canada to be deliberately provocative in the midst of Canada's national debate on the separation of Quebec. This rascal was Charles DeGaulle. He insisted of speaking public to a crowd of Quebecois in Montreal using a speech he had prepared and decided he would give, not to the government of Canada, or even to Canada as a whole, but to the Francophones in Quebec who supported the dissolution of our Nation. Below is his speech. It still is bitter to hear it. His French is a lot easier to understand that the French my Franco-Ontarien neighbours speak. If you do not speak French go to the end of the speech and hear the phrase the summed up his views that were so offensive to Canada.
"Vive le Québec Libre!"
It did not take the Canadian government long before the sent him packing. He was no longer welcome in Canada. In Prime Minister Person's words, "Canada did not need to be liberated." Canada does not need this tail to try to wag the dog. Frankly French Canadians should not have welcomed his comments either. France failed to protect them when Britain took over French Canada. France then for two hundred years culturally cut off French Canadians. They laughed at French Canadian speech and culture as continue to do so today. France is no friend to Quebec.
There should have been a comparable outrage in the US in the face to Natanyahu comments. The US does not need the foreign leader to tell the American people what is good foreign policy for them. The US had been bending over backward to bring change in Iranian policy in order to stave off a rash and dangerous unilateral act of war by the Israelis. Netanyahu's passion for a war with Iran is not ever very popular in Israel. He does not even have the support of his Defense Minister, Ehud Barak. Key members of the military, intelligence community and government as well an citizens are opposed to such a rash act. In fact, a little research will show that there is little or no evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon. They are in fact developing peaceful nuclear power which is their right as they have signed the non proliferation treaty, that requires them to allow inspections of their nuclear facilities and programs. Israel is the only nuclear threat in the middle east with many nuclear bombs and no inspection as they illegally developed them.
At the time that Netanyahu was given a platform for his dangerous view on Meet the Press another Israeli, ex-Mossad Chief Meir Dagan was interviewed on 60 minutes. He is very much opposed to Netanyahu policy and as a former Intelligence chief he is the know as to the level of threat. Sadly, his comments did not get the publicity that Netanyahu got. Shame on the American media for giving him a platform and them not presenting a rational view to counter his extreme views.
If one cared to read the myriad of thoughtful articles on Iran and it's nuclear program one can come to the conclusion that there is no threat, there is not military program to develop weapons. We have no reason to not believe the Ayatolla Ali Khamenei when he says such weapon are un-Islamic for they target the innocent. I wish more Christian leaders in the West would declare nuclear weapons as being un-Christian.
This is the Iranian equivalent of the Iraqi 'weapons of mass destruction'. It is a phantom threat to create a war. The reasons ???? The Americans are fearful and ready to preemptively attack another nation. There is the chance to gain control of Iranian Oil. The Israeli may be diverting attention away from their treatment of the Palestinians and how they are stealing their land a trying to keep them forever a stateless and landless people, like the Roma of Europe.. Natanyahu is the tail that is wagging the dogs; the United States and other nation's government, such as the Conservative Government of Canada, (even more pro Israeli than the US if you can imagine. Shame on us traditionally Canada was more even handed)
A war with Iran is not in the best interest of the United States, or the the World. Netanyahu may think his government can gain something, with the US fighting and dying for his cause, while bankrupting it Nation, I doubt it. Israel is a dangerous State that needs to be told in no uncertain terms that attacking Iran is not a possibility. I trust Obama will do that after the election although Netanyahu has threatened to attack Iran before the election. Plans for protection of Israeli have been made in case of a counter attack, including the handing out of gas masks to everyone. Be afraid, be very afraid. Israel, the little pup of a nation may drag others into a war of aggression.
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5 Comments:
Someone should remind Stephen Harper about the opposition Netanyahu faces in Israel, Philip.
But I suspect Mr. Harper would not pay much attention.
You are much more trusting of Iran than I.
Your naive trust in the words of an Iranian cleric show how little you know of the workings of Islam and its official (religiously sanctioned)doctine of the use of deception to further the power of Islam. You make no mention of the repeated threats, since 1979, of the state of Iran to "wipe Israel off the map". The secular leader of Iran is at this very moment at the UN (you remember that organization that is supposed to bring peace to the world)making precisely the same threats.
Of course Israel is dangerous. What else could it be when its neighbours have not accepted its right to exist for the 60+ years of its existence and have waged wars of genocide against it and spent enormous treasure discrediting it? If it is dangerous, we enabled it to get that way by buying into the delegitimacy arguments of the Muslim world.
Palestinians do not want a separate state, they want one state that includes all the territory currently occupied by Israel -- in effect, "wiping Israel off the map".
Well enough ! Anon. It is cowardly to challenge another's ws from behind the curtain of anonymity. I accept your ight to not identify yourself on a public venue like "comments" on a web site. If you really wnat to discuss my views vs your views, you can do it by email. You can find my email address on the blog site.
While what I write is just opinion of mine but I do try to offer some links to support my position. There are many more.
You just venting anonymously accomplishs nothing and does not add to the dialogue.
Bravo, Philip... for the article and for the response to anon.
Cowardly covers it.
And having lived in the Middle East, I found the Muslims I knew to be much more honorable and trustworthy than the folks in Israel.
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