Was the recent Israeli offensive against Gaza a “pre-introduction” to Iran?
In an unguarded speech, during which he was not aware he was being filmed by the media, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Yuval Rotem, issued a strident warning against Iran.
“(He said) the country’s recent military offensives were a ‘pre-introduction’ to the challenge Israel expects from a nuclear-equipped Iran within a year,” Australia’s Seven News reporter Sarah Cummings was quoted in The Australian as saying.
Before Rotem realised he was on camera, he declared, “There is room to put together some more forces of moderates around a realignment of forces that can handle and address the main strategic challenge we are all going to face in the coming month, and that is going to be Iran… If you can switch off, please, the camera.”
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Jews, Christians and Muslims Unite Against Evildoers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmJt33TmAKg&feature=channel_page
have you seen these 2 clips featuring Dr Azzam Tamimi blasting Israel and Fatah?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2byD6yGtw8I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC67z_VasWA
phew! somebody got to invite him to Malaysia
Jason said: “But Iran is guilty of sending waves of young men against the artillery barrage of the Iraqis during the 1980-1901 War on the promise of paradise recited by the Shiite clerics. “ Sorry, but I think this is a preposterous argument. I am not going to waste much time arguing about ideologies and I will make this my final response for this particular issue. Sayyid Khomeini, Sayyid Beheshti, etc only asked what any patriotic person would do. Defend one’s land with what you have. Iranians were united in defending their land, secular or otherwise. In fact I don’t… Read more »
“The West Bank settlements are contrary to the Oslo Accords”
NOT contrary.
Also, please refer to the Oslo Accords which is the road-map to a sustainable solution – the two-state solution. PLO is a signatory to the Oslo Accords. Israel maintains responsibility for external defence, joint-responsibility for internal security, economic assistance, etc. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Accords]. Israel has withdrew from Gaza. Gaza is not under occupation. The West Bank settlements are contrary to the Oslo Accords. Although, the similar situation of forcible evacuation of some settlements as in Gaza (formerly known as Judea) will have to be made if and when the conditions are ripe for progress towards a viable Palestinian state.
“Yes, Benny Morris, the person who said ethnic cleansing in ‘48 was justified. And maybe we can add the “scholarly” works of Joan Peters too? Well at least Benny Morris was honest.” The works of Joan Peters, to be fair to you, can be said to be the right-wing equivalent to the works of the earlier Benny Morris, and left-wing Avi Shlaim, Ilan Papper, etc. Benny Morris said that ethnic cleansing which was never the official policy of the State of Israel was justified. Hamas is committed, as its charter stipulates, to the destruction of the State of Israel. One… Read more »
2-Illegally erected wall
“…the Court because it has already declared the construction of the wall to be illegal and has already determined the legal consequences by demanding that Israel stop and reverse its construction and further…” (ICJ)
This same ICJ has also indicted Omar Al-Bashir, the president of the Sudan for genocide against the Darfurians.
I’m arguing about what the highest world bodies (UN, ICJ) have to say about : 1-Illegally occupied territories Resolution 242 clearly says the territories be returned. Now there are those who say “it says territories, not ALL territories”. But look at the actual resolution’s wording, “Emphasizing the inadmissibility of acquisition of territory by war …” (UNSC) So these are NOT Disputed territories, they are ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED territories.” Why were they :”occupied” (not that I agree with the term, but for the sake of argument) IN THE FIRST PLACE? WHY? Because three countries, that is Syria, Egypt and Jordan combined to… Read more »
I’m not going to go into Iran for now. The country which incidentally has never invaded other countries but has been labeled the “lesser of two evils” . Perhaps when Iran has invaded a few countries, sponsored coups in a few others (i.e. Mossadegh) , dropped a couple of A-bombs here and there, a couple of Napalms here and there, then we would say it is the lesser of the many evils… as it would be on par with the US….right? You are right. I do not mean to say that US is much much less evil than Iran in… Read more »
“However I am really not interested in talking about ideologies. Zionism, Islamic Fundamentalism, Extremism, etc. I think I’m already passed that.”
That’s fine. But the fact remains Hamas is committed to the destruction of Israel, engages in wanton rocket attacks against Israeli civilian population, maims and murders its political opponents. So, it’s hardly a legitimate government by any means. Hitler was democratically elected too, by the way.
I’m quite familiar with Hamas. I’m also quite familiar with what Dahlan (backed by Bush) and his thugs tried to do to the democratically elected govt of Haniyeh. What would happen if somebody tried to topple our federal government by force? I don’t expect any kindness going to the perpetrators way.
What did Dahlan, the security chief do to Hamas a terrorist outfit???
Jason, I’m quite familiar with Hamas. I’m also quite familiar with what Dahlan (backed by Bush) and his thugs tried to do to the democratically elected govt of Haniyeh. What would happen if somebody tried to topple our federal government by force? I don’t expect any kindness going to the perpetrators way. However I am really not interested in talking about ideologies. Zionism, Islamic Fundamentalism, Extremism, etc. I think I’m already passed that. Yes, Benny Morris, the person who said ethnic cleansing in ’48 was justified. And maybe we can add the “scholarly” works of Joan Peters too? Well at… Read more »
Dear Alias, Hamas is a terrorist outfit which has its own brand of Islamism. Hamas maims and murders dissidents, plans terrorist attacks and is not interested in government. Hamas was democratically elected in 2006 and violently ousted Fatah in 2006. The overt aim of Hamas is the destruction of the State of Israel. Rolling back the borders pre-1967 is one option to be considered. It should not be rejected outright. However, there can never be such a step unless Israel is secure. When Israel left Gaza, the response was rocket attacks, never mind the destruction of the economy left behind.… Read more »
Anil,
With due deference to you,if you gonna censore most of what we say,than how are we, the progressive netizens and citizens gonna engage each other in a debate,discourse or discussion?We cant always write what others wish to hear.The truth has to be told no matter what it is.TQ
I would also like to point out that Avi Shlaim (Oxford) pointed out that eventhough he deplored Hamas, it (Hamas) stuck by the cease fire and tried to curb any sort of rocket attacks (by other militant groups) going into Israel (pre-cease fire 179 rockets, post-ceasefire 3/month). On 4/11/2008 the IDF assasinated 6 Hamas members in Gaza resulting in Hamas’ retaliation. This in turn started the Gaza war.
The point of this post is to show that Hamas, however you may hate them for their ideology, can be trusted vis-a-vis border rollback. Even Jimmy Carter said so.
You are talking about 95% of the illegal settlement in Gaza and expect the Palestinians to be happy? The BULK of the illegal settlements are in the West Bank NOT Gaza. I take 80% of your land, and give back 20% of it. Then you get angry. I then tell you, I have made a serious reconciliation effort towards a lasting peace by giving back 100% (of the 20%) which I illegally took, yet you are still angry. Why? Listen to what British MP Gerald Kaufmann (a Jew and a Zionist) said about how the people of West Bank are… Read more »
But that’s the problem. We need a permanent settlement, not a truce. A secure Israel side-by-side with a viable Palestine. There are politicians in Israel who are willing to consider the pre-67 border status. But Israel must be and feel secure. When Israel dismantled, by force that is, 95 percent of the settlements in Gaza, including abandoning the greenhouse which were home to various agricultural produce, these were immediately destroyed. Hamas used the “unilateral withdrawal” to launch rocket attacks against Israel.
uninhabitable. argggghhhhhhh!!! 😀
oops, I meant uninhabitale. 🙂
I’m just pointing out the fact that annihilate Israel is an incorrect phrase to use. Just like the popular “wiped off the map” phrase. So I would like to apologize if that offends you. Look at the map of Palestine/Israel. Which nation is slowly being “wiped off the map” or at the very least turned into inhabitable cantons ? No one is denying the Jewish people of having any homeland. Just don’t do it at the cost of others. Hamas is willing to go back to the Jun ’67 borders with a very long term truce or ceasefire. Just dismantle… Read more »
It does not matter whether Ahmadinejad’s speech referred to genocide or politicide. For the record, I’m inclined to believe the latter. At the end of the day, it’s the same. Denying the right of the Jewish people to exist as a nation.
sarah on February 4th, 2009 at 12.21am Didn’t Ahmadinejad advocate the anihilation of Israel? – so what is wrong if Israel issues a warning to Iran? ——————- So what did Ahmadinejad actually say? To quote his exact words in farsi: “Imam ghoft een rezhim-e ishghalgar-e qods bayad az safheh-ye ruzgar mahv shavad.” That passage will mean nothing to most people, but one word might ring a bell: rezhim-e. It is the word “Regime”, pronounced just like the English word with an extra “eh” sound at the end. Ahmadinejad did not refer to Israel the country or Israel the land mass,… Read more »
Well said Sarah. TQ
Yup, let’s destroy every country in the Middle East to ensure Israel’s existence.
Why the bleeding heart Europeans didn’t locate Israel in Europe is another story.
Fact: In an interview with CNN on Monday, ElBaradei ruled out the contention that Iranian nuclear activities pose an immediate threat to stability, saying, “There is ample time to engage the country.” “There is a concern, but don’t hype the concern,” ElBaradei said, referring mainly to US and Israeli warnings against Iran over its nuclear program. (PressTV) Fact: The US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has not found conclusive evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, a US magazine has reported. (BBC) Fact: The devil is in the detail, wiping Israel off the map suggests a physical genocidal assault, a literal… Read more »