Category: Israel

Policy: Israel and Iran, Nuclear Sites

U.S. Rejected Aid For Israeli Raid On Iranian Nuclear Site
(New York Times)…David E. Sanger. Jan 10, 2009. President Bush deflected a secret request by Israel last year for specialized bunker-busting bombs it wanted for an attack on Iran’s main nuclear complex and told the Israelis that he had authorized new covert action intended to sabotage Iran’s suspected effort to develop nuclear weapons, according to senior American and foreign officials.

U.S. Thwarted Israeli Plan To Bomb Iranian Nuclear Facility
(Washington Post)…Karen DeYoung, Jan 11, 2009.  President Bush last year rejected an Israeli request to provide sophisticated, deep-penetration bombs to attack Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment facilities, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Militant Islam: Common Threat

Militant Islam Threatens Us All, (Wall Street Journal)…Benjamin Netanyahu, Jan 7, 2009

We fight to defend ourselves, but in so doing we are also fighting a fanatical ideology that seeks to reverse the course of history and throw the civilized world back into a new dark age. The struggle between militant Islam and modernity — whether fought in Afghanistan, Iraq, India or Gaza — will decide our common future. It is a battle we cannot afford to lose.

Mr. Netanyahu, Israel’s ninth prime minister, is the chairman of the Likud Party and its candidate for prime minister.

Israel, Gaza, Ground Invasion?

Israeli Ground-Invasion Threat Looms In Gaza, (Wall Street Journal)…Margaret Coker, Jan 3, 2009

…Israel has been massing artillery, armor and infantry on Gaza’s borders since the start of the offensive last week, threatening a significant ground operation. But politicians are wary about starting a potentially lengthy and bloody invasion with national elections just over a month away.

Israel, Gaza, Seduction of Force

Opinion, Israel, Hamas and the seduction of blind force. By Gershom Gorenberg
December 30, 2008

Before Israel and Hamas chose blunt instruments, each side had better choices.

For angry people, force is seductive. 

Before they chose blunt instruments, each side had better choices. In November, Egypt proposed a compromise to end the Palestinian political split between Hamas and Fatah, Gaza and the West Bank. The deal would have created a coalition government under Palestinian President (and Fatah leader) Mahmoud Abbas, Israel’s chosen negotiating partner, for several months before new elections in both parts of Palestinian territory. With Gaza part of Abbas’ fiefdom, Israel politically would have had a harder time maintaining the blockade. But Hamas rejected the deal, apparently because of internal divisions.

Now the diplomatic choices are much more difficult. Captured by fury, afraid most of all of appearing weak and inviting worse aggression, each side is unable to back off. The flood has been released.

Gershom Gorenberg is the author of “The Accidental Empire: Israel and the Birth of the Settlements, 1967-1977” (Times Books). He blogs at southjerusalem.com.

Israel; Gaza, Cease-Fire?

Amid A Buildup Of Its Forces, Israel Ponders A Cease-Fire, (New York Times)…Ethan Bronner and Taghreed El-Khodary, Dec 31, 2008.

With its punishing air attacks on Gaza about to enter a fifth day, its gunboats gathering near the Gaza port and its ground forces poised for imminent action, Israel said Tuesday that it was considering a 48-hour cease-fire that would also require Hamas to stop its rocket fire.

Israel: Iran Threat

Israel Warns U.S. Of Iranian Nuke Attack, (USA Today)…Unattributed, December 18, 2008, Pg. 7

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned that if Iran acquires a nuclear weapon, it could try to attack the United States.

Barak, who spoke Wednesday at a conference of the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, said the world should press Iran to stop it from building nuclear weapons.

“If it built even a primitive nuclear weapon like the type that destroyed Hiroshima, Iran would not hesitate to load it on a ship, arm it with a detonator operated by GPS and sail it into a vital port on the east coast of North America,” he said.

Indicating the possibility of a military strike, Barak said, “We recommend to the world not to take any option off the table, and we mean what we say.”

Iran: Air Defense

U.S. Officials Say Iran Contracted For Russian SA-20 SAMs. (Aerospace Daily & Defense Report)…David A. Fulghum and Douglas Barrie, Dec 11, 2008

Senior U.S. government officials independently confirm that Iran is now “on contract” for the Russian SA-20 Gargoyle strategic SAM system, irrespective of Kremlin protestations to the contrary.

Tehran’s deployment of such a system would mark a step-up in capability and considerably improve the country’s ability to defend its controversial nuclear facilities, where the West remains concerned that Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapons capability.