President Obama, ‘Just say no’ to Israel on Iran

Monday, the eagle landed and President Barack Obama welcomed his least favorite person: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I use Obama’s full title to remind myself and him that he is the President of the United States and Netanyahu is Prime Minister of Israel. And all of these pressing Bibi words, “You are us, we are you” are a faux fraternity that needs to stop. We are two nations and Iran is definitely not a threat to us.

Netanyahu’s bad dream of being crushed by the billions of Muslims surrounding him has not changed Israel’s behavior one whit. The oppression and now indefinite military detention of Palestinian dissidents continues as a form of torture for those people.

What’s more, despite the fact that AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) will martial its forces into Congress, sending shivers of fear of non-reelection to Republicans and Democrats alike, these actions should not daunt us. This is the Congress of the United State of America, not the Knesset of Israel. What’s more, our military tells us Iran’s military is no match for the U.S.’s vast machine.

Nevertheless, a third conflagration in the Mid-East would be of little profit to us. It would be a major expense to the U.S. as well as to Iran, especially as it now stands, with our fleets in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. soldiers being delivered from various nearby lands. Additionally, a continued loss of American blood and money, both seriously needed for U.S. reconstruction, is the prime factor to keep in mind. AIPAC’s attempt to buy Congress, aside from the ethical void it creates, is a tragedy in the making for American Jewry and pushing anti-Semitism.

As to the root of Netanyahu’s nightmare, a nuclear bomb dropped on Israel by Iran, it is the Israelis that hold 200 to 400 nuclear warheads at their leaky plant at Dimona in the Negev desert. So it’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black. If their backup strategy to Obama “just saying no” is to use their nuclear arsenal to try and take the world down, it’s a cataclysmic mistake in logistics and human life.

Netanyahu has to ask himself if attempting to destroy the world in doing this is worth it. How could it be? Just continuing to marginalize and destroy the Palestinians any and every which way he and his country can is a tragedy. Thus, the U.S. should not, cannot, be pushed into a nuclear confrontation with Iran. The old rhetoric of “We are you, you are us” is just that and holds no prize for sailing into 80 million Iranians with our own nuclear arsenal. Also, consider Russia and China, India and Pakistan waiting in the wings with their nuclear arsenals, Mr. President. It’s a world on fire.

And for what—so that the four million Israelis can destroy the two million remaining Palestinians before our eyes as they have been for the past 62 years. There is no rationalization for this Iran/U.S. confrontation or nuclear attack. It is a totally irrational act any way you look at it. Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, though a recalcitrant U.S. did not. Iran put their money where their mouth was. Also, giving Israel a $3 billion credit for buying American weapons each year for many years has had the same effect. It’s like bad child-rearing. Our bad habits have become their expected behavior from us. The Israeli’s have been told many times that the nuclear development in Iran is for medical research and electric production. It would take them several years, according to military accounts, to build just one bomb.

New Iran Leadership promises no nuclear attacks on Israel

In Iran’s most recent internal power shift, Iran News reports, Iran’s most senior spiritual leader, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has emerged the de facto winner of the legislative elections which were held on Friday.

“His allies won a majority of seats in parliament, reinforced by a reportedly high turnout (64 percent).

“This has been interpreted as boosting the legitimacy of the country’s religious leadership.“

In fact, “accusations of fraud marred the presidential elections in 2009,” compounded by the fact then that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed victory. Can that give Netanyahu any relief? That Ahmadinejad will be gone? I hope so. Obviously, the Iranian people had their worries, too, over the economy, and perhaps the personality of Ahmadinejad.

“Moreover, it reflects deep discontent over Ahmadinejad’s economic policy, with an inflation rate, according to Tehran, of 21 percent (though unofficially it is 50 percent).

“Now comes something that has never happened: the president has been summoned to appear before parliament to answer for his government’s performance and corruption allegations. If Khamenei gives his consent, Ahmadinejad might even be called on to step down.”

So, if nothing else, that should represent a change in management as well as possibly toward Israel. Certainly, it’s not a hostile act.”

And certainly, all of this should give our oft-waffling President Obama the strength and conviction “to just say no” to Netanyahu and AIPAC as well, even though it is an election year. You can’t throw the world like a pack of hotdogs on a nuclear grille just so you can win an election, even if John McCain and his fellow idiot, Joe Lieberman, are lobbying intensely that we drop the big one on Iran. It’s a no-win situation, guys. And you know it has to be a bad idea if the two above-mentioned loser clowns are advocating it to get a little media attention.

Jerry Mazza is a freelance writer, life-long resident of New York City. An EBook version of his book of poems “State Of Shock,” on 9/11 and its after effects is now available at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. He has also written hundreds of articles on politics and government as Associate Editor of Intrepid Report (formerly Online Journal). Reach him at gvmaz@verizon.net.