Détente or Hidden Agendas? A sign of “The Times” by Gilad Atzmon
By Gilad Atzmon • Jul 15th, 2008 at 11:36 • Category: Analysis, Gilad Atzmon, Gilad's Choice, Israel, Newswire, Opinions and Letters, Our Authors, War, Zionism
Back in 2003 I wrote, “If ‘world peace’ is our main concern, we must achieve a balance of power, we must let the oppressed people of this world have access to the most advanced weaponry…. Balance of power is the only key to peace.” Nowadays, when Israel and its supportive lobbies are doing everything within their powers to drag us all into a third world war, I find it necessary to say it again. The only way to spare the Middle East and the entire world from another devastating cycle of bloodshed is to let the Iranians have their nuclear toy. But it goes even further, seemingly, the only way to save the Jewish state from its merciless parade of belligerent omnipotence is to let Iran join the nuclear club ASAP. The only thing that may cool down the Zionist militant genocidal enthusiasm is an overwhelming Iranian might of deterrence.But it isn’t only Iran. The only possible way to bring peace to the region is to equip Syria, the Hezbollah and the Hamas with the exact weaponry that would help make the Israelis think twice. As much as the Israelis love to punish their enemies they really hate to pay the ultimate price. Once the Israelis become aware of the clear possibility of their own destruction, they may rapidly develop some real inclination towards peace and reconciliation.
Yet, we have to remember that Israel is not alone in this lethal game. According to the Sunday Times “President George W Bush has told the Israeli government that he may be prepared to approve a future military strike on an Iranian nuclear plant…Despite the opposition of his own generals and widespread skepticism that America is ready to risk the military, political and economic consequences of an airborne strike on Iran, the president has given an ‘amber light’ to an Israeli plan to attack Iran’s main nuclear sites with long-range bombing sorties”.
Seemingly, we are not in any shortage of lunatics. For more than a while, we are fully aware that the road from Jerusalem to Washington is a soaking red route. However, there is something rather faulty or even amusing in the western argument for a war. According to our western analysts, President Ahmadinejad is really unpopular amongst his people and he is on his way out. The Sunday Times’ editorial informed us yesterday that: “Last year a Tehran website poll of 20,000 people found that 62.5% of those who voted for him (Ahmadinejad) in 2005 would not do so in next year’s presidential election.” I am slightly puzzled. If this is indeed the case, if the Iranian president is politically ruined, why are we so keen to initiate another world war? Wouldn’t it be better to wait for a few months and let this Ahmadinejad be ousted by his own people? Apparently, The Sunday Times and our very many Neocons do not believe their own lies.
In its editorial The Sunday Times tries to give the impression that Ahmadinejad is taking his people into war just to divert the attention from his policy that is failing at home. “With inflation running at an estimated 14% and one-third of the population unemployed, Ahmadinejad’s goal of ‘putting the petroleum income on people’s tables’ is as distant as ever.“
I would be rather suspicious about the Sunday Times’ reading of Iranian current internal affairs as much as I was suspicious of the paper’s reading of Iraqi WMD situation. However, I better admit it, I do not live in Iran. In fact, I live in the West, in London if to be specific. And it is actually in London where I see a growing dismay having to do with very cloudy financial predictions. It is in London where I read about the collapse of major western financial institutions. It is in London where I detect a growing recession and a threat of financial depression.
I ask myself whether The Times’ faulty reading of Ahmadinejad is nothing but a banal projection? I assume that this is indeed the case. In fact it is the other way around. It is our western leaders who are failing to provide for their constituencies and citizens. It is our Western leaders who are taking us to wars just to cover their disastrous malfunctioning. It is our western leaders who are about to initiate a world war just to whitewash the collapse of the western capitalistic dream.
One has to be blind not to see it all.
Gilad Atzmon is a jazz musician, composer, producer and writer.
Email this author | All posts by Gilad Atzmon
I can see the logic in arguing for armament- but it scares me. The MAD principle may have worked when it was up to the USA and Soviet Union. Can we be sure that it always will, and that instead of making Israel think twice about its actions- it won’t merely cause all actors to escalate their offensives? It only takes one instance of a WMD being used for the world to plunge into chaos. Also, theoretical ponderings aside, nobody in the Middle East can get arms from one second to the next. Its a process that takes time- and its perhaps this process of arming, rather than the state of being armed which is most dangerous. Since, for example, Israel will be boud to strike if it fears one of its enemies may be in the process of getting weapons that may create military parity. Is an uncertain, MAD world in the middle east worth the bloodshed that will surely ensure in the process of going there.
I cannot of course argue against Iran having a nuclear weapon when Israel has one, and has so frequently been the major agressor in the MIddle. East. So it is a difficult issue to take a stance on. For all my personal distaste towards Israel, I cannot say I view Iran and its national ideology in any way positively. Personally, I’d much rather campaign for disarmament, and join the nuclear disarming movement. You may think that as much too naive and unrealistic a position. But I would respond that its just as unrealistic to argue for arming Israel’s enemies, since no Western nation will actually adopt that policy- and also, compared to disarmament, much more dangerous.
Now as to whether or not Ahmadinejad is viewed favorably or not by his people- I have no idea, but doubt that politicians in the West are any different than politicians in the Middle East. Politicians tend to be the same everywhere, and would be a hypocrite to be supportive of Ahmadinejad because I do not like Israel or certain politicians in my own country.
“You cannot talk like sane men around a peace table while the atomic bomb itself is ticking beneath it. Do not treat the atomic bomb as a weapon of offense; do not treat it as an instrument of the police. Treat the bomb for what it is: the visible insanity of a civilization that has ceased…to obey the laws of life.”- Lewis Mumford, 1946
Israel is the ONLY Middle East state that has WMD’s, has refused to sign the NPT, has denied IAEA inspectors into their leaking dinosaur that is Dimona: all this is at the very root of the instability in the region.
The oft repeated comment ascribed to President Ahmadinejad, that “Israel must be wiped off the map,” was addressed by Virginia Tilley, Professor of political science who wrote:
“In his October 2005 speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad never used the word “map” or the term “wiped off”. According to Farsi-language experts like Juan Cole and even right-wing services like MEMRI, what he actually said was “this regime that is occupying Jerusalem must vanish from the page of time.
“In this speech to an annual anti-Zionist conference, Mr. Ahmadinejad was being prophetic, not threatening. He was citing Imam Khomeini, who said this line in the 1980s (a period when Israel was actually selling arms to Iran, so apparently it was not viewed as so ghastly then). Mr. Ahmadinejad had just reminded his audience that the Shah’s regime, the Soviet Union, and Saddam Hussein had all seemed enormously powerful and immovable, yet the first two had vanished almost beyond recall and the third now languished in prison. So, too, the “occupying regime” in Jerusalem would someday be gone. His message was, in essence, “This too shall pass.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/tilley08282006.html
What has passed is the elephant in the world and ultimate hypocrisy that Israel gets away with their nuclear ambiguity, yet they locked up Vanunu for telling the truth about their covert WMD facility 22 years ago.
Vanunu is not just the Icon for a Nuclear Free Middle East, he has become the poster boy for bad PR for Israel.
A new generation of youth are now being inspired by Vanunu’s story and USA Christians are learning the truth about the ‘democracy’ of Israel on the World Wide Web.
“Israel is not a democracy, but an ethnocracy-meaning a country run and controlled by a national group with some democratic elements but set up with Jews in control and structured to keep them in control.”-Jeff Halper, Founder ICAHD, to me during one of my 5 trips to I-P.
Vanunu never desired to harm Israel, but only to bring Israel to its senses when he listened to his conscience-another name for God and told the world about Israel’s secret underground WMD Program.
It is senseless to have WMD’s and not expect others to desire them, for that is human nature to desire and seek what others possess!
It is senseless to bomb, torture and occupy others and not expect retaliation.
As a true friend to Israel, I remind you of Israel’s own Declaration of Establishment:
“On the day of the termination of the British mandate and on the strength of the United Nations General Assembly declare The State of Israel will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel: it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion it will guarantee freedom of religion [and] conscience and will be faithful to the Charter of the United Nations.”
Israel’s statehood was CONTINGENT upon upholding the UN UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS-imagine what a wonderful world it would be, if they did!
In Solidarity with Micah 6:8:
“What does God require? He has told you o’man! Be just, be merciful, and walk humbly with your Lord.”
And the commandment still remains: Thou shall not kill!
Eileen Fleming, Reporter and Editor WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author “Keep Hope Alive” and “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”
Producer “30 Minutes With Vanunu” and “13 Minutes with Vanunu”
For me the penny dropped the other day. The Iranian military is as cosy with Russia’s military as Israel’s is with the US’ (and UK’s).
In my opinion any conflict with Iran will become a world war.
http://morris108.wordpress.com/2008/07/15/warring-with-iran-can-only-mean-a-world-war/
morris108.wordpress.com/2008/07/16/picture-quiz-6-jews-6-palestinians-choose-which-is-which-answers-provided/
Question–Israel demands other UN members be punished or removed but never Israel or USi or UK it applies.So why is it so? Take Iraq,UN allowed USi/Uk to stay until Dec 2008 –Why and just ending after Bush leaves? United Nations actually means United States.Back in 1947, USA bribed all the new UN members to vote for the creation of Israel.The European Jews and Germany ones, Congress voted that they not be allowed into USA.Reasoning–send them to Palestine. Bad Bad Americans–SWINDLERS!
THE JEWS ARE WAITING TO TRIP-UP BARACK OBAMA WHILE HE IS VISITING OVERSEAS. BARACK WILL BE ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT ISRAEL THAT HE CAN’T ANSWER WITHOUT DISAGREEING WITH THE JEWS. ALL THE PANDERING THAT IS DONE IN THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO PLEASE AIPAC AND CO. IS BEYOND BELIEF. I HOPE NOT ONE JEW VOTES FOR OBAMA WHICH WILL SHOW, BARACK DOESN’T NEED THEM. IT WILL ALSO SHOW JUST WHO IS INTERESTED IN PEACE AND WHOM IS NOT.
FOR THE FIRST TIME, BARACK DIDN’T NEED THEIR MONEY.
THE IRISH IN AMERICA, THE PALESTINIANS IN AMERICA, ETC. CONTRIBUTED MONEY AND EFFORT IN ORDER TO GAIN RESPECT FOR THEIR PEOPLE. THE JEWS DON’T HAVE TO SEND THEIR OWN MONEY TO ISRAEL, THEY HAVE THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”S PEOPLE PAYING FOR THEIR ILLEGAL WALLS, ILLEGAL SETTLEMENTS, ETC. LEAVING THEM WITH ALL THE MONEY THEY NEED IN ORDER TO INFLUENCE OUR GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT ISRAEL….YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF RABBI DOV ZAKHEIM????
It seems obvious that the creation of Israel and allowing the Jews to have atomic weaponry was a major mistake, one which has now degenerated down to the principal catalyst for a World War.
Dear Tad,
You hit a major nail on the head!
“If you shut up the truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow, and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way.”- Emile Zola
Vanunu also told me:
“Did you know that President Kennedy tried to stop Israel from building atomic weapons? In 1963 he forced Prime Minister Ben Gurion to admit the Dimona was not a textile plant as the sign outside proclaimed but a nuclear plant. The Prime Minister said, ‘The nuclear reactor is only for peace.’
“Kennedy insisted on an open internal inspection. He wrote letters demanding Ben Gurion to open up the Dimona for inspection. The French were responsible for the actual building of the Dimona. The Germans gave the money; they were feeling guilty for the holocaust and tried to pay their way out. Everything inside was written in French when I was there, almost twenty years ago. Back then the Dimona descended 7 floors underground.
“In 1955 Perez and Gurion met with the French to agree they would get a nuclear reactor if they fought against Egypt to control the Sinai and Suez Canal. That was the war of 1956. Eisenhower demanded that Israel leave the Sinai but the reactor plant deal continued on.
“Kennedy demanded inspections. When Johnson became president he made an agreement with Israel that two senators would come every year to inspect. Before the senators would visit the Israeli’s would build a wall to block the underground elevators and stairways. From 1963 to ‘69, the senators came but they never knew about the wall that hid the rest of the Dimona from them.
“Nixon stopped the inspections and agreed to ignore the situation. As a result, Israel increased production. In 1986 there were over 200 bombs. Today they may have enough plutonium for 10 bombs a year. Who knows?”
-Pages 109-110, “MEMOIRS of a Nice Irish-American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”, by eileen fleming
[...] http://palestinethinktank.com/2008/07/15/detente-or-hidden-agendas-a-sign-of-the-times-by-gilad-atzm... Détente or Hidden Agendas? A sign of “The Times” [...]