Israel Update for October 2006

A Strategic Affair

As part of his coaltion deal with Yisrael Beiteinu, PM Olmert appointed Lieberman as both a deputy prime minister and a minister-without-portfolio in charge of "setting strategy for strategic threats" facing Israel. All understood this referred to the mushrooming Iranian nuclear program, which Olmert for the first time called "an existential threat" just before meeting with visiting US Secretary of State Condooleeza Rice in early October.

The decision to give the controversial politician such an important role came soon after Olmert expressed concern over the international community's "rather feeble response" to the October 9th North Korean nuclear test, which Israel considers especially grave given Pyongyang's close political, military and economic relationship with Tehran. It also came in the wake of his public statement while visiting Moscow mid-month that "Israel will not accept a nuclear Iran."

Media reports said Olmert promised Lieberman that he would be put in charge of formulating policy and action concerning the Iranian threat, coordinating positions and recommendations between the Mossad, the Israeli Atomic Energy agency, elite military forces and Olmert's National Security Council. However both Defense Minister Peretz and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni complained to the Premier over the appointment, contending that they will continue to deliniate the main government policy guidelines regarding Iran. Olmert replied that the entire Security Cabinet will take collective decisions over any proposals or suggestions presented by Lieberman.

The appointment-which came just after Iran announced it had successfully enriched uranium for the first time and also opened up another nuclear facility to double its enrichment capacity, and following further vows from Iranian leaders that the Islamic dictatorship will never yeild its "right" to pursue nuclear power-drew widespread international criticism. The New York Times went so far as to editorialize that Lieberman's addition to the cabinet was tadamount to the Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority! Lieberman countered that he was not obliged to "correct the world's ignorance," adding that the Times and other left-wing media needed to acknowledge that "they were wrong" in supporting the failed Olso land for peace process, which he said "resulted in the loss of thousands of Jewish lives."

Gathering Storm

In a speech to mark "Al Quds Day" at the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, extremist Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinajad issued further vows to wipe Israel off of the world map. "The Zionist regime is heading soon toward annihilation," he maintained at the opening of a conference in support of the Palestinians on October 20th, attended by Hamas officials.

In a thinly veiled threat to use nuclear weapons to accomplish Iran's devilish goal, Ahmadinejad characterized "the Zionist regime" as a "rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm." Some Israeli analysts worry that his "one storm" analogy, spoken for the first time last May, might signal that Iran already possesses a deadly nuclear weapons capability, possibly having purchased atomic bombs from either Pakistan or the former Soviet Union.

Demonstrating Iran's utter contempt once again for non-Muslim countries around the globe, Ahmadinejad went on to threaten the international community, particularly Europe "if you continue to support the group of terrorists that you imposed on our region." He added menacingly that, "It is in your own interest to distance yourselves from these criminals." Indirectly implying that Iranian nukes may eventually be aimed at European cities (analysts say the radical Shiite state already possesses the ability to strike southeastern Europe at least with North-Korean designed long-rang missiles), he went on to shrilly declare that "This is an ultimatum! Don't complain tomorrow!"

Ahmadinejad-who "revealed" earlier in the month that Allah speaks directly to him- confirmed that he has European Union states in his crosshairs when he added ominously, "We have advised the Europeans that while the Americans are far away, you are the neighbors of the nations in this region. We inform you that the nations are like an ocean that is welling up, and if a storm begins, the dimensions will not stay limited to Palestine, and you may get hurt."

Adolph Ahmadinajab

Israeli officials replied to the latest Iranian verbal volleys by warning that the vile vilifier should not be underestimated, as Hitler was by many global leaders prior to World War II. Vice Premier Shimon Peres told reporters that an international coalition must be immediately established to stand up to the Iranian madman, who apparently has the full backing of the country's Shiite clerical elite, if not the average Iranian citizen. The veteran Israeli politician, who is the leading candidate to replace Israeli President Moshe Katzav-expected to resign in the coming weeks after being accused of committing sex crimes with several women working in his office-warned that failure to do so could in fact lead to a second holocaust being launched against the Jewish people, this time in their own historical homeland.

The Shiite President's latest severe saber rattling came just one week after the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Yahya Safavi, insisted that the United States, Israel and their allies would be "crushed" if they attacked Iran's nuclear program. "The blood of our martyrs will bring about not only the liberation of Jerusalem and Iraq, but the liberation of all mankind from the evil powers of the world," he boasted.

Meanwhile Iran's closest regional ally, Syria, remained on high military alert during October, claiming that Israel was about to attack the neighboring Arab state. Analysts warned that the regional situation remains highly explosive, with many speculating that US President George W. Bush may order a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites soon after the American mid-term elections are held on November 7th. If so, Syria would be expected to support threatened Iranian retaliation by launching a military assault upon the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights, probably backed by renewed Hizbullah rocket fire from Lebanon.