Israel may well attack Iran in an effort to distract the world from the Palestinian issue, Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions said last Saturday in New York.
“There’s a very real possibility that Israel will attack Iran,” he said. At a time when there is tremendous international pressure on Israel to end the occupation and even the U.S. discourse is beginning to shift on Israel, an Iran attack would be the “ultimate deflection… it would deflect everything.”
“It’s a delaying thing. You won’t hear the word Palestinian for another five years,” Halper said. And Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak, government ministers from rightwing and centrist parties, could work together on the effort, seamlessly.
The Minnesota born activist, who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, spoke at the Tree of Life conference on the conflict at Advent Lutheran Church on the Upper West Side. And Halper spoke frankly of the American interest and of the issue of dual loyalty.
“I don’t want to become all jingoistic,” he said, but there are real questions of where AIPAC is leading the US that should be in the conversation politically: “You’re an American member of Congress not an Israeli member.”
At the beginning of his term, Obama was talking the national-interest talk: “Resolving this issue is in the vital national interest of the United States.” Halper said that Ronald Reagan played the same card when he sold the AWACs airplanes to Saudi Arabia in the 1980s– it’s not in Israel’s interest but it’s in the American interest.
And when the issue is framed in that manner, most American Jews are going to fall into line “150 percent.” Even AIPAC supporters’ greatest fear is that they are going to be seen to have dual loyalties because there is a “conflict between the interests of Israel and the United States,” Halper said, and that cleavage ought to be stated now.
That has been Palestinian Prime Minister Abbas’s achievement in going to the U.N.: U.S. support for Israel is “really beginning to bring the United States down,” in the eyes of the world. Obama’s speech before the General Assembly in September was met by “stony silence;” he has “alienated the entire audience.”
(Ron Paul subliminal advertising moment)
Halper also said that the two state solution is no longer viable, and that one great outcome of the U.N. process is that 140 members of the General Aseembly are likely to vote for a Palestinian state, and then send their ambassadors to Jerusalem. And then if Palestinians march on a checkpoint, and if one Palestinian is shot, it would “absolutely be a war crme,” in the eyes of the world.
The Tree of Life conference will continue this weekend in Old Lyme, CT. See Ashley Bates, Mark Braverman, Daoud Nasser, Laila El Haddad and Adam Horowitz among others…
If Israel drags us into a war with Iran (and if Israel attacks Iran, we will end up right there beside them) they will have permanently destroyed American power abroad. Europe will not be joining our private little war and this will make globalist economics an anomaly in the history books.
Israel has caused the United States to fall on our own sword. I honestly never expected we would be bleeding so soon and so much from this situation. I guess I sort of figured we’d turn around after it became clear we were being asked to commit nationally suicidal policies… but apparently I was mistaken about how much control AIPAC really has.
Shit.
“Ils sont fous, ces Israéliens!” (w/ apologies to Goscinny & Uderzo)
Israel Considers Pre-Emptive Attack On Iran
Halper is in awe of the Israeli machine. Of course you would be too if you
spent your days fighting home demolitions. But he is wrong.
Israel can’t move the needle on Iran
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/iaf-chief-must-save-israel-from-futile-attack-on-iran-1.393254
“If anyone can save Israel from catastrophe it is the Israel Air Force commander. All Maj. Gen. Ido Nechushtan has to do is whisper to the prime minister and defense minister that an Air Force attack on Iran cannot achieve its goals. The force’s airplanes can reach Iran and even drop bombs, he must tell them, but ultimately the operation will not destroy the Iranian nuclear program. At best it will be delay the program by a few months”
None of these big picture Israeli ops has ever worked. the 1982 invasion of Lebanon was supposed to wipe the Palestinians off the political stage forever. the Iraq war was supposed to trigger a Clean Break that would turn the Palestinians off. How is that working out ? Even 1967 is still toxic
“Even AIPAC supporters’ greatest fear is that they are going to be seen to have dual loyalties because there is a “conflict between the interests of Israel and the United States,” Halper said, and that cleavage ought to be stated now.”
“going to be seen” are seen to have dual loyalties…And loyalty to Israel no matter what they do falls into the first position
Draw the 67 line and mean it. That is what they have to do.
Like a spoilt, over-indulged child Israel hasn’t a clue what to do when challenged over its brutality except stick to its instinctive reactions developed over the past fifty years: lash out at somebody else. Never mind there is no genuine threat, no evidence of a future one, it is enough to scapegoat them as a fantasy enemy, like Iraq who, if attacked, will somehow solve the internal contradictions Israel is struggling to contain. They could care less how many innocent casualties there will be, or how an Iranian civil war will breed far more terrorism and violence than currently exists. It is so stupid it defies belief that they can even consider it. But their thirst for more violence and aggression instead of facing the reality of a Palestinian state is deeply embedded. The most despicable aspect of their warmongering is that it is very likely that they will sacrifice US and Iranian citizens, but no Israelis in their Dr Strangelove attempt to bring yet more death and destruction to the Middle East and beyond. In a sane world these people would be behind bars, and nowhere near power. They are lunatic fundamentalists with no conscience.