Ramberg
Bennett Ramberg, formerly of GHW Bush’s State Department, now a purported expert on international relations, offers this unsettling prediction/threat in the New York Times’s Jan. 25th print edition:
If Jerusalem really believes that a nuclear-armed Tehran poses an existential threat –– and cannot be contained by a conventional military attack, sanctions, deterrence or regime change — there remains one option to end the threat that people fear to talk about: Israel’s use of nuclear weapons.
Far-fetched? For an Israel that grew out of the Holocaust and beat back adversaries seeking its destruction without the bomb, the unthinkable option becomes more plausible when a nuclear-arming Iran repeatedly calls for the Jewish state’s extinction.
Notice how Ramberg deftly recognizes Israel’s capital as Jerusalem, and also, repeats the propagandistic claim that Iran has called for the Jewish state’s “extinction.” Did the South African state go “extinct” when it held free and fair elections? In Ramberg’s worldview, Israel is justified in pre-emptively inflicting a nuclear holocaust on Iran because Iran’s President said… what exactly? Someone, stop this psychotic thinking, now!
(P.S. – For some reason, the NYT’s web letters page is running a few days behind the print version, so no direct link as of now to the letter, I transcribed it from the print.)
” there remains one option to end the threat that people fear to talk about: Israel’s use of nuclear weapons.”
Have spent quite a bit of time at the IAEA’s website reading documents. Amazing to read letters from leaders of other nations in that region who write about Israel’s uninspected nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and how this has posed a threat to peace in the middle east for decades. How Israel’s unwillingness to sign the NPT agreement yet demand that their neighbors abide to the very agreement that they continue to refust to sign is beyond hypocrisy and poses extreme danger to the area.
Finkelstein, I believe Zbig and Carter have referenced the possibility of Israel using their nukes.
Matthew and others. Zbig is going to be on the Diane Rehm show in 30 minutes talking about his new book “Strategic Vision” Have heard several interviews with him on Morning Joe and he is going to be on Cspans book Tv this Saturday. The book is focused on educating the American people about foreign policy based on accurate information. The possibility of Israel dragging the US into a military confrontation with Iran etc etc.
Hope folks call , email, facebook questions about the US’s support for Israel no matter what they do and how this effects our relationship with other nations in that region..etc. Know everyone here can come up with relevant questions. Give it a try. Hundreds of thousands of people listen to that program. 1-800-433-8850 drshow@wamu.org. They love first time callers, emailers. You could even mention MONDOWEISS and the discussions etc going on here.
Clues…get your plug in first. MONDOWEISS…RACE FOR IRAN
Throw out a piece of info about the issue that you think will be beneficial to the audience expanding their knowledge base. Ask a relevant question of the guest.
Go for it
This sort of talking has the form of psychosis but seems more likely to be deliberate, diabolical manipulation — hoping (not unreasonably) to excite the ever-excitable public fears that the prediction of horrors so reliably elict.
The form is familiar: “Because Martians — jealous of earth’s liberties — may desire to blow up the earth, we must pre-empt them by blowing them up” with no examination whatever of whether or not the fearful premises (evil desire, possession of means to achieve evil outcome) is correct, is based on evidence, etc.
that would be national suicide for israel if they did that. leaving aside potential fallout/radiation issues, they would be the pariah of all pariahs. and the ill will would definitely not be kept to jewish israelis
>> If Jerusalem really believes that a nuclear-armed Tehran poses an existential threat –– and cannot be contained by a conventional military attack, sanctions, deterrence or regime change — there remains one option to end the threat that people fear to talk about: Israel’s use of nuclear weapons.
Well, there you have it: If Tehran really believes that a nuclear-armed Tel Aviv poses an existential threat –– and cannot be contained by a conventional military attack, sanctions, deterrence or regime change — there remains one option to end the threat that people fear to talk about: Iran’s acquisition and use of nuclear weapons.
Because what’s good enough for Israel is good enough for Iran…right?
You do notice, I hope, that this is an American making the comment, not an Israeli. Just so that you don’t go off on a tangent blaming Israel for what the man says.