A straightforward assessment by longtime liberal columnist Leonard Fein in the Forward:
Just now, Israel and most American Jewish organizations are loudly beating the drums of war [against Iran].
So in this context, it’s wrong to use the word “Israel Firster” to describe someone who is pushing war out of concern for Israel? I don’t get it. This is hardball. Or actually, this is war.
Fein’s thrust is that Israel has 400 nuclear warheads of its own and that its opacity is threatening peace. He says Israel should join the NPT:
Now: Imagine (or, if you insist, fantasize) that Israel offers to join the 189 countries that have signed the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (all the nuclear powers but Pakistan, India, North Korea and Israel), which means that it is fully prepared to grant the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unrestricted access to its nuclear facility at Dimona. Bottom line: It is ready to abandon its doctrine of opacity — on one condition.
That condition: That Iran do the same.
Just want to point out the absurdity of the “condition” quoted above. Iran *is* already an NPT member and does already allow inspections as per the treaty.
Iran is a signatory to the NPT – and they ratified it. Israel hasn’t signed AND ratified ANY agreement on WMD’s to include chemical and Biological weapons. And I am pretty sure the Iranians voted for a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the ME.
What more can Iran do? They made a deal with the EU to stop all enrichment in exchange for security guarantees – the US told everyone to forget it. In 2003 they announced – and every intelligence agency in the world admits- they stopped all efforts to weaponize fissile material. As is clearly shown in the NIE report from 2007.
Now, why would the Iranians object to complete access to sites and personnel? Oh I don’t know, maybe because whenever the IAEA gets anywhere near Iranian scientists and nuclear sites, the scientists end up dead, and their network gets destroyed by mega-viruses…….might have something to do with it.
Of course, back in the 60’s the Israeli’s built out fake nuclear facilities, to hide their big weapons programs from even the US. Imagine if the Iranians did something similar……
“most US Jewish orgs are beating drums of war”
Jews of America, most of the “Jewish organizations” who claim to represent you are snake oil salesmen who sell you fear in return for your financial and political support. They scare you with the bogeyman so you don’t question their very institutions.
Get rid of them, follow moral people like Jesse Lieberfeld and enjoy the fruits of your labor, as well as the comfort of following your god in peace.
“Just now, Israel and most American Jewish organizations are loudly beating the drums of war [against Iran]”
The German people learnt the lesson of World war 2 . The Russian people did too.
Why didn’t the people of Israel?
Iran already “does the same”. And even if Israel did this, would she retain her nukes? She either would retain her nukes, or lie and say she gave them up. This proposal is misleading bunk, and lies about Iran’s current position.