Ex-President Jimmy Carter followed up last month's Israeli shunning by stating the Jewish State has 150 nuclear weapons. This came atop his prior revelations that the United States does indeed torture. The man who decades ago led peace talks between Israel and its neighbors, Egypt and Jordan, continued negotiating on behalf of beleaguered Palestinians. His current counterpart, President George W. Bush showed his obvious preference for Israel during his 60th anniversary visit. Reports have Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas deeply concerned about Bush's obvious bias toward Israel.
Meanwhile the Middle East fuse continues to burn as the Israel/U.S. rhetoric towards Iran grows more inflammatory by the hour. Iran's ill intent toward getting the aforementioned nuclear weapons means all options remain on the table, including using nuclear weapons to prevent another country from obtaining them. Welcome to the rabbit hole!
How were President Carter's comments received? First, the Israeli government didn't respond. Instead a former military intelligence chief, now retired, provided commentary. Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Aharon Ze'evi Farkash shot the messenger with his statement:
"He is not the first and he won't be the last to talk about this," Farkash said during an interview with Israel Radio. "I think the dialogue about Israel on this subject is known, and I wouldn't want to expand on this; as it is, it would seem that in [Carter's] latest visit to the region, he was so hurt [by the political establishment shunning him] that he saw fit to say things which I think weren't that responsible.
"He was a president a long time ago, and these kinds of things could do damage, but on the other hand, it could enhance the deterrent," Farkash continued, but added that with regards to the current international effort to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, "they, the enemy, or some of our 'less good' friends, could use these claims against us."
A long time ago, Israel reached out to its neighbors to forge peace with aid of President Carter. While they repeat the mantra, the Jewish State seems to want settlements, land, and the implements of war more than peace. Watch, look, and listen. There is much still to discern. However, all signs point to a joint U.S. and Israeli handcuffing of the region, Gaza, Syria, Iran and Southern Lebanon. What they can't do economically, they'll do with sudden and overwhelming force.
Meanwhile the Middle East fuse continues to burn as the Israel/U.S. rhetoric towards Iran grows more inflammatory by the hour. Iran's ill intent toward getting the aforementioned nuclear weapons means all options remain on the table, including using nuclear weapons to prevent another country from obtaining them. Welcome to the rabbit hole!
How were President Carter's comments received? First, the Israeli government didn't respond. Instead a former military intelligence chief, now retired, provided commentary. Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Aharon Ze'evi Farkash shot the messenger with his statement:
"He is not the first and he won't be the last to talk about this," Farkash said during an interview with Israel Radio. "I think the dialogue about Israel on this subject is known, and I wouldn't want to expand on this; as it is, it would seem that in [Carter's] latest visit to the region, he was so hurt [by the political establishment shunning him] that he saw fit to say things which I think weren't that responsible.
"He was a president a long time ago, and these kinds of things could do damage, but on the other hand, it could enhance the deterrent," Farkash continued, but added that with regards to the current international effort to stop Iran's nuclear ambitions, "they, the enemy, or some of our 'less good' friends, could use these claims against us."
A long time ago, Israel reached out to its neighbors to forge peace with aid of President Carter. While they repeat the mantra, the Jewish State seems to want settlements, land, and the implements of war more than peace. Watch, look, and listen. There is much still to discern. However, all signs point to a joint U.S. and Israeli handcuffing of the region, Gaza, Syria, Iran and Southern Lebanon. What they can't do economically, they'll do with sudden and overwhelming force.
