Cross posted from Holger Awakens
Big surprise, huh? The Israelis are not seeing any others in the world willing to step up to the plate and demand very strict and harsh sanctions against Iran now that the U.N.'s IAEA has found the Iranians to be well advanced in their development of nuclear weapons.
From the article at The Jerusalem Post:
Israel watched the developments at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Thursday very closely, yet unable to convince the world to implement crippling sanctions on Iran that would convince it to jettison its military nuclear program.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in an interview Thursday morning from Canada with Israel Radio, said that Jerusalem was engaged in an "intensive world struggle to enlist world leaders" to support sanctions. "Our goal is to ensure that as a result of the recent IAEA report there are practical actions and steps taken to stop Iran."
You will see further on in the article just how torn the leaders are in Israel about a military action against Iran's nukes - listen, I don't blame them. If things were to go badly for an Israeli raid on Iran, they could suffer some huge devastation and right now, it sure doesn't look like there are any horses in the world that are willing to watch the back of the Israelis.
At the same time, the Israelis have to have seen how damn wimpy the West is with sanctions and how futile sanctions have been so far - I cannot think of any sanctions that will cause the Iranians to abandon their nuclear development.
Israel watches as world rejects strict sanctions on Iran
Israel watched the developments at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on Thursday very closely, yet unable to convince the world to implement crippling sanctions on Iran that would convince it to jettison its military nuclear program.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak, in an interview Thursday morning from Canada with Israel Radio, said that Jerusalem was engaged in an "intensive world struggle to enlist world leaders" to support sanctions. "Our goal is to ensure that as a result of the recent IAEA report there are practical actions and steps taken to stop Iran."
That report, issued last week, stated that Iran was working to develop a nuclear-weapon design and conducting extensive research and tests for those weapons. On Thursday a resolution was agreed upon in Vienna by the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany, to slam Iran for its defiance, but stopped short of sending the matter back to the UN Security Council for another round of sanctions. The resolution is expected to be passed by the IAEA board of governors meeting on Friday.
Barak said that Israel should not adopt a policy of "whining and fear and saying that they are going to do all kinds of things to me, but rather Israel must make clear that it understands the situation very well, and that what is being discussed is a challenge to the whole world because it threatens the whole world."
Meanwhile, Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya'alon picked up on the universality of the Iranian threat during a speech Thursday at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, saying Iranians fingerprints can be seen in every area of conflict in the region.
"The significance of an Iran with nuclear weapons capability is that it could create nuclear chaos in the Middle East, and lead to the use of the nuclear umbrella to encourage terrorism and irredentism, and the transfer of a dirty bomb to Manhattan and Europe," he said.
"It is forbidden for that non-conventional regime to obtain non-conventional weapons, and one way or another Iran has to be prevented from acquiring a military nuclear capability," Ya'alon said. "The challenge is not only on our doorstep, and it is before the whole free world, led by the US.
Ya'alon said that these were "critical hours" in determining where the world would go with its Iranian policy. "Our assessment is that it is possible to stop the military nuclear project in Iran if all will cooperate and the Iranians will be faced with the following dilemma: nuclear weapons or survival.
He said that those making the decisions in Iran were still not convinced of the west's determination to stop it.
National Security Council head Yaakov Amidror, speaking at the same conference, came out against former security officials who in recent months have spoken out against military action against Iran, saying they were trying "to educate" the prime minister, rather than give advice.
While he mentioned no names, former Mossad head Meir Dagan, former chief of staff Gabi Ashkenazi, and former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) head Yuval Disking have all come out publicly in recent months against military action against Iran.
Amidror said it was "arrogant" for them to try and "educate the decision makers, rather than realizing that people with another world view were elected."
He said that they were "confused" thinking that they had a better understanding than those with a differing view and ideology. "So I say, if they think they have a better world view they should go to elections and then there will be a chance that they will make the decisions the next time."
Barak, meanwhile, warned in a US television interview Wednesday that if Iran succeeded in developing a nuclear weapon, a Middle East arms race would ensue with Saudi Arabia and Egypt eventually seeking nuclear weapons as well.
Speaking in an interview with US broadcaster Charlie Rose, Barak also said that if he were in Iran's place – a country seeing itself as the descendants of a 4,000 year old civilization – he would "probably" want nuclear weapons.
"They look around and see that the Indians are nuclear, the Chinese are nuclear, Pakistan is nuclear, Korea, not to mention the Russians. They look westward and see Sadam tried it, Bashar Assad tried it, Gaddafi tired it, Israel allegedly has it. But the Middle East with a nuclear Iran is a totally different place."
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