Netanyahu’ s Belligerent War Demands

At the recent AIPAC annual convention in Washington, President Obama addressed the audience and assured them of the U.S.’s continuous support of Israel. The second major speaker was the Israeli Prime Minister, B. Netanyahu, who focused on Iranian nuclear threats to Israel. He stressed the need for the U.S. to join Israel and bomb Iran’s nuclear reactor. However, President Obama stressed a more diplomatic approach.

During the past three years, the relationship between both men has been cold due to the lack of cooperation in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Netanyahu refused to freeze the construction of Jewish settlements as a pre-condition to starting peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Furthermore, Mr. Netanyahu snubbed President Obama on several occasions and, as usual, gets the automatic political support from the majority of members of the U.S. Congress. These members put Israeli interest ahead of American national interest.

Mr. Netanyahu’s strategy is to pressure President Obama to join the war against Iran and spread negative remarks that will lead to the president’s defeat in the upcoming election. All the Republican presidential candidates (with the exception of Ron Paul) support Netanyahu’s aggressive policy. The tragedy of such a reaction on the part of American politicians is the fact that the majority of the Israeli population is against bombing Iran’s nuclear reactors. The Haaretz Newspaper revealed that 58% of Israelis are against the attack and only 26% are supportive (N.Y.T., 3/14/12).

Furthermore, it was reported that many Israeli politicians, academics, and high-ranking military leaders, including the previous Mossad chief Meir Dagan, are rejecting Netanyahu’s war policy and think it will be more dangerous to Israel than it is for Iran to have a nuclear bomb. It is very strange to see that Netanyahu’s strategy is being supported by AIPAC, Jewish Zionist organizations, and the American neocon groups, and that they are calling for the bombing of Iran’s nuclear reactors.

The Washington Post (3/12/12) revealed that Krouthammer, who represents the super-hawk wing of the Post’s neocon-dominated editorial section, took special umbrage with a background quote one of Obama’s advisors who said, “We are trying to make the decision to attack as a hard as possible for Israel.” Krouthammer deemed that remark “revealing and shocking”.

The article continued to state that for Krouthammer, Obama’s only right answer to Netanyahu’s belligerent demands who have been a blank check to be paid for by the American military and U.S. taxpayers.

It seems that the American Zionist neocons have failed to learn a lesson from their previous reckless and completely iniquitous political strategies when they pushed the U.S. to go to war in both Afghanistan and Iraq for the benefit of Israel. Their strategies have been based on false and fabricated reports to mislead the American people. The reports were not investigated and were accepted by the majority of the members of the American Congress.

It is unfortunate to say that the politically illiterate Americans end up paying a heavy price physically and financially in both wars. More than six thousand American soldiers have died in vain and more than 40,000 have been injured. In addition, there is the financial cost, which has been estimated to exceed 4 trillion dollars in taxpayer money. As Professor J. Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize winner, puts it: it was the first war in the history of the U.S. that was fought on a credit card.

Mr. Netanyahu and his supporters in the U.S. have no concern about the American national interest. What the U.S. president should do is address the American people about the campaign conducted against him by the supporters of Mr. Netanyahu’s war policy. Recent polls reflect a negative reaction against President Obama due to the increase in oil prices. The president should address the American public and explain that situation of oil price increases is attributed to the threat of Netanyahu bombing Iran’s nuclear reactors and that the Wall Street speculators and gamblers who take advantage of such situations as usual in order to make a rapid and hefty profit. After all, the oil-producing countries have nothing to do with oil price increases.

Two years ago, similar things occurred when the oil prices reached $4 per gallon. The issue was raised by the press and members of congress promised to investigate the oil price increases. Later, it was reported that congress came up with a plan to deal with such situations, but they never implemented their decision. It is unfortunate to say that the majority of the members of congress will align themselves with the devil if it ensures their re-elections.

In conclusion, Mr. Netanyahu’s policy about the threat of Iran’s nuclear bomb to Israel is to distract the Israeli and the world public opinion from what is going on in Israel, and to cover Netanyahu’s failures and aggressive behavior toward the Palestinians. Israeli expansion in the occupied Palestinian lands continues with the blessing of American politicians.