Israeli Perspectives On Iran
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-09-10/israeli-perspectives-iran
Some in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been speaking out about the need to act aggressively against Iran, with or without the support of the U.S. But many Israelis, including some in the military, do not share this view. Please join us to talk about the range of public opinion within Israel over how to respond to Iran's nuclear program.
Guests
Danny Danon
deputy speaker at Knesset, chair of World Likud and chair Knesset Committe for Immigration.
Aaron David Miller
public policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center.
Yoram Peri
Abraham S. and Jack Kay Chair in Israel Studies and director of The Joseph B. and Alma Gildenhorn Institute for Israel Studies University of Maryland.
Comments
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Hopefully this will be a bona fide discussion that doesn't omit the elephant in the room.
1. Israel has deployed submarine, missile and air based nuclear weapons.
2. Some of Israel's material and technology for nuclear weapons was illegally diverted from the United States. PM Netanyahu played a role in the 1980s diversion of nuclear triggers.
http://original.antiwar.com/smith-grant/2012/07/03/netanyahu-worked-insi...
3. Israel can try to extort the United States by privately threatening a nuclear strike against Iran, forcing the US to attack with conventional weapons.
If, as usual, Diane allows guests to omit the Israeli nuclear program from the discussion, this will be yet another disappointment to Americans who largely view what is going on as "Iraq invasion propaganda...the sequel."
Diane during your international hour last Friday you allowed CNN's Ms. Labott to repeat a completely inaccurate and inflammatory statement about Iran and what the IAEA has determined about Iran in their last report.
From your transcript:
Labott " And so the sanctions, they are under very tough sanctions. They don't seem to be stopping Iran from continuing to develop their weapons and that's what the IAEA found in their most recent report"
That is a flat out lie. Ok be polite and call it a dangerous and inaccurate statement. But no Diane you did not say anything. You allowed this very dangerous and inaccurate statement to be repeated on your program.
And this is not the first time you have done this. I have heard Reuel Marc Gerecht, David Ignatius, Kittlfield and others repeat totally inaccurate statements about Iran. When oh when are you going to start challenging these dangerous, inflammatory and inaccurate statements about Iran that have become "normalized" in our MSM. Just seems you MSM folks learned absolutely nothing from the way many in the media rolled over in the run up to Iraq
Many believe that Israel keeps banging the Iran war drums to distract from their continuing illegal expansion of illegal settlements.
When will Diane state that Iran signed the Non proliferation treaty, has the legal right to enrich up to 20% for peaceful purposes. When will you talk about this. Along with Israel's unwillingness to sign the NPT. How absurd that is while they point the finger at Iran
Diane when will you do a show and have some educated opposing views on Iran. When will you have former Bush administration officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett on your program to discuss this critical issues. Aaron David Miller is not an opposing view for heavens sake.
GO TO RACE FOR IRAN
Israel should be signing the NPT and stop repeating unsubstantiated claims about Iran
Danon needs to clearly state whether Israel has nuclear weapons.
Otherwise, he has no credibility.
So important, because we never hear from the Israeli side of things. On NPR, Iranians usually get the run of the dialogue.
I want to congratulate Diane for boldly allowing Israelis to be heard from for a change. Courageous.
I can't understand why anyone continues to listen to Israel. The notion that Israel can prevent all of its neighbors from acquiring nuclear weapons is ridiculous. Further Israel's own nuclear arsenal pretty much guarantees that at least a few of its neighbors will. Eventually get nukes even if they just buy it from n Korea or Pakistan.
Kathleen,
Imagine if Gareth Porter, a real expert, were allowed onto the show. He wouldn't let "Iran has five nuclear weapons" slip into an informed conversation.
IRMEP amazing that Diane even needs to do a whole hour on Israeli views on this. We hear it in our MSM all of the time. We need other views on this issue not more Israeli or I lobby views.
Watch the show will go a whole hour no mention that Iran has the right to enrich uranium up to 20% for peaceful purposes. No mention that Israel has nuclear weapons and continues to refuse to sign the NPT.
Have you heard any opposing views yet? Diane continues to "normalize" this bad bad bad Iran war mongering.
When she and her team decide to really air opposing views like the Leveretts then they will demonstrate honest journalism
The question should be what is Iran going to do about Israel's nuclear threat. UN inspectors need to go in and determine the exact Israel's nuclear threat that she poses to middle east. Is Israel willing to let UN inspectors in to determine that threat?
IRMEP listen to last Friday's international hour. Diane allowed James Kittfield and Labott to repeat completely inaccurate and dangerous inaccuracies about iran. The Rehm team helping build the normalizing an attack on Iran as well as allowing total lies to be repeated. Go read Friday's transcript
"amazing that Diane even needs to do a whole hour on Israeli views on this. We hear it in our MSM all of the time. We need other views on this issue not more Israeli or I lobby views."
So true. There's no room for other voices, once again.
So far, the panel has held to fear-mongering and glaring omissions.
To refer to said book... I believe America does have a great president, with a cool head and a great appreciation of nuance, and I'm glad he's on the job.
Why doesnt it bother anyone that Israel has wiped Palestine off the map?
Why doesnt it bother anyone that Israel is a ethnic cleansed state on someone else's lands?
Danon, why dont you change the title of your book to "Israel, the
Will to Steal"?
Stan Barnes, Cleveland
Archtype...that was funny but so sad at the same time. Anyone hearing any opposing views. Not if but when conversation
Did I really hear DR say, "Israel and the whole world fears...." Nice to hear someone speaking for the whole world. lol. The whole world is not afraid of this. Israel is and that may or may not be a legitimate fear. Others aren't. Isn't that the conversation? Looking for dialogue, not hyperbola.
Come on DR. Being a little more precise with your speech is not so hard. It's what journalists are called to do.
The whole world is waiting (ha! ha!).
Aaron David Miller says Israel can only delay Iran.
Not true. They could obliterate Iran.
It's hard to listen to Aaron "speaking for the American people."
Great comment. Perhaps DR could ask: "Why not sign the nuke non-proliferation treaty and seek a nuke free zone?"
The Israeli's did not elect Benjamin Netanyahu for Prime Minister. They elected him into the Parliment and the leading elected winning party could not form a majority coalition.
Benjamin Netanyahu is the worst thing that has ever happened to Israel and Israel has lost a lot of respect in the US by keeping him in power and allowing him to deal with the Palestinians so poorly.
Benjamin Netanyahu is in US terms the equivalent of the Neo Cons and I hope they do not make the mistake of moving forward against Iran because the US will not be here to back you up.
Israel will never be in a position to work towards peace with its neighbors until it returns lands it has stolen & occupied since 1967, to the Palestinian people. Obama is hamstrung in responding to the Iraelis' war-mongering because of the election, but we must not be dragged into yet another stupid war!
An Israeli decision to attack Iran makes no sense unless you look at Israel's domestic objectives. Right now the Palestinian issue is at a stalemate. Israel refuses to negotiate a viable two-state solution and will soon be outnumbered by Palestinians.
Going to war with Iran would give Israel the excuse to wipe out or ethnically cleanse all Palestinians from Israel. They cleansed Palestinians from what is currently Israel and they may well use this as an excuse to wipe out the Palestinians from Israel.
No one seriously believes Iran plans to wipe out Israel (the statements in the US media are inaccurate). I believe the only interest in war is to create domestic problems that would justify such brutality.
just emailed this to Diane, bet she does not read it.
***********************************************
Diane,
Israel has a massive deployed nuclear weapons arsenal. They are subtly blackmailing the Obama administration by threatening to use it against Iran if the US does not take action.
It is appalling that 30 minutes into this discussion, this obvious issue and Israel’s nukes have not entered the broadcast.
Iran does not belong to the IAEA so monitoring the atomic program is not possible. Guess which other country does not belong to the IAEA? Answer Israel Lets get back to a balanced approach to the middle east, not a Zionist one......
Since when did enrichment to 20% become weapons grade capability…it may be a step, but your guest needs to mention that the 20% is needed for a reactor that produces isotopes for cancer cure…something the west refused to provide them when they requested it and said they would NOT enrich to 20% as a result.
dev
Just emailed this to Diane:
Illegal Nonsense: Israel's Stuxnet Attacks on Iran are Illegal and War Crime
Dear Diane,
Thanks for discussing this madness, but please call it the insanity that it is. Iran hasn't attacked any other country in centuries, whereas Israel has many times and now threatens a new attack in order to disguise its ongoing theft and ethnic cleansing of Palestine. Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: Israel has not signed, though it has over 300 nuclear weapons (first made with material stolen from the U.S.)
Please do a program exposing the Israel Lobby and its refusal to register as the agent of a foreign government as required by U.S. law. Please discuss how the same aggressors who push this attack on Iran also bullied George W. Bush into the illegal unprovoked war on Iraq. Please look into the Israeli bombing of the USS Liberty, the only attack on U.S. soil never investigated by the U.S. Congress.
According to the deputy speaker, the Prime Minister is the decider, and the Israeli people are not entitled to an opinion. George Bush said "I'm the decider" and we saw how that worked out!
When a comment in Iran about "wiping out Israel" made years ago and quoted out of context, is used to encourage Israel (and the US) to go to war, I just shudder.
In my opinion, Iran would not be stupid enough to use a nuclear weapon against Israel under any circumstances. But the balance of power would change, and Israel's neighbors might force her to stop the oppression of the people in Gaza and the West Bank, and negotiate a just two-nation solution.
Please stop the lies that your Israeli guest is spewing….can he provide any objective evidence where it says that Iran has said they will use the bomb and Wipe out JEWS!!!
Diane, my previous comment was about an omission…..this one is about commission…..this is fear mongering in the middle of a US election and is intended to affect the election!!!!!
You need to challenge your guests!!
dev
Jesus Mary and Joseph did Diane just say "if Israel did have nuclear weapons" what a weak weak way to spin Israel's weapons
Will check the transcript when it comes out but I believe that is the way she just spun Israel's huge stockpile of nuclear weapons
This is one of the worst shows that the Rehm show has done in a long time. If she does not counterbalance this show by having former Bush administration officials Flynt and Hillary Mann Leverett on to discuss this issue.
Dew Diane has done this over and over again on her show the last eight years. Allowing many unsubstantiated claims about Iran to be repeated by many guest. .
Perhaps, DR should take a step back and ask a more general question of the Israeli panelists, viz. What should the other countries in the region do to make Israel feel safe and loved?
Yea, pretty weak, but it is really just chance to help us understand Likud.