Netanyahu's Real Goal is Not Bombing Iran; It's Defeating Obama

<snip>

"The sage Israeli commentator and activist Uri Avnery recently published an excellent analysis of the Israel/Iran situation on The Planetary Movement (1). Mr. Avnery presents the full list of strategic reasons why it is highly unlikely that Netanyahu will launch such an attack. It would result in: the immediate closing of the Strait of Hormuz and thus cut off the flow of about 40% of the world's oil; an immediate all-out Iranian missile assault on the Israeli cities with some missiles getting through and wreaking much destruction no matter how good the Israel/US "missile shield" is; unknown to most US citizens (including an unknown number of their political leaders, especially on the Right) anyway, Iran is very large country, "larger than Germany, France, Spain and Italy combined," Mr. Avnery tells us; it would be a long war, something on the scale of the Vietnam War. Further, very importantly (and the Israelis know this), given the very powerful Israeli nuclear force, what difference would it really make it world politics if Iran does get The Bomb (think India/Pakistan)."

<snip>

"Rather, it appears that Netanyahu's primary goal in trumpeting the "Iran/bomb-let's-bomb" option is to use it to try to secure a GOP victory in the US in November. Thus the painting of Obama as a wimp and blaggard (a scoundrel; an unprincipled, contemptible person; an untrustworthy person) on the matter, dspite the fact that his postion in reality varies little from the published Isreali one: "we [the U.S.] will not let Iran get the bomb" (whether they want it or not). Certainly, the AIPAC/GOP axis treats Obama that way. And why would Netanyahu want to do that, other than (apparently) really not liking Obama personally? Because his goals of aggression have nothing to do with Iran and everything to do with the Palestinians and the Occupied Territories, known to the Israeli Right, their US far right-wing/Orthodox settler base in them, and their US Right-wing Christian supporters. They all make policy based on Biblical text, which does, from several millennia ago, describe "The Land of Israel." What Netanyahu and his even-further-to-the-right allies very possibly really want to do is annex the West Bank and drive out the Palestinians. And then they might ethnically cleanse Israel of its Arab citizens at the same time (because the Arab birthrate exceeds the Jewish birthrate and might eventually create a majority of the electorate). If Obama wins re-election, it is highly unlikely that any of this would be possible, and in one way or another Netanyahu would be forced into real negotiations. This is something he absolutely does not want to do (3). And so, the solution? Get a Republican government elected, by feeding strongly into the standard GOP myth that Obama (?Muslim, ?Kenyan, definitely "black" [even though he is half white]) is "weak." Iran would not be bombed anyway. Israel would certainly not have to negotiate with the Palestinians and might very well be allowed to proceed with its own "resolution" of the "Palestinian problem," which many Israeli government officials have openly advocated (4)."

http://blog.buzzflash.com/node/13384