Why is Iran provoking Israel?

Clearly Israel is the superior military power. So why go out of your way to provoke them? I mean you could simply dismiss them as just plain stupid or rabid anti-Semitic, but I don't believe in underestimating people (or nations). So the question is why? Could there be a reason to provoke Israel into attacking them? Is there something they could gain by such an attack?

Thumbing their nose at Israel is the same as thumbing their nose at us; it will raise Iran's profile in the eyes of some nations.

Of course that sort of thing is hard to judge; and some of the players may not be willing to risk an armagedden confident that their side will win.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

Almost 70 million people (about the same size as Germany except, unlike Germany Iran isn't composed of a bunch of grey hairs), close to having nukes, a highly educated population, rich in resources -- and a religious agenda. If Israel attacks Iran then everything we have worked for in Iraq (maybe Afghanistan) will be lost as the Islamic world will put differences aside. Hate is a powerful uniter (in Germany many Skinheads and Muslims are finding unity in one thing -- their hatred of Jews).

I've heard people from the ME say before that the holocaust was a western sin - so why do they have to pay for it. I think that position is shocking here in the USA, but it's not uncommon in the ME. To some degree I don't think he realized how offended everyone would be. On the other hand, they love to goad the Israelis.

It's the same as US politicians talking bad about Muslim extremists.

something about a time share on the weekends..really old spat.

- doesn't this sort of verbal attack happen often (from various Middle East entities) and perhaps there is some reason that the press has just recently started covering it (like to piss everyone off at Iran - for instance).

Could our press not also mention every time that a party figure from Israel says something derogatory toward Iraq or Iran? Seems like they don't. :shrug:

They have the bomb, this guy IS crazy and wants to set the dials for the sun and step on the gas??? :shrug:

Do you need an answer to this question why an Arab country is provoking ISRAEL?

They are distracting their own street.

75% of Iran is young and desiring reform. Rather than address that, the leadership distracts with this crap. The new leadership is also shoring up support on the right.

It isn't uncommon. You might have heard about a "War on Christmas" happening lately. That is meant to distract the American street, and to shore up support on the right. Same old same old.

As well as the MSM here trying to take up space on the TV with reports of Jennifer
Aniston's love life, reality tv, sports "controversies". Take up space while this
country is being raped by corporate career politicians everyday. Stealing the future
of our children, which I have none yet but hope to someday.

They're all working together to hold onto power. Without Sharon's hostile theatrics, Ahmadinejad would never have been made President. Bush wants the two of them to ratchet up the tensions so that he can hold onto office here.

They need each other. We need to dump ours before theirs get completely out of control.:nuke: :nuke: :nuke: :+ :+ :dunce: :nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

"We create our monsters in order to slay them." I seem to recall that line from somewhere - it was either Ulysses or Marvel Comix.

Teh asshole is itching for an excuse to go into Iraq. I can see no other reason. He knows damned well and good his force outnumbers the U.S. in Iraq and any direct attack by Israel on Iran can be taken as an attack by those forces in Iraq and gives him an excuse to pour over the borders with a bloody ground war.

they continued the nuclear thing.

however, this holocost business is more then Iran bad mouthing back. it's daring the chicken.

We know this Neo-Con Cabal is looking for a way to alienate and attack Iran. I just can't trust the reports.... not after what happened before we invaded Iraq.

IOW..

Why is Israel provoking Iran?

See? both questions are logical fallacies.

Any responses are thus invalid.

Why not ask yourself this instead.

If you were the Defense Minister of an oil rich nation and the most powerful nation on earth just occupied the nation next door and privatized all the oil and industry, would you be derelict in not developing a nuclear weapons program?

The Israeli Right is going wacky and there's the persistent American/European hypocrisy about Israel getting to have nukes but no one else in the Middle East, under the claim that Israelis are rational and Islamists crazy.

This is Iran waving in the face of Europe and the U.S. that Israel's nuclear weapons are in the hands of extremists and idiots. Every time Netanyahu proclaims that Israel wants to bomb or nuke Iran, he illustrates their point. (The Israelis are smart enough not to actually want to anything of the kind, of course, whatever they claim in public.)

The Holocaust stuff is simply a button the Iranians know the Israeli leadership and their AIPAC fellow travelers go apeshit on. Iran may not get nuclear weapons out of the game they're playing, but it's not 100% clear whether that was the true intent. They're definitely out to get the political fruits one way or another. They're awkwardly, but forcefully, ratcheting up international pressure on Israel to justify its nuclear weaponry- getting the Israeli leadership to admit to itself and its people and finally the world that there is no scenario in sight in present Middle Eastern reality in which there is justifiable use of them.

until their armageddon is fulfilled.

I'm talking about ALL religions here...

It provides a bogeyman for the ignorant to fear.

I also think the new Iranian president is playing to his street.

The Iranians may believe they can ride out an Israeli air attack. I bet their assets are buried deep and they have been buying air defense from the Russians. The Israelis have a long way to fly and will not be able to sustain a long campaign. Maybe their president hopes he can provoke an attack, survive, and increase his stature.

I do not believe the Iranians will try a ground offensive against US forces in Iraq. They would incur substantial losses.

Woe to the hand that shed this costly blood!
Over thy wounds now do I prophesy,--
Which, like dumb mouths, do ope their ruby lips,
To beg the voice and utterance of my tongue--
A curse shall light upon the limbs of men;
Domestic fury and fierce civil strife

"take" in some way. It wouldn't be the first time an Iranian leader worked in collusion with outside interests.