In his speech, Netanyahu spoke these words: “A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars would turn into a nuclear tinderbox.”

Why is it that “our only ally in the Mideast, Israel,” deliberately provoked the government of Iran and Hezbollah with recent high-level assassinations?

The NYTimes reported on January 20, 2015:

“An Iranian general was among the dead in an Israeli airstrike that also killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Syria over the weekend, the official Iranian news media announced on Monday. . . . Also killed in Sunday’s strike was Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah military commander who was assassinated in Damascus in 2008 in an attack that Hezbollah attributes to Israel. A senior Hezbollah commander was also said to have been killed.”

This was a provocation designed and approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu to disrupt the Iranian nuclear negotiations and an “insult to the intelligence of the United States” and the rest of the world.

think of one of your kids inviting your ex wife to dinner at your house (and putting out the good china and silverware) then her siting in your favorite chair to watch the game, without telling you first. The Speaker of the House is NOT equivalent to the President of the United States. Here endeth the lesson.

VCoug wrote:I liked this quote:

We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to defend ourselves. We restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves.

Good, then you no longer need the $6B or so in aid we give you every year and why are you telling us that we should deal with Iran's nuclear capabilities? You can handle it now.

75% if this money comes back to U.S. Defense contractors. Not saying that is a good thing, just saying.

His speech yesterday we can't forget is ahead of Israeli elections in two weeks. Israel is not one voice among themselves and they themselves have different views on how they should handle their policy. They have extremists like everyone else.

Im not commenting on the morality of Israel's existence or her defense but the strategic military of a strong Israel with 6 billion in aid is a bargain to our economy because the immediate threat of her destruction will escalate into a catastrophic occurrence that will disrupt the world financial and energy markets for years. without the threat of a serious retaliation by Israel we would likely have seen its demise by now. For us to defend Israel both financially and morally we have deterred many who would have tried by now. Any missile with nuclear or biological elements would be met with doomsday response and the world economy would suffer greatly.

When BeBe pumped his chest out to say we will defend ourselves with or without the U.S. support he is basically warning that without U.S. support a weaker Israel would be tested.

Personally, I prefer to not see tens of millions of Arab's and Jews kill themselves over a conflict.

misterearl wrote:Bibi This

think of one of your kids inviting your ex wife to dinner at your house (and putting out the good china and silverware) then her siting in your favorite chair to watch the game, without telling you first. The Speaker of the House is NOT equivalent to the President of the United States. Here endeth the lesson.

The posturing by the speaker and the GOP majority is making our representitives ineffective!

State by state we are seeing redistricting so now the GOP in North Carolina has lost its focus. Used to be we voted for our representatives but now they are more conceded with reelection and WHO GETS TO VOTE FOR THEM. Instead of picking them them are picking us!!!

IN washington bi-partison is bring us down as a nation and we are squabbling among ourselves instead of moving forward!!!
Seems that unless we have a catastrophic event to bind us, we bicker over control than actual governance.

We are becoming more like a failed society!

Nalod wrote:

misterearl wrote:Bibi This

think of one of your kids inviting your ex wife to dinner at your house (and putting out the good china and silverware) then her siting in your favorite chair to watch the game, without telling you first. The Speaker of the House is NOT equivalent to the President of the United States. Here endeth the lesson.

The posturing by the speaker and the GOP majority is making our representitives ineffective!

State by state we are seeing redistricting so now the GOP in North Carolina has lost its focus. Used to be we voted for our representatives but now they are more conceded with reelection and WHO GETS TO VOTE FOR THEM. Instead of picking them them are picking us!!!

IN washington bi-partison is bring us down as a nation and we are squabbling among ourselves instead of moving forward!!!
Seems that unless we have a catastrophic event to bind us, we bicker over control than actual governance.

We are becoming more like a failed society!

you don't mean bipartisan (agreement on both sides) you mean partisan.

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

misterearl wrote:Bibi This

think of one of your kids inviting your ex wife to dinner at your house (and putting out the good china and silverware) then her siting in your favorite chair to watch the game, without telling you first. The Speaker of the House is NOT equivalent to the President of the United States. Here endeth the lesson.

The posturing by the speaker and the GOP majority is making our representitives ineffective!

State by state we are seeing redistricting so now the GOP in North Carolina has lost its focus. Used to be we voted for our representatives but now they are more conceded with reelection and WHO GETS TO VOTE FOR THEM. Instead of picking them them are picking us!!!

IN washington bi-partison is bring us down as a nation and we are squabbling among ourselves instead of moving forward!!!
Seems that unless we have a catastrophic event to bind us, we bicker over control than actual governance.

We are becoming more like a failed society!

you don't mean bipartisan (agreement on both sides) you mean partisan.

They meant bi-parmesan, the cheese of choice for 9 out 10 swingers

Splat wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Nalod wrote:

misterearl wrote:Bibi This

think of one of your kids inviting your ex wife to dinner at your house (and putting out the good china and silverware) then her siting in your favorite chair to watch the game, without telling you first. The Speaker of the House is NOT equivalent to the President of the United States. Here endeth the lesson.

The posturing by the speaker and the GOP majority is making our representitives ineffective!

State by state we are seeing redistricting so now the GOP in North Carolina has lost its focus. Used to be we voted for our representatives but now they are more conceded with reelection and WHO GETS TO VOTE FOR THEM. Instead of picking them them are picking us!!!

IN washington bi-partison is bring us down as a nation and we are squabbling among ourselves instead of moving forward!!!
Seems that unless we have a catastrophic event to bind us, we bicker over control than actual governance.

We are becoming more like a failed society!

you don't mean bipartisan (agreement on both sides) you mean partisan.

They meant bi-parmesan, the cheese of choice for 9 out 10 swingers

since when do swingers need outing?

Most Israelis want peace WITH security. Iran represents an existential threat, that's not in debate.

But allowing a foreign leader to get his politics on in our Congress behind our President's back, that's some bull**** right there. As for what to do with Iran, let's let the diplomats work on it. War is not an option for us.

arkrud wrote:

Splat wrote:

dk7th wrote:

Splat wrote:Iran is a weird place. Full of many literate and cosmopolitan people, particularly the younger generations, who want to be part of the global exchange of culture and ideas. Yet the political system there remains thwarted by religious fanatics.

Iran's urban population has such great potential to be a positive part of a sane world, more so than many parts of the Middle East. I hope their leadership continues to evolve away from the fundamentalists.

the iran regime cannot be trusted, so in that regard netanyahu is right not to want a deal of any kind. the irani people, however, are for the most part as you describe. maybe this is the undercurrent of the obama diplomatic approach: stall until the irani people find a way to shed the theocracy they are ruled by. by taking the diplomatic route instead of the sanction route you stand less of a chance of alienating the irani citizenry. this is a tough one.

Agreed, it is a tightrope walk and the logic driving the administration would only be considered feasible because there is such a huge groundswell within the Iranian citizenry for a modern society. It has bubbled to the surface before and it will again. I'd like to visit Iran someday. I hope it works out.

Iran is monolithic country, predominately Shia Muslim and Persian.
It is one of the most heavily urbanized country in the world with urban population grow from 20% to 69% in 50 years.
This creates a huge population moves from rural area and most of this people naturally disoriented and lost.
This creates a groundwork for radical Shia Muslim ideology to take hold.
People fill the ideological vacuum with ideas of Shia/Persian dominance in Muslim world and Middle East.
Israel existence is insult to the Shia religions ideas and in their view it not spouse to exist.
On top of this Israel and US are the only obstacles to creating new Great Persian Empire.
Iranians will not stop in creating nuclear weapons no matter what Israel or US want.
This is just a matter of time. And they are close.
The only option left for Israel is military operation but in my opinion it is too late.
Bibi just playing politics. It is clear to anyone in Israel that US financial help became irrelevant.
The world war already started in Middle east and Europe. We cannot stop the inevitable.

I hope you're wrong about WW3. So many positive things are happening in the world at the same time the most regressive elements are seizing the moment. When I was a kid I never thought in the year 2015 it would amount to global conflict over religious ideologies. While some may say it is not really about religion, that does not really matter. It is about belief systems that define what race is morally superior and the willingness to kill over that. Western civ has many offenses to answer for, but the fundamentalists are worse. Good luck to all of us.

holfresh wrote:

Nalod wrote:Holfresh......

You want to talk about the political posture 0f the speech or demonstrate your ignorance?

“

An Iranian general was among the dead in an Israeli airstrike that also killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Syria over the weekend, the official Iranian news media announced on Monday. . . . Also killed in Sunday’s strike was Jihad Mughniyeh, the son of Imad Mughniyeh, a top Hezbollah military commander who was assassinated in Damascus in 2008 in an attack that Hezbollah attributes to Israel. A senior Hezbollah commander was also said to have been killed.”
This was a provocation designed and approved by Prime Minister Netanyahu to disrupt the Iranian nuclear negotiations and an “insult to the intelligence of the United States” and the rest of the world.

You are quoting not the NY times writer but a comment from a reader. To post ones opinion you are also aligning yourself with it.

I am Obama supporter. Its a good debate discussing the politics behind Netanyahu's speech. To support a Hammas or Helbollah position as you have is to support the destruction of the state of Israel and the death of Millions of its citizens. Israel has a right to exist. I realize not everyone agrees but there are other forums and places to discuss this. You want to talk politics thats one thing. You bought it to another level. In my 10 years on the UK my take is we don't promote racism, anti semitism human trafficking, or genocide.

Please do not degrade what I have posted with some low level attempt to align me with some antisemitic posture, it is cheap and well beneath what you purport to be your style posting here...What the writer was trying to portray in my opinion, is that Netanyahu is pushing buttons in the Middle East with some of his actions, bombing strikes, while claiming the Middle East to be a Nuclear tinderbox...Now how on earth is that an anti-semantic stance aliging anyone with Hammas and Hezbollah???..And how do you arrive at the conclusion of me not wanting Isreal to exist??

Part of the problem of discussion sensitive topics is that you try to get the information correct because you don't want to offend anyone...You want to put forward a sensible argument based of the facts presented...People often in their hyper state will try to soil what is actually written to suit their own rhetoric..Please do not twist my words to suit your ideological view because what you are reporting is not what I said....

And did I not state it's a reader's post???

Yes you did. And when you copy it you put your name on it.

I can see I might have lopped you a bit too far. My apology.

I don't see how removing top Hezbolah commanders or Iranian General in Syria promoting futher discord among other nations as "Provocation". Its justice.
If they hide behind its citizens they they put them in harms way.

I am glad the converstaion is back to the political.
I agree Boehner used BeBe to undermine the president.