Today: March 11, 2010

 

Time is Not on Our Side

Posted: Thu 17th December 2009 7.59 PM  | Author: David Soakell

Christian Friends of Israel is sponsoring a petition in response to the ongoing threat posed by Iranian Government, who have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel. We believe that a nuclear–armed Iran is a real threat to Israel, to the Middle East and the entire Western world. 

This week, paying a visit to Tehran on Tuesday, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal warned that his terror militia would join with Iran in retaliating if it was attacked by Israel. "All of the Islamic groups will take a united front with Iran against Israel," he told reporters. "We're all parts of the same body, we need to fight against the common enemy."  Mashaal went on to say that armed resistance was the only way of dealing with Israel, which he insisted was not serious about peace. He also thanked Iran for backing the Palestinian cause, but declined to comment about whether that support included the supply of weapons.

 

Meanwhile, the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) Chief Ali Akbar Salehi said in Iran's state TV channel on Tuesday that "all main tests of Bushehr nuclear power plant have been accomplished successfully," adding another test will be carried out within the next month so that they can include nuclear fuel into the power plant's cycle. He also expressed hope the power plant will be up and running within the next few months.  

Iran's former ambassador to the IAEA called the West's concern on Iran's access to nuclear energy "political" and said, "the important issue is that Iran has got access to the required knowledge for employment of peaceful nuclear energy, although the West and particularly the US feared from Iran's access to the technology."  Meanwhile he blamed the US and the West's double standards on global issues and said, they regard themselves as an authority to distinguish right from wrong and they oppose wherever their interests are not served.  He also added, "Massacre has no place in Islamic Republic of Iran's doctrine and we do not want production of nuclear weapons."

 

Israel are taking these comments with a copious measure of scepticism however, and three of the IDF's top commanders delivered sobering warnings of the country's vulnerability to attack in public lectures and Chanukah ceremonies. 

Maj-Gen Yoav Galant, Head of Southern Command, said in a conference at Ben Gurion University that the recent quiet period on the southern military front would probably prove temporary.  Galant stated, "Whether it is a matter of months or years, we see the ill-boding clouds in more than one place. We need to utilize the time that we now have in order to prepare – for war or for smaller threats.” 

Another commander, Maj-Gen Amos Yadlin said on Tuesday at a conference held by the Institute for National Security Studies that “Syria, Iran and Hezbollah have the ability to threaten the Tel Aviv area. Our enemies do not rest for a moment."  He added, however, that a peace treaty with Syria would trigger a positive change in the region. “Taking Damascus out of the circle of hostility and ending its support for terror will reduce the threat on Israel,” he explained.  To do that though would mean Israel giving up the Golan Heights... something I personally feel would be a grave mistake.

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