[Cid_Yama]

You may not have noticed, but the beginning stages of the next Arab-Israeli War has begun. The push by Iran and Hezbollah to retake lands taken in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has begun.

The Sheba Farms incident will probably be noted as the initial action by those looking back.

Or the taking out by Israel of the forward Iranian commander.

I suspect we dicked around too long with Iran and they either have developed or acquired a nuclear weapon.

The boldness of the movements towards the Golan Heights seems an indication of something significantly beyond BAU.

I hope I'm wrong.

[Keith_McClary]

You may not have noticed, but the beginning stages of the next Arab-Israeli War has begun. The push by Iran and Hezbollah to retake lands taken in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has begun.

The Sheba Farms incident will probably be noted as the initial action by those looking back.

Or the taking out by Israel of the forward Iranian commander.

I suspect we dicked around too long with Iran and they either have developed or acquired a nuclear weapon.

The boldness of the movements towards the Golan Heights seems an indication of something significantly beyond BAU.

I hope I'm wrong.

"Arab-Israeli War"? Iranians are not Arabs. "Jewish-Muslim War" would be more accurate. Israel is doing the "pushing". They took captured conquered Golan to make a military buffer zone, but then colonised and annexed it. Next they will grab another slice of Syria to make a buffer zone around their ski hill. Rinse and repeat until they rule over Biblical "Greater Israel" (which includes most of the world's oil).

[americandream]

@Keith

To a large extent, the predatory Jewish state is a function of predatory European nationalism which saw such things as various land grabs around the world, other imperial ventures and of course the rabidly anti labour war, WWII.....which was dressed up in anti Semitism to gain leverage over the European working class. Added to that, Islam is equally ethnocentric and territorial. There are no good guys and bad guys in this war. Just victims on victims with the elite grabbing any loot.

[Subjectivist]

From the Golan Heights the majority of the land in Isreal is within artillery range, that hardly qualifies it as a "skie hill"!

[vtsnowedin]

You may not have noticed, but the beginning stages of the next Arab-Israeli War has begun. The push by Iran and Hezbollah to retake lands taken in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War has begun.

The Sheba Farms incident will probably be noted as the initial action by those looking back.

Or the taking out by Israel of the forward Iranian commander.

I suspect we dicked around too long with Iran and they either have developed or acquired a nuclear weapon.

The boldness of the movements towards the Golan Heights seems an indication of something significantly beyond BAU.

I hope I'm wrong.

If they have managed to assemble a functional nuclear weapon they would still be faced with Israel's own considerable nuclear capability. They could fire one missile that might well get shot down by the Iron Dome defenses and then have one or more of their major cities go up in smoke in minutes.
I'm sure that somewhere on the line they have been appraised of the full extent of MAD and the fact that in their case being a beginner, the destruction will not be mutual or equal.
What their actual intentions and expectations are today though is a mystery.

[Keith_McClary]

From the Golan Heights the majority of the land in Isreal is within artillery range, that hardly qualifies it as a "skie hill"!

Since they conquered the area they don't have to worry about artillery from there. But now that they have colonised the area and put in the ski hill they need to grab an additional slice of Syrian property to protect them. Rinse and repeat.

That's what we're fightin' for in the Mideast (besides oil, of course).

[Plantagenet]

From the Golan Heights the majority of the land in Isreal is within artillery range, that hardly qualifies it as a "ski hill"!

Since they conquered the area they don't have to worry about artillery from there. But now that they have colonised the area and put in the ski hill ....

Israel already gave up their best surfing areas when they turned over Gaza to the Palestinian authority in exchange for peace, and what did they get for it? Hamas took over Gaza and turned it into a Sharia state that preaches jihad against Israel and fires hundreds of missiles into Israel.

After that experience, Israel isn't going to be fooled again. Israel would be nuts to give up their nice ski area on the Gaza heights.

[Keith_McClary]

Israel already gave up their best surfing areas when they turned over Gaza to the Palestinian authority in exchange for peace

They gave up trying to colonise it, which they had no right to, unless you believe Jews are born with Biblical entitlements or subscribe to "might is right". It remained under occupation. I don't think anyone promised them peace while the occupation continues.

[Poordogabone]

I suspect we dicked around too long with Iran and they either have developed or acquired a nuclear weapon.

The only reason that Iran would acquire the bomb would be as a deterrence against being attacked themselves. Iran has a parliament system and the chances of getting a majority vote to use a nuke as a first strike is next to zero. They know damn well the consequences of such an action.

[vtsnowedin]

I suspect we dicked around too long with Iran and they either have developed or acquired a nuclear weapon.

The only reason that Iran would acquire the bomb would be as a deterrence against being attacked themselves. Iran has a parliament system and the chances of getting a majority vote to use a nuke as a first strike is next to zero. They know damn well the consequences of such an action.

It would be nice to believe that but the Iranians keep telling the world that their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-gener ... oy-israel/
There is a big difference between "hands on the trigger" and getting a parliamentary vote.

[Poordogabone]

poisonous rhetoric from both side, so what? This is a warning against "the Zionist regime" I don't see where it advocates the destruction of Israel. What else do you got to substantiate that "the Iranians keep telling the world that their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel."

[GHung]

Placing blame in this mess seems pretty idiotic to me. This has been the normal state of affairs for most of 5000 years (or more). The only things that have changed are population, technology, and that you're alive to watch it play out (again). So jump right in.

For the western world, this is where it all started. How aprapos that this could be where the end begins, eh? Full circle? Maybe in another 5000 years someone will dig it up again, trying to figure out WTF.

[americandream]

poisonous rhetoric from both side, so what? This is a warning against "the Zionist regime" I don't see where it advocates the destruction of Israel. What else do you got to substantiate that "the Iranians keep telling the world that their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel."

Bearing in mind that Islam is fundamentally a territorial (and hierarchical) social economy, any confrontation with it is always territorial, whether Islam is in defence of its own territory (Israel) or opening new ground (India). As I have said all along, there are no good guys or bad guys here, simply working classes pitted against each other.

[vtsnowedin]

poisonous rhetoric from both side, so what? This is a warning against "the Zionist regime" I don't see where it advocates the destruction of Israel. What else do you got to substantiate that "the Iranians keep telling the world that their ultimate goal is to destroy Israel."

What else do I do? I don't "do " anything to make the claim. It is a matter of record that speaks for itself. If you choose not to believe their stated and oft repeated aims then you will eventually become disillusioned when the truth is thrust upon you.

[Poordogabone]

Hi vtsnowedin, You may be right and it is not so much that I choose not to believe what seems obvious to you and I give you that Iran doesn't hold any punches when talking about Israel but to say what you said is pretty serious an allegation that demands some kind of proof that I have not seen or heard yet. It could be that I didn't pay attention but obviously you have.
What I did hear is an infamous misquote taken out of context from former president Ahmadinejad repeated over and over again by the media to justify the hardline from the west against Iran's nuclear program. I also heard from my own government that the proof of Iraq possession of weapons of mass destruction could come in the form of a mushroom cloud. We live in a time when propaganda is alive and well and where politicians don't hesitate to use scare tactics to advance their agendas.

[GHung]

Iranian supreme leader calls for Israel’s ‘annihilation’
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-su ... ihilation/

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the destruction of Israel over the weekend, stating that the “barbaric” Jewish state “has no cure but to be annihilated.”

Top Iran Official Calls for Israel’s Destruction, Blames Muslim Violence on Jewish State
http://www.thetower.org/top-iran-offici ... ish-state/

Iranian state media reported this week on statements made by Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi in which the powerful Iranian official – Naqdi is the commander of the Basij paramilitary force – explained the sources of regional instability and how to solve them. A lot, it turns out, hangs on the Jewish state’s existence and elimination:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Israel's existence 'insult to all humanity'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... anity.html

Israel's existence is an "insult to all humanity," Iran's president said on Friday in one of his sharpest attacks yet against the country while Israeli leaders openly debate whether to attack Iran over its nuclear programme.

Are you guys lazy, or just dumb?

[ennui2]

Saber-rattling is the normal state of affairs in that region, at least in the islamic countries (I'll avoid using the term arab so we can avoid further semantic arguments related to Iran's ethnicity).

Every time there's a conflict there people here think it will touch off WWIII and it eventually dies back down again. Cheerlead for whichever side you want but it won't usher in armageddon.

[GHung]

"...but it won't usher in armageddon."

Famous last words? I'm glad you're so sure.

[Poordogabone]

Iranian supreme leader calls for Israel’s ‘annihilation’
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-su ... ihilation/

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the destruction of Israel over the weekend, stating that the “barbaric” Jewish state “has no cure but to be annihilated.”

Top Iran Official Calls for Israel’s Destruction, Blames Muslim Violence on Jewish State
http://www.thetower.org/top-iran-offici ... ish-state/

Iranian state media reported this week on statements made by Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi in which the powerful Iranian official – Naqdi is the commander of the Basij paramilitary force – explained the sources of regional instability and how to solve them. A lot, it turns out, hangs on the Jewish state’s existence and elimination:

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Israel's existence 'insult to all humanity'
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... anity.html

Israel's existence is an "insult to all humanity," Iran's president said on Friday in one of his sharpest attacks yet against the country while Israeli leaders openly debate whether to attack Iran over its nuclear programme.

Are you guys lazy, or just dumb?

All of these are calls for regime change not one actual quote about the destruction of Israel except from the media. Exactly what I was saying and don't get me wrong I'm NOT particularly a fan of Iran but I really resent when someone pisses in my boot then tells me it's raining.

[vtsnowedin]

Iranian supreme leader calls for Israel’s ‘annihilation’
http://www.timesofisrael.com/iranian-su ... ihilation/

All of these are calls for regime change not one actual quote about the destruction of Israel except from the media. Exactly what I was saying and don't get me wrong I'm NOT particularly a fan of Iran but I really resent when someone pisses in my boot then tells me it's raining.

Did you bother to read the links above?
From the top one you get this direct quote ,(translated into English )

“This barbaric, wolflike & infanticidal regime of #Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated,” Khamenei wrote.

That is not one reporter quoting another reporter but their supreme leader stating his views.
Why you see that as having your boots filled up is beyond me.