While we welcome all Jews to become Israelis, we cannot take the interests of Jews outside of Israel, before the interests of all Israelis. You sit in the USA and will not be the 1st of Iran's targets, we will. But you want us to be open to annihilation because you cant take a bit of heat? Sorry , but the bottom line is you're pathetic. Want to tell us what to do? come live here.

Friedman is pathetic like usual. His message to Israel is always the same. Don't defend yourself. Place yourself at the mercy of others. Israel must destroy Iran's nukes. It would be utter lunacy to allow the Mad Mullahs to build nuclear bombs, which they have boasted, many times, they will use on us.

Every country is brutally self-interested. If we let Western powers dictate to us, they won't take our security concerns into consideration, they'll put their own interests first. We need to do what is best for Israel, not pander to some minor European interests.

Friedmann is right about one thing - an attack on Iran's facilities - broadly dispersed and often buried - will not be like striking single exposed targets in Iraq and Syria. He's also correct in noting that Israel - and by extension the Jews - will be blamed for the economic consequences of such an attack. He's way off base when he suggests those "indirect routes" - tougher sanctions (minimally effective thus far) and "securing an agreement" with the PA that would "minimize regional tensions - the default lefty solution to all that ails the region. As the months tick by, Iran's defenses get stronger (thanks mostly to Russia) and a nuclear breakout grows inevitably closer. Sabotage and creative technical assaults like Stuxnet can only slow the process. Regime change, which will require attacking IRGC and Basji strongholds, may make Iran less of a threat, but a successor regime will likely seek to complete the nuclear project. They too will want to assert Iranian regional strength.

You probably think that a country of only six million inhabitants, will dictate his conduct on the West? If Israel wants to compete with the Persian go ahead. we in europe are not followed. good luck. even your most senior military and intelligence doubt, and talk of catastrophe if Israel dares to attack Iran

NOTHING. whether you like it or not, the decision of a nuclear Iran will be taken in Tehran, and not in Tel Aviv. israel can scream all day and every night, it will not tolerate a nuclear Iran, the reality is that Iran decides sovereign and there is nothing Israel can do. sorry if you don't like it. This was said by Dagan, Robert Bates, and many other

we are in 2011 not 1980. Iran is a country capable to build satelites and send them into space, to master nanotechnology, uranium enrichment and build of modern weapons. and if you really want to laugh then think of the defeat of Hezbollah against the IDF .........

I know there are plenty of good people in Iran but there are no good people in their government. Iran may look good and strong on paper as did the countries that descended on Israel in 1948 and got beaten. The countries they beat in 1967 looked good and strong too but look at the results. If Iran makes the mistake of going against Israel Iran will lose and a lot of good Iranians will die for it and along with a lot of bad ones too I suppose. I don't want to see it happen but I think the leaders in Iran are going to force the issue. Whatever happens, I am for Israel.

It is now all coming to pass. Israel is now being surrounded by the beast that hopes to squeeze her to death. Countries all around Israel are being morphed by the beast into mobs screaming death to Israel. Tens of thousands rockets and missiles have been allowed to flow all around Israel. Iran is furiously working on Atomics, all the while promising death to Israel. Today you need not be a prophet to see where this is headed.

The quick and swift victory of Israel as use to be is gone for good. They will drag you in slowly rebel fight for years so it will make the live of Israeli an on going hell till they flee back to where they come from. Iran and co Arabs can tolerate thousand of victims, Israel cannot. I don't know why Jews from time to time create for themselves an exterminator to come and put them in the right place and show them what is their real mean and value? Don't do another mistake and over estimate your capability and power you are already in the radar screen as the source of world economical trouble.

This article makes sense Sarah, imagine the world blaming Israel for.another oil crisis. Is it not a good time to strike? And I cant even imagine an operation with Barak as DM.

In destroying most reactors.

The sub-headline for the article reads: "Op-ed: Decision on whether to strike Iran must remain in the hands of Western powers" If this is his thesis or in any way informs his thesis, the Op-ed writer is wrong: What Israel does, regarding Iran or anything else, must be decided by Israel. To make this more clear: what [insert country] does is that country's responsibility.

Time for another worm!!!

If you parse the author's anlaysis, here is what he is saying in a nutshell. "Iran is a great big boogey man and we'd better not do anything that will make them angry or they'll hurt us." That's the way to show the world how tough we are.

It is time for the UN/USA to stop backing Israeli agression......and stand between Israel and her neighbors.. Disarm ALL Middle east nations equally...let them ALL throw sand. Israel needs to leave the occupied lands and live in peace with her neighbors.

And that is a fact. Google operation summer of youth in bierut. Hes probably one of the greatest Israeli generals and strategist. Some compare him to a young moishe dayan but better. No one is more suited for defense minister than Ehud Barak. The man is a genius plain and simple.

#48-You must be high to think that taking away Israel's weapons will solve any problems. If you disarm the Arabs...you would have peace tomorrow. If you disarm Israel, you would have a slaughter of Jews that would make the Holocaust look like a Sunday School dress rehearsal. You are either a bigot, or an ignoramus.

An existential threat is EXISTENTIAL not a threat against the 'West's comfort' The U.S AND E.U. are threatened with being faced with shoes 1 size too small, Israel is faced with another Holocaust. How well did the 'West' do in preventing that one? The point made in the article is utterly ABSURD! 'Israel to be blamed??' Of Course! Do you realistically expect otherwise? No matter what the outcome (or lack of one) it will ALWAYS be Israels fault. "Israel cannot afford to assume all the risks .." Let the risk be shared by who? .. the West?, the E.U.? the U.S.? What risk? higher oil prices, more economic problems, perhaps Israel should target THEM if it is struck by Iran, THEN there would be some real risk on their part! NEVER AGAIN!

Risks of the aftermath of attacking Iran's nuclear sites should not be underrated. But the Iranian threat nuclear threat to Israel is existantial. No international condemnations or sanctions will deter the Islamofascists who rule Iran.from attacking Israel with any nuclear weapons that they can develop and deploy. Where peace cannot be obtained, there is no substitute for armed force. This has been ha-Shem's message to since the beginning of the Jewish nation. When someone comes forth to kill you, get there first and kill him. Arnold Harris Mount Horeb WI USA

Friedmann's Pedigree would lead me to believe he has never met a Leftist organization he did not like. ( I do research, sir). His solutions are the same Liberal failed solutions/approaches of the past, he has not listened to Ahmadinejad death wish for him and nowhere in his inept solutions does he mention the impotent Obama administration as a compounder of the issue. (Can't insult a Socialist/Islamist friend). I assume you live in comfort in the US so missiles mean little to you. Mr. Freidmann, I am Goy, love Israel and some American Jews who believe in Freedom and I think I care more about the life of Israeli citizens than you. Stay out of Tel Aviv, the US and buy a nice piece of property in Gaza or Lebanon. David W. Graham Cl ayton, NC

many TBs raise important considerations. perhaps, the most important has not been mentioned: does Israel have the ability to do the job? there are, of course, a lot of ways to do it. and, one does not, as some have wrongly assumed, need to destroy all facilities. and, the fact that a facility is underground does not mean the access/communication with it cannot be destroyed. still, one has to be able to deliver a devastating payload, one that will, perhaps, destroy the regime, even as it leaves civilian infrastructure generally undisturbed. it seems that, absent an open miracle, UNLESS ISRAEL HAS WEAPONS, INCLUDING MISSILES OF VARIOUS SORTS, THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DISCLOSED, Israel cannot by herself do the job. she needs help. anyone who actually believes that any likely sanctions regime (given russian & chinese support for iran) will dissuade the fanatical, hateful mullahs, is living a very dangerous fantasy.

Perhaps my statement puts this imbecilic analysis into its proper perspective.

Whether or not to strike Iran is not a matter of public debate. This is something our ELECTED leaders must decide. Just because Ynet, yediot achronot, Ha'aretz and all other left wing media don't like our beloved elected Prime Minister, doesn't mean that our nations' security should be at risk.

Stop deluding yourselves, Israel is too little to start a fight with Iran.

We and Iran are already at war, and not by our choice, but by theirs. We cannot let them become more dangerous than they already are.

Probably Hisbollah and Hamas will not attack Israel to help Iran. Iran helps them because Iranians think they ought to, but they can't dictate to them. They can't make them commit suicide. There was a suggestion to genocide Gaza, with the implication that would make Iran look bad. That would not make Iran look bad, it would make Israel look terrible. One benefit for Israel is the damage to the USA. Israeli planes would have to cross Iraq, where the USAF could shoot them down. The US government will not do that. So the USA will be implicit in the attack even if they don't approve. The USA will lose all influence with arab and muslim nations, and its bond with Israel will be much tighter. The USA will wind up at war with Iran, and might eventually wind up supplying a million troops to occupy Iran at trillions of US dollars expense. A giant win for Israel! But these are best-case possibilities. Lots of room for things to go wrong. So it's important to review your assumptions. Are you sure Iran would nuke Israel? Nobody but the USA has ever nuked anybody so far. They say crazy things but the chinese said crazy things before they actually got nukes. Americans still say crazy things about nukes but we don't actually do them. If you're sure Iran will nuke you then you have to stop them. (Or leave, that's always an option.) But if you're wrong you might destroy Israel for nothing.