will only distract the normal decent Israelis for so long before they realise Haagan Dazs ice Cream has been banned in Israel

Two names that make me sick in my stomach!

President Obama's reelection is a sure thing; the only question will be its margin. Moreover, the Democrats will retain the Senate and retake the House. And then the Middle East ballgame will change radically. As for Roger Cohen and Thomas Friedman, these are that rarity: Enlightened Jews, liberated from Zionism, who know the score.

the Entire Middle East. Egypt is now your enemy again.....Syria is about to lose control of its WMD's to terrorists in Lebanon. Obama is a witless wanderer .....doing absolutely nothing to contribute to a stable Middle East. Now...because an attack might make it harder to be re-elected.......Obama wants to throw the Jews under the bus....to be re-elected again. Maybe every elected official should weigh Jewish lives... before their goals of being elected..... to sit on a throne again. If Obama had been with Israel rather than the Arabs....then there would have been no need to go to the Republican Party in the first place. Obama chose who he was bedding down with. He has never even tried to visit Israel. The country of Hawaii has been his primary destination. Who needs a pacifist to help them in a region of terror and attacks. Obama is a worthless choice as a friend. He plays both sides off of each other.

What Cohen writes is not about Israel's gratitude for US support. Cohen is obviously too stupid or biased to understand the real dynamics of the Israeli/US relationship. sometimes it is good---as it was under George W. Bush an sometimes it is demeaning as under the sr. Bush, Eisenhower, and especially Jimmy Carter. Gratitude for help should not involve doing something that would weaken Israel and real friends do not ask that Israel do something that weakens the state. No fair-minded person questions the fact that Iran is trying to get nuclear weapons and will use them against Israel. Thbis would mean the end of Israel and another Shoah. To equate Israel's right of trying to prevent this horror with Obama's re-election campaign is immoral and to threaten Israel with consequences if Netanyahu remains Prime Minister just shows that Obama's contempt for Israel. Unfortunately, the American Jewish community is unable to break it's addiction to the Democratic party and that's why the Dems feel that they can take the Jews for granted.

Obama is the problem. The most incompetent and unqualified president of the US ever. He is an embarrassment to the US. Hopefully he won't be re-elected. Israel should do what is needs to do and the US should back Israel 100% instead of bowing to the racist arabs.

I have sinned against Israel.

First a disclaimer, I think that Obama is a poor president. However, I am fed up with all the posters who condemn American Jews for supporting Democrats. Democratic values are similar to Jewish values, each believes in helping the less fortunate. Republicans believe in rule by and for the elite, and Jews who think that they are part of the elite are kidding themselves.

Choosing between the US and being wiped off the map is a no-brainer indeed.

Roger Cohen was a cheerleader for the Islamic Government until it became politically untenable to do do. In 2009, Cohen wrote glowingly of Iran's treatment of its Jews and portrayed Iran as a philoSemitic government and country. He insisted that Iran under the mullahs was a cautious pragmatic and moderate government. Cohen told us that the Iranian elections of 2009 would be fair and impartial and likened it to the Prague Spring. When Cohen became a laughingstock, he suddenly presented himself as a foe of the Iran government. No reporter since Walter Duranty has compiled a worse record than Roger Cohen

Americans are tired of war. Americans want the economy to get better and if gas prices sky rocket the chances of Obama getting re-elected are nil. Americans also feel that they where duped by Bush in regards to the WMD in Iraq and they won't buy it again so easy. It is a very difficult situation in regards to Iran because the Chinese and Russians are opposed to any action and also because if Iran gets the Bomb then what? Do they control the Straight of Hormuz and control the world's life line? Damn if we do and damn if we don't because if war starts it will make Iraq and Afghanistan look like a picnic because the Iranians will fight to the end and I am not sure America has the stomach for another never ending conflict that would be 10 times as intense as Iraq and Afghanistan that will hit every consumer in the pocket world wide and could take the world to the brink depending on who pulls the trigger first.

Im not a big fan of the Zionist state but not bumbing Iran to maintain Obama's image seems a bit stupid and selfish on the Whitehouse.

Cohen thinks Obama is more important than Israel's surival in the face of Ayatollahist nuke threat. It is time the Leftists stop supporting Obama. Obama has no balls in dealing with the Ayatollahist nuke threat. He is giving more time for the dark forces to get their nuke than do anything to avert the fanatics from attaining their nukes.

Chosing between the Security of Israel and stymie Obama in election. Obama should be stymied as the sloth leader He is. to stay behind Him and you will never reach your goal. He is no leader an the World does not need Him. Arn.Sweden.

Genocidal Iran has vowed repeatedly to "Wipe Israel off the map", and "Destroy America". Murderous Iran fully intends to carry out this terrible vow. It is shocking and highly immoral to allow Iran to bring her repeated vow to fruition against innocent humanity. What are our leaders waiting for? For Iran to perpetrate a nuclear Holocaust when it will be too late?

Another demonstraton of liberal American Jewish hatred for Israel. Liberal American Jews live in a make-believe world where everyone loves everyone, and there is no distinction between races or religions. But, One-Worlders don't like Jews, so Jewishness is discarded for One-Worldism. Israel makes liberal American Jews uncomfortable because Israel is outright Jewishness, and jeopardizes their standing with their fellow One-Worlders. Cohen's concern for Obama's standing is well-taken. Obama's "New Approach to the Muslim World" really means "make the Muslim World happy", and the only thing that will make the Muslim World happy is the destruction of Israel. But, Obama needs Jewish votes and contributions for his reelection, and so, the Muslim World will have to wait until after the elections for their happiness. In the meantime, liberal American Jews like Cohen don't want Israel to preemptively attack Iran's nuclear capability, because that would spoil everything, and enable Israel to survive.

The sooner we elect a Mormon and not a Moron the safer will Israel be Here in Florida the tide has turned against Obama and his local satraps....

For Cohen Obama's re-election is most important than Israel survival. Clearly.

He he right but for reasons other than politics. The Israeli military has already told us on multiple occasions that a military strike would delay(by as much as 2 years) but not stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon (which since the time of the Shah they have been trying to do). The US was under the threat of over 1000 ICM nuclear tipped Soviet warheads for over 40 years. None were fired based on what George Keenan called a" Balance of Terror. " If Iran developed and fired the missiles at Israel both Israel and the US would retaliate and blow Iran off the earth. Their generals know that and they want the bomb itself to act as self defense from a conventional war not a nuclear one( if they used it against Israel). The problem with an Israeli military strike on their nuclear facilities is the inevitability of a reprisal(likely in the form of closing off middle east oil shipping which would send the world economy into a tailspin and cause a US recession. Israel would be blamed and you gain nothing but world hatred. The best way to deal with Iran is for the world to stop buying their oil and cut them off from the world economically. Unlike North Korea which has a patron saint in China, Iran has no patron saint. Eventually they will have to stop funding Hamas and Hezbollah because their money will have to be used to keep their own population in check. I hope this is simply Israeli saber rattling instead of a cohesive policy since the military strike achieves all the wrong objectives.

Obama does what is good for the Arabs (and maybe the US). Israel must do what is good for Israel. The US won't bomb Israel but Iran will. Yes, for us it's a no brainer. BOMB IRAN.

What's the difference between Cohen's credentials on the movement of the galaxies and his credentials for making judgements about Israel's security? You guesed it: NONE! And if he and his colleagues at the NYT had their way the United States would not be an "essential friend" of Israel. Note to Roger Cohen: Stick to a subject you and the NYT know something about such as support for any and all Palestinian causes at the EXPENSE of Israel.

Obama can't get elected Assistant Dog Catcher Then of course, he has to reduce the high rate of Unemployment, causing 47% of the American population to resort to food stamps Obama made a lot of promises, he only carried out the bad ones, about raising the price of oil, forcing Obamacare down an unwilling public's throat, bigger & worse Government, more restrictions on business, giving two billion dollars to Brazil so that they can drill for oil, refusing to re-open the oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, he won't allow drilling in Anwar, Keystone pipeline, he won't decide now, meanwhile Canada is negotiating with China to supply China with the oil that American needs Yes, Obummer is a real winner

The straits of Tiran are on the opposite side of Saudi Arabia. Thirty five percent of the world oil flows thru the Straits of Hormuz. That is was Iran is threatening to block. Since almost nothing else you said is accurate I don't feel like responding to each of your other errors.

Unquestionably Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons. So are at least 20 other countries including Brazil. Israel has nuclear weapons and was one of only three countries that failed to sign the Non-proliferation treaty. I do not believe the purpose of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons is to have a 1st strike capability against Israel. That is clear path to self destruction and its generals are far too happy being rich. I do believe that Iran does not want to be the next Iraq. They fear the West and think the best way to avoid a conventional war with it is to develop nuclear weapons. That was North Korea's logic. The American Jewish community votes for candidates that reflect its value system which is clearly different than yours. As for Netanyahu he has his own problems with the truth. When the US and Israel's self-interests collide , I will still back my own country. You seem to back Israel right or wrong.

Just in case you haven't heard, Iran has threatened the other oil producing nations if they were to increase their oil supplies to offset the oil that Iran won't allow to pass thru the straits That crummy five percent has already adversely affected the price of gas at the pump, my folks in the USA that the price has risen more than 20 cents in the past week and goes up day by day It takes take physical action on Iran's parts, her threats are doing it If only you knew a wee bit of what you were talking about, the shame is that you don't or prefer to flat out lie about what the circumstances are Saudi's have already raised the price to more than $100 per barrel, for a products that costs about $3 to bring out of the ground Any excuse to raise prices works

Back at the ranch, Israel hasn't threatened to destroy any country, while Arabs have repeatedly said they intended to destroy Israel Thanks, we'll keep out nukes We made a peace treaty with Egypt, which they are now in the process of abrogating by altering the terms that were agreed to

John Brown was, before he was strung up for sedition Iran has already said that it has rockets capable of reaching the American Bases in the Middle East & Eastern Euopre It that isn't a blatant threat what would be Iran is busier on beavers working on the nukes It is high time that the world realize that Obama is the Muslim version of the Manchurian candidate

with one proviso, if Obama should happen to lose, will you promise to perform the ritual of Sepaku?

Oil is a commodity that is priced based on supply and demand on a commodity exchange. The Saudis don't price the oil, Oil traders set the price the oil. I, like everyone else , is aware that Iran's threats have an impact on oil futures.