Israel has survived successfully against overwhelming odds for the past 50 years thanks to quick & decisive action against any threats by the leadership. However, recently a plague of wimps & wussies have descended on the scene such as Meir Dagan, Mofaz, Shelly, Farkash etc, who like to chatter & emit a lot of hot-air, together with the all powerful wussie Obama & his pet Panetta. This cowardly cacophony has slowed and hampered the awesome Israeli war-machine and almost brought it to a grinding halt. Netanyahu & Barak should throw the wussies in the trash-can and take action immediately and decisively, as was done in the past so that Israel wont be overwhelmed by its enemies.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last week has once again called for the annihilation of Israel. Speaking in advance of International Qods Day, Ahmadinejad poured out a litany of anti-semetism for the Jewish State in a meeting with ambassadors and embassy personnel of Islamic nations in Tehran, according to the official state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). So what further evidence is needed ??? Tell Obama, Ashton & P5.1 to jump in the nearest sewer. Bomb Iran now or be nuked.

Obama's much trumpeted sanctions against Iran have failed miserably ! Countries like India, China, Turkey, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Pakistan are all actively helping Iran easily bypass the half-hearted sanctions efforts. Leading U.K, Swiss Banks such as Standard Charted, UBS & HSBC are also aiding sanctions evasion. Successful use of barter system, routing payment thru tax-havens, smuggling oil & goods across border etc....all effectively nullifying the weak sanctions attempts. Obama is a liar & wimp, only interested in his re-election. Only fools believe him. Sanctions EPIC FAIL !

Netanyahu has indicated that he has yet to make any decision regarding Iran. So far, his efforts have focused on showing that there exists a credible military option, and that all options remain on the table. He certainly consults with the generals and security chiefs behind closed doors; he just doesn't want them mouthing off in public, in the improper forums. He wants Iran to understand, that Israel has the ablility and will to use force, if necessary. Furthermore, when has Netanyahu actually initiated a war, in either of his terms as prime minister? Stop trying to second-guess his thought process. You have no proof of what your saying, just hype.

a professor ? of what --international relationships department? I would have guessed differently -- he is a professor of how not to upset those who want to exterminate us..

the writer's assertion that iran is "a second rate power that is vulnerable to economic sanctions and military intervention" is just so much rubbish. pakistan and north korea weren't even second-rate, and far more vulnerable to economic sanctions. but they acquired nuclear weapons. and it's diifficult to assert that "they pursue a much more cautious foreign policy" - at least with a straight face. tens of thousands of missiles in lebanon, rabid holocaust denial, and repeated threats of annihilation against both israel and the united states, would indicate otherwise. it doesn't matter whether bib is quoting the bible, or citing examples from the holocaust, or stirring the tea leaves - the real question is, would israel fare better or worse in a war against a nuclear iran, rather than a non-nuclear iran? and that's a question that the writer refuses to face.

If US gave "Go ahead" to 67 War, it's new and unreferenced anywhere ele.The fact remains PrezJohnoson "couldn't find" the US Guaranteed Act on Freedom of Navigation thru Tirana Straits,given to Israel by PrezEisenhower in 10 years earlier in return for withdrawing from the Sinai. It's this obvious betrayal would make new demands on Israel to withdraw without Peace Treaty difficult to sell to US public. Nucler Iran might sill be second or 5th rate in everything else-but nobody would mess with it if even now EU&US is more than reluctant . On the contrary,they'll join nuclear Iran in demnands on Israel,"or else" they'll say Time is passing by and Uri Bar-J won't stop it with his artificial facts and surmissions.

Uri may be a professor, but by no means intelligent. If we don't learn from our history, we are in trouble. History is to teach us lessons, maybe Uri needs a few classes.

You are leaving out a couple very important instances where it was wise of Israel not to listen to the US. Where would we be today is Iraq or Syria had done nuclear?

Uri Bar-Joseph makes some interesting and convincing arguments. Prime Minister Netanyahu is in the uneviable and awful position of having to make a fateful decision . I do not know the answer .In his shoes ,I do not know whether I would opt for some kind of military operation against Iran or not. Perhaps it is best for Israel to avoid attacking Iran ,or perhaps this would be a terrible mistake. Perhaps not attacking would be a terrible mistake. I am convinced that should Mr Netanyahu decide on military action ,he would do so only after much thought and deliberation ,as a last resort. A terrible dilemma really .WHAT WOULD YOU DECIDE ?

No doubt Iran is just a "second rate power" but with nuclear weapons it would be a first rate menace .THAT is the problem .

Sir ,with respect ,just what do you suggest that Mr .Netanyahu and Israel do regarding Iran and her nuclear ambitions ?? To roll over and die perhaps ?

Israel is facing two unsavoury choices : 1) To ignore Iran and not to try to destroy its nuclear facilities . 2) To attack and attempt to destroy said facilities . Both options suck ,IMHO.

Screw your enemy before he screws you. To hell with "appeasement " and restraint ,that's for pussies.

It does not matter with Iran. If they have a bomb, they will feel immune from attack. Then you will start seeing terrorism exported at a faster rate. There is no doubt in my mind the Iranians will use nukes against israel. Also, Egypt did plan to attack israel in 1967 that is well know. The author here is also wrong about us green light in 1967. Israel never got a green light for 67, 81 osirak or 2007 Syria raid. All this is documented. The only time they did get a green light was lebanon one. The author has no clue what he is talking about. War is coming, we need men here not afraid little mice. Fear is what brings on bigger disasters later.

In the last paragraph of his article professor Uri Bar-Joseph appears to agree with those experts who believe that in case of war Iran would not recoil from any losses of its own people. This contradicts the rest of the article where the Iranian leaders are described as cautious & almost rational. There are ample examples of the irrational & atrocious acts commited on orders or by Iranians themselves against Jews, Americans & their own Muslim "brothers". Yes Iran is not the power Germany was under Hitler, but its fanatic will to succeed in its hegemonic & religious plans is no less deep. And regarding the lessons the West is assumed to have learned from the Holocaust, which should make Israel feel secure that in trying times it would be rescued from a disaster, one has only to remember the post Holocaust genocides carried out with Western indifference in Darfur, Rwanda & for more than one year in Syria. That countries have no friends, only interests is a well known fact. In a crucial case like Israel very survival, no bets should be taken on the possibility that things will work out thanks to others. When the time for decision to attack Iran is going to occur, only Israel will decide, otherwise there is no future for the country under nuclear threat from Iran & its proxies

Some 2.000 years ago the Zealots underestimed the Roman's army capabilities and overestimated irrealisticaly their own. That caused the fall of Jerusalem and Masada which changed for evere the history of the Jewish people . Just as a note, the Roman Empire , as others in the history, collapsed later by its own..... The lesson is that only accurate planning of any military operation and the realistic assesment of the own and enemy's resources & capabilities may succesfully drive the decision. To claim the responsability on himself is , as said in the article, very nice but unfortunately unhelpful

people only learn from History what they WANT to learn from History. The more arrogant they are (eg. Netanyahu) the more they are convinced that their understanding of history is the only truth.

The fact that the Iranian regime is seeking to goad & provoke Israel (and the US) into firing the first shot - and thereby into war - says it all: The Ayatollahs clearly view it in their interest to have a war at this time. Perhaps to take the pressure off their Syrian allies... or to rally the Iranian population (and much of the Arab world) around an unpopular brutal regime in Tehran. Even the obscene Holocaust talk by Ahminadjab is aimed far more at winning points in the Arab world - than it has to do with reality or Israel. Now if only the demagogue Netanyahu can figure that out - and not fall for the bait. BEST SOLUTION OF ALL: KEEP TIGHTENING THE SANCTIONS AND LET THEM DO THEIR WORK..

The US and Great Britain should have carpet bombed Auschwitz during WW2, and in the process, killed all the Jews there in order to save all the Jews there? Although the author is making the point that attacking Iran is a very bad idea he sure goes about in a wrong headed way. The bottom line is this. Forget about Bibi's shoah comparisons. Israel has nuclear weapons. Israel could turn Iran into a smoking glass plain if the Israeli government wanted to. The Iranians don't have nuclear weapons but even if they did why would they risk their own destruction by attacking Israel? Bibi's whole Iran is the next Nazi Germany construct is so full of holes you have to be an idiot to believe any of it. Israelis should be very wary of just what Bibi is up to. He's going to get Israel in a world of sh*t if he keeps on.

Every time I keep reading what these silly liberals write on national security I want to laugh. Just look at the twisted logic here. The author feels that the strike on Iran may eventually lead to an existential threat, not the fact that there is an existential threat now by Iran's building WMD. It is that kind of thinking that allowed the Holocaust to proceed unhindered.

uri's thesis is that a decision to act has been made and that it calls for action before it is necessary. but, of course, he has no evidence that this is the case. and, to cite the example of PM Eshkol, there was a point at which he had to make the decision to act. Eshkol did make that decision while he was being advised by people like uri not to move. at what time would uri agree that Israel should act? or, is this a case in which there will always be an excuse not to act. (BTW: uri seems to think that he has adequately considered the example of munich. in fact, all he has said was that the world has changed and that iran is not as powerful as germany was. the points are either wrong or irrelevant.)

for advice.

Peace Now!

Do doubt you are an out of touch Liberal wuss that does not know the history of the Jews. When Iran says it will bomb you off the earth, you better listen. They don't give a crap about sanctions. Sanctions don't work and never have. Have you ever heard of Fidel Castro ?? Sanctions only hurt the common man.

At the least the Allies should have bombed the railroad tracks to stop more Jews from being brought to the camp. But they didn't care about Jews the same as Obuma and the EU don't care now.

"The international community (and the US in particular) has learned a lot since .. " Well, that's exactly ... where I stopped reading, the rest can't be worth it.