I can have a bet that Mr. Halevy knows about security much more than you, me and Sarah B. combined. He also lives in Israel, while we are not.

Gorbachev was also a member of the CPSU in the USSR, so is FW de Klerk was a member of the National Party in South Africa. In order to reach such position one has to be a member of the system. However we can't say that he can't be a reformist. We never know.

and neither are relevant.

More mindless leftist mind warp from Avramele. How wise it is to "negotiate for peace". Isn't that exactly how permanent peace came to Europe and Asia. The Allies had the wisdom to negotiate with the Nazis for peace. As for WWW II; it was just a figment of our collective imagination.

First of all, you are not qualified to render an opinion on what experience I have or do not have on security issues. Secondly, what on earth does simply pointing out that whatever the people of Iran and/or its elected leadership may want is irrelevant in view of the fact that the Grand Ayatollah's views on Israel are quite clear and he rules Iran with an iron fist? We know that you are intellectually challenged. You don't have to keep on proving it to us.

Sarah B is actually the pen name of Margaret Thatcher who never died but ran away to Brooklyn after discovering that she was part of the kinder transport during the Shoah.

the people chose gorbachev , Andropov, Chernenko et al. in the old soviet union just like the people chose Ahmadinejad, Rowhani etc in Iran. How that for democracy when all these people were given the seal of approval before their names were put on the ballot

Always defending sarah b. Is she your mother?? or ARE you sarah b. herself

Halevy, you can stick your dying ideological nonsense where the sun t

All these posts on who is qualified to state opinions are irrelevant and ridiculous. It is the strength of arguments which counts. I happen to think, for example, that any comparison between the Iranian leadership and the Nazis in 1938 is a misreading of history. Even if we accept the evil nature of both regimes there is no evidence of territorial ambitions beyond its borders, unlike Nazi Germany whose aims were already made abundantly clear (e.g. Sudatenland) by the time of Chamberlain's foolish action. It is important to stop misusing history. Argue on the basis of available evidence in the current context. In which case I might well be wrong. Sarah B might well be wrong but not because of any qualifications and experience she may or may not have but because her arguments are weak.

the power rests with khamenei, the irgc and the al quds force. iran is not the crumbling ussr. rouhani is not gorbachev, neither as an ideologue, nor in terms of the power he has. it is very dangerous to assume that he is a moderate. he would not have been chosen by khamenei to run for the presidency if he were not in agreement with khamenei's policies.

What do you know about what others know or not know ? Idiocy - ?. Arn.Sweden.

...which is what he did when he was Mossad chief : instead of doing his job, he played the statesman. He was one of the worst Mossad chiefs in history, and is now adding his uninformed drivel: He calls the new government moderate without arguing why, he doesn't differentiate between 'moderate' interior policy and 'moderate' foreign policy. He claims 'the Iranian voter"may be insulted - the Iranian voter who is denied a real choice and election by the fanatic religious leadership who preselects the candidates, and even thought that Rafsandjani was 'too moderate' to let him run! It is the clerical Iranian regime which insults the Iranian voter, and it is Halevy who insults our intelligence!

Israel did not shoot itself in the foot!! The Iranian talks are a complete and utter waste of time and we all know it. Stop playing these absolutely ridiculous games and get on with the military strikes. warm regards, Gregg Bowman

wasn't halevy in charge of the debacke in amman when a mossad team hit meshall but were caught with israel having to get their release by providing the antidote and releasing a hamas preacher. Halevy, weisglas, livni, ramon, beilin,ben ami, the whole of chamberlain haaretz writers, israel is going through an evolution and cleansing of the gene pool. frankly, it cannot afford to have people like this positions of power since they are misguided weaklings, blind to most dangers. Bibi has now joined the group along with weakling stheinitz, shalom. New leaders who have the gravitas says israel will fight to the last man and from time to time will say no to the US not genuflecting every time kerry calls. Also the idf has to screen and train its recruits, not simply put a un iform on a body. From the reports came out, shalit was not trained properly as he did not take his gun with him after the explosion. Training has to drill it into soldiers even when wounded, carry your gun.

If you are trying to be clever, keep working at it. You have a long ways to go.

You have no experience of security issues. You pretend you do but you don't. Fortunately, you are being found out

Sowing your ignorance of Hitory. Chamberlaine knew Hitler would not stop with Czechoslovakia. What the Munich Agreement gave the United Kingdom was time to build spitfires and Hurricanes. Might not like that salient fact, but as with security matters I do not expect that you will understand

So when he claimed "Peace In Our Time" he was just blowing smoke at people like you are with Sarah B and myself? I understand.

Besides the isolationist feelings of a part of the Brits before WWII, Chamberlain & his successor Lord Halifax were favoring appeasement until the Germans occupied the whole of Tchecoslovakia & Austria when they could not any longer balance out their mistaken policy by the secret hope that pleasing Hitler about his ambitions to conquer eastern Europe would spare the West & that he would stop the expansion of communism. Halifax met Hitler & recognize his contribution in fighting communism. It should also be remembered that in some influential circles in Britain there was a pro-nazi penchant such as in the case of the duke of Windsor & his entourage a fact that led Churchil to send off the duke & to keep him busy in some British island colony.

Think you're funny, do you? My parents (z"l) were Holocaust survivors. Their families -- ergo MY family -- were slaughtered. So. How funny do you think you are now? You're a troll. Go crawl back under your bridge.

Oh, are you one sick, twisted soul. What the Munich Agreement did was dismantle the only democracy in central Europe. You don't even know how to spell "Chamberlain," so I do not expect that you will understand the depth of your ignorance. By the way, it's spelled "showing." No need to say any more.

Oh, I have plenty of experience in security issues in the State of Israel. I did, after all, spend five years in the IDF. Did you serve? (I don't mean being a waitress in a cheap dive.) You stole my name. Don't you wish you could steal my education, erudition and background as well? What's your real name? Fatma? I know that you hope and pray to be thought to be me, but it hasn't, isn't and will never happen. Sorry, but you are just way too dumb. Now, stop stealing your employer's computer time, and go back to scrubbing the toilets. That's all you're good for. But at least you work for a living. Don't forget to polish the furniture, chica. You wouldn't want to get fired.

You are saying there is a difference between a country that wants to destroy another country and expand its own borders, and a country that wants to destroy another country while not mentioning territorial expansion? Aso; strength of argument is related to qualifications. It is important to stop misusing history be taking actions out of context.

Talkback nr 14. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4412342,00.html She does not know of Militaru matters. Arn.Sweden.

The post at no 38 is NOT MINE. Therefore the post at no 46 is addressing someone else, whoever wrote no 38 - NOT ME. Seems like I opened up a whole can of worms with you lot though from my post at no 17. Great to see such a lively discussion, as unlike some people (guess who....) I'm not intimidated by opposing opinions. It's called democracy.

You are missing my point. The situations are different. It is actions which are important, not words. Unlike some countries in the Middle East, Iran does not have a history of expansionism. A nuclear Iran - which it is - reinforces its bargaining position in the power politics of the region which essentially revolve around oil. Iran's threat to Israel is through its subcontractors e.g. Hezbollah, rather than the bomb which, if used, would invite nuclear retaliation and mutually assured destruction. Let's face it, Iran is not the only Islamist country demanding the end of Israel but ultimately it is just hot air. So, the alternative is an international effort to manage the situation. Although Cuba in 1962 was a close shave it worked with Soviet Union. Just my view, though.

I appreciate you further explaining your view. Mine is different, however, in that expansionism has little to do with it. If Iran gets the bomb and a delivery system, they might well try to destroy a country the size of New Jersey. Actions are important, I agree. But many times there are actions after the words. Should Israel have not attacked in '67, given that the arabs threatened but didn't actually attack? “Iran's threat to Israel is through its subcontractors e.g. Hezbollah, rather than the bomb which, if used, would invite nuclear retaliation and mutually assured destruction. Let's face it, Iran is not the only Islamist country demanding the end of Israel but ultimately it is just hot air.”- you judge them on what we might call normal [our] standards. Their standards and way of thinking however are different; they do not fit what we consider the ‘norm’.

Iranians saved Jews for thousands of years in the old ages. Even in the world war 2 / Holocaust, Jews found a save heaven in Iran. And also now we have the biggest Jewish community in the Middle East beside Israel. We have much! more common interests than opposite interests. So go out and reach an open Hand to Iran. Every problem can be solved and You will find gentle hearts and the only true friends in the ME.