Say ‘yes’ to Iran strike

Op-ed: Nobody will be taking care of growing nuclear threat from Iran on Israel’s behalf

Amos Shavit|Published: 11.01.11 , 23:47

“Until we are able to use real bombs against the Israeli enemy, we must bomb Tel Aviv with all the weapons already available to us.” Does this sound familiar? These words were not uttered by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the midget from Tehran, but rather, by the hangman from Baghdad, Saddam Hussein. He uttered them in a lecture to students in August of 1980. You must admit that you don’t miss him.

Our then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin closely listened to these explicit threats and refused to treat them as empty hand gestures. The former Irgun commander clenched his fist and decided to act. Begin was well aware that in the Middle East, a gun that appears on stage in the first act will be fired in the third act.

Other Side

Iran strike? Just say no

Daniel Friedmann

Op-ed: Decision on whether to strike Iran must remain in the hands of Western powers

Iran strike? Just say no

Less than a year later, on June 7, 1981, Air Force jets were already flying above the Iraqi desert. Shimon Peres, who somehow got word of the planned operation, asked Begin not to give it the green light, believing that the prime minister is seeking to cement another term in office.

Yet the truth was that the decision taken by Begin was very difficult. Nobody promised him the operation will succeed, and nobody could guarantee the kind of implications that such strike would have. However, he knew one thing: Israel must make every effort, using all means at its disposal, to stop its enemies from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Take Iran threats seriously

In recent years we have seen the same scenario repeating, this time east of the Tigris River. Again, an unshaved joker has emerged and is seeking to play with nuclear weapons, and again we must take his threats seriously.

Should we embark on an operation without hesitation? Of course not. We must think a thousand times, ask tough questions and weigh all issues – just like Begin did – yet at the end of the day we must aim to give this green light, because nobody else will be doing the job for us.

Indeed, we may see a flare-up around here following such move, and it is indeed a dangerous maneuver. As one who raises children here and thinks about everything based on their point of view, I’m scared to death. However, we proved in the past already that we know how to extinguish fires. Ultimately, nuclear arms in Iranian hands jeopardize my children to a much greater extent.