What would one expect from the Van Leer Institute? But what are his credentials? Is he shooting an arrow then drawing a bulls-eye around or is this a serious analysis? The obvious counter to Yonah is if an Iranian threat is not an existential threat to Israel (and by implication to the US as well) then even sanctions are not really necessary. Perhaps the US would shield Israel from attack, but perhaps not? Whatever the decision it will be the Israeli public that pays the highest cost.

B"H - Netanyahu & Barak are protecting only their own power, not the Jews. As their power base, the seculars, are not prepared to live under Iranian nuke-threat, these old-guard politicians are desperate to preserve - themselves. If they fail the Tel Aviv jet-set, they'll be out of office for good and they know it.

The three are preparing people to love the war

yona is papering over that saddam might have launched chemical weapons against israel but for US presence on his doorstop. Secondly rafsanjani has said that israel is a 1 bomb state so that iran or anyone else might try to launch one nuke at tel aviv to break israel in a suprise attack.All arabs secretly hope for a nuke to be used against israel so yona is not correct in his conclusions. Yona is asking the israelis to trust that kameinei would not throw nukes. 2 conclusions derive from yona's article. israel needs to reclaim its rightful homeland as promised by balfour which includes all of jordan to give it space so as not to be a 1 bomb state. Second, bibi should transfer places with lieberman to become foreign minister since has no spine to make such a decision and neither does barak based on his behaviour over the last 13 years.

The Leftists pro-muslims professors use subversion against the State of Israel

... sitting there in your your comfy armchair - then what?!

The fact that if Iran was to acquire a nuke then it could carry on funding the other terrorist group without ever fearing an attack. Iran would know it can do anything it wants and never fear a reprisal, due to acquiring these weapon. Next Iran would increase its research to possibly make portable nukes that have less radius of destruction. The bottomline is Iran can not be allowed to acquire nukes. This is a possible existential threat to the world. As terrorist groups throughout the world would be protected by Iran to the point of being untouchable. Iran is the new Nazi Germany...history is not made up everyday...it just repeats itself.

The analysis is totally wrong. Written by an out of touch fantasizer. I met uri Saguy in Tel aviv in the late 90's when he was fantasing about peace with syria. I told him he was out of touch with reality. Of course i was right. Iran is an existential threat to Israel.These leftists will only be satisfied when Tel Aviv is a burning smoldering crater. Where do we get people like this so out of touch with reality. Iran says over and over Israel is a cancer that must be removed. Tell Yona to get a hearing aid.

Your use of selective quotes is amazing. The apocalyptic talk comes mainly from Iran. Israel is not threatening to wipe Iran off the map. You have no greater understanding of what is going on in truth than the average Israeli. Why do you think that your opinion is more valid than my plumber?

Both Iran and North Korea seek nuclear weapons to prevent collapse of their tyrannic regime already on the verge of collapse. Methods of extreme repression against civilian population are not sufficient unless there is a "patriotic" fervor of being in conflict with the outside world. Both regimes are emperors without clothes until their bluff is called out. Iranian claims of military prowess are bordering the absurd. An Israeli 'shock and awe' campaign of 30-days may not permanently destroy Iran's nuclear weapons program as such but rather will cause the regime of the Ayatollahs to collapse. The aftermath is unknown but cannot be worse than Iran going nuclear and distributing nukes to their proxies Hezbollah. Netanyahu and Barak have to choose between 1,000 casualties now and one million in 3-to-5 years time. Any claim about apocalyptic rhetoric is absurd. Israel no doubt is facing an existential threat of the first order and the time to respond is rapidly running out. Lack of national consensus in Israel and failure to support Netanyahu and Barak is a toxic national tragedy.

His own colleagues call him unstable and a messianic nutcase

Do what then? I love these pointless op-eds....

I oppose Iranian strike, but I have more trust in judgement Netanyahu and Barak than that of Prof. Yossi Yona and simply for one reason - professor does not know what prime minister does.

and complete cessation of Israeli response to Qasaams and Hezbs ,end of Israel that is. Yossi Yona won't be a Professor anymore,even if he survives the pal takeover of the country,pals don't need him

For Israel's nuclear deterrent to be effective Israel would have to maintin a second strike capability. This would be at considerable expense. What Iran has learnt is how an arms race triggered by Ronald Reagan bankrupted the Soviet Union. Iran's leaders are using the exact same tactics as Ronald Reagan used, expansion of the armed forces, increaasing the number and type of missiles and using bellicose language to get the Russian to bite. Our political leaders are falling for it hook line and sinker, thank heavens for the IDF and Mossad who are keeping them on a tight leash. As for the use of Holocaust imagery and iconography this has a double meaning, it cows critics into silence, not much arguing can be done against the imagery employed, and the language of Jews marching blindly to the gas chambers, and it feeds on the natural fear of Jews to progroms etc. No one wants a nuclear Iran, but in reality it is the natural progression of President Bush's alliance of terror speech which named Iraq Iran and SYria as the nexus of world terrorism, which could have been written by the Israeli Foreign Ministry The language employed by Dumb and Dumber actually feeds Iran's drive for nuclear parity with Israel, a statement saying that Israel had no territorial ambitions on Syria and Iran and Lebanon and Jordan and Egypt would have sufficed.

What motivated Iran to seek this balance of terror? And what about Iran's proxies in the region? It is clear to me from these points that Iran does pose an existential threat as it is messing around with a country far from it's borders and sphere's of influence.

at the right moment. When is the right moment? Only G-D knows. Our leaders should consult the Gedolim Hador who have a direct connection with G-D.

Yossi is not just some teacher at Ben-Gurion University. Yossi demands an end to the Law of Return that allows Jews to come home to Israel, and wants a massive influx of Arab settlers into Israel. He supports land-theft, as long as the thieves aren't Jews

...to an opinion on a subject he also doesn/t know a lot about?

Yona's 8 paragraphs are symptomatic of attempting to dodge the issue that Iran and its Mullahs are not of stable mind. Yes they are aware of real politik but only as it serves to placate and dull the senses of its perceived critics. Iran once it achieves the nuclear capability will not be as in the 'cold war 'but a belligerent enemy of all that the western democracies stand for and in particular it will make good its threats of attempting to destroy Israel. If that occurs does anyone believe that those of a different Islamic persuasion are going to be safe; I think not. It is a fact that were Israel to bear the brunt of this evil Islamic regime its respoxnse would be the annihilation of Iran as a viable nation similar to that which existed in Japan at the end of the 2nd WW. I for one would much prefer that Israel with the assistance of others were to realise that this is not a false existential threat but real in every sense of the word and Yona with his background in intelligence I would like to suggest that he remain in the background and let the realists pursue the safety of Israel.

Actually there is not a single serious hawk who "contend[s] that Iran would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons against Israel at the first chance it gets." Not one. Like almost all members of the Israeli left, Yona cannot listen to the other side or characterize their views fairly. (1) The ayatollahs MIGHT launch a bomb at us. Former MI chief Amos Yadlin has said so, and he is not apocalyptic or even a hawk, but kind of middle-of-the-road. Do you want to take the chance? (2) Iran could pass nuclear material to terrorists. We have three of its terrorist clients, Hizballah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, right on our doorsteps. Yona never mentions this very real possibility. (3) Even if none of the above happens (question: do you want to take the chance?), Iran's possession of a bomb is certain to spark a Middle East nuclear-arms race, with Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, at least some of which have already taken steps in that direction, the most likely candidates to join Iran in the nuclear camp. Would that be a Middle East Israel could live in? Would there be any more aliyah? How many would leave Israel? How many who left would bother coming back? How many companies would invest in Israel? What deterrence would Israel possess against potential military enemies? Yona's screed is a cheap, irresponsible straw-man job against opponents he mischaracterizes and is not capable of listening to because of his ideological blinders.

the world is waiting and deppendig on israels second strike. then the surender of iran and israels end. what do you thing my friends? possible scenario?

Bring on the clowns.

Assuming Israel doesn't have a viable second strike capability do you really think the US will nuke Iran if Iran hits Israel?

Nukes in the hands of fanatical Islamist-Jihadist Ayatollahists hellbent on the destruction of Israel is not an existential threat? Yossi is wrong on this. The fact is nukes in the hands of fanatical Islamist-Jihadists anywhere is an existential threat. If such fanatics could attack America and slaughter 3000 Americans in cold blood on 9/11, imagine what they could do with nukes in their hands. The writer needs to do alot more research on the subject. The PM-Government of Israel know what they are doing. They know the subject well and they conclude it is an existential threat. Believe and support your Government.

Why do you always write Israel as your address?? Aren't you living in Boca Raton (Florida)??

Oh no thank you,may be some other time.