Iran’s Rise Is Not A Threat To Israel, It’s An Opportunity

Posted on April 26, 2007
Filed Under Israel, Palestine, Mideast, Iran |

And a pretty damn good one too if you ask me. The higher Iran rises in power and the bigger its influence in the region becomes, the more handshakes we can expect occurring between high ranking Arab and Israeli officials behind the scenes. Israel’s wet dream is having normalized relations with its Arab neighbours. The Arab League’s nightmare (or to be more specific, the nightmare of mainly prominent Sunni Arab countries like Egypt, Jordan and most definitely the Gulf countries) is an Iranian super giant juggernaut next door. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Differences certainly exist but they can either be dealt with or put aside and the Palestinian cause is certainly no small thing to put aside or sweep underneath the rug. Oh it’s certainly not small and in the eyes of the Arab street it’s way beyond big. It’s enormous. Arab leaders of the countries I mentioned are aware of that and as long as the situation doesn’t change, handshakes will continue occurring secretly behind closed doors. That can’t continue if an emergency, which requires action, rises. Sooner or later the secretive will be forced into public.

What I predict will happen is the use of leverage. It’s logical and natural. Normalized relations will only occur within the framework of a fair settlement for the Palestinians. Arab countries suffering from the frequent nightmares will benefit greatly by turning a formidable enemy with advanced military capabilities into an ally on their side. In the process Israel’s wet dream of normalization and being accepted in the neighbourhood can come true. The high potential for economic benefits for both sides is also a big added bonus.

The situation currently presents the right factors and the strong motivation necessary for both sides to seriously sit down and genuinely discuss a solution to the Palestinian problem. This is a big opportunity for Israel. Sure, the Arab endorsed Saudi plan is rigid but it’s still a decent offer which can be worked out. If it does, another added benefit will hopefully be some genuine peace between Israel and Palestine. Israelis will be able to stop worrying about getting blown up during a bus ride and Palestinians could finally start enjoying a normal life. In the words of Maroon5’s lovely song She Will Be Loved, “it’s not always rainbows and butterflies, it’s compromise that moves us along.”

One of the main rules in business is that with every opportunity comes risk. The goal is therefore maximizing that opportunity and minimizing the risk. Compromises aren’t fun but they’re reality. As Iran’s rise in power continues and the dark cloud truly begins to loom above, the opportunity will grow. It will grow not only for Israel, but also for Arab countries and hopefully for the Palestinians. We’re witnessing a different reality today and the sooner we recognize it, the better. Iran’s newfound power might be the best damn thing that ever happened to the region in recent years.

Comments

7 Responses to “Iran’s Rise Is Not A Threat To Israel, It’s An Opportunity”

  1. Andrew Brehm on April 26th, 2007 8:31 am

    “This is a big opportunity for Israel. Sure, the Arab endorsed Saudi plan is rigid but it’s still a decent offer which can be worked out.”

    None of these things can even begin to work if the plan to destroy Israel is not given up. Too many Arabs support the annihilation of Israel, another Holocaust. And too few have a problem with that. (I have met Europeans and Americans who thought of themselves as neutral and who propose deportation of all middle-eastern Jews to “solve” the “problem”.)

    If the Palestinian Authority government denounces treaties already signed and refuses even to recognize Israel, what’s the point of any treaty?

    The peace process can only begin once both sides agree that the other side a) exists and b) can be allowed to survive. I do not see how the Arab side has reached that stage yet.

    The Iranians are helping, of course; but it takes the intelligent (Saudi king level and above) to realise it. The average Jew-hating pikey will not fear Iran because Iran is “Muslim”.

    Here’s what needs to be done, and the kings and dictators can do it.

    1. Remove the neo-pagan “clerics”. Vanish them if necessary. Certainly the Egyptian dictator has that power.

    2. Change the propaganda to display the real Israel and paint Iran-supported Hamas as a danger to Jews and Muslims. Simply telling the truth about their actions should be enough.

  2. Andrew Brehm on April 26th, 2007 8:35 am

    Seriously, what’s in it for Israel?

    Israel has already been at the stage the Saudi “peace” plan proposes, the border of 1967. The result was that the Arabs tried to destroy Israel.

    What needs to be changed is not the borders, because we have tried all sorts of border configurations and the borders of 1967 didn’t work. What needs to be changed is the Arab attitude towards middle-eastern Jews.

    (And while we are at it, change the attitude towards Kopts, Kurds, and other minorities as well. Not all of them have their own state, but I am sure most of them wish they had.)

    The reason Israel expanded from her 1967 borders is because those borders didn’t work. I don’t see how a proposal to go back to what didn’t work is an “offer”.

    “We will stop trying to murder you.” is the only offer Israel needs. The borders wouldn’t have mattered so much.

  3. Roman Kalik on April 26th, 2007 10:40 am

    Indeed. Though I hear the Egyptian propaganda machine is working overtime into preparing the population for a possible conflict with Iran.

    Now, the current situation is indeed a step forward, but you can’t overturn decades of hate propaganda in a day, a week, or even a few years. This will require careful maneuvering, and extreme displays of intelligence on all sides.

    Now, on our side, we have Ehud Olmert. A man with a 2% approval rating. And the Palestinians are busy deciding who gets to be top dog, the fanatics or the corrupt mafia. This doesn’t help much to improve the situation.

    So, don’t get your hopes up too much, man. The track is right, but the conditions still suck. There’s going to have to be some heavy duty propaganda involved to counter that of the last half-century, and both Israel and the Palestinians are going to have to get their shit sorted out.

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  5. Andrew Brehm on April 26th, 2007 11:13 am

    What about reparations?

    What will Israel get for being attacked and winning those wars all the time?

  6. Andrew Brehm on April 26th, 2007 4:32 pm

    “Iran’s Rise”

    That is assuming that Iran is “rising”.

    If the pagans had not made their little revolution, Imperial Iran would have had nuclear power a long time ago.

  7. Andrew Brehm on May 1st, 2007 4:52 pm

    BTW, I was being serious.

    I do not see Iran rising.

    Iran is more isolated in the world than it was ever before and Iran’s militia succeeded in getting half of Lebanon destroyed while projecting minimal damage onto Israel.

    Iran is currently busy with its downfall, and that does benefit Israel, unless Iran takes Israel down with it (for example by starting a nuclear war).

    Iran has also become the first country since the Roman Empire that has threatened to destroy Jerusalem.

    Iran…

    Rising?

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