The looming nuclear agreement between Iran and the US (and other partners to the deal) poses major challenges for Israel. The deal will funnel many billions of dollars to a regime that has vowed to destroy Israel and has repeatedly stated its intention to blow up the country. Now it is about to get a hold of nuclear weapons whose stated purpose is to destroy the “little devil,” as it refers to Israel.
It is not my task to analyze why the US should allow such a thing to happen, but I would like to ask why we, Israelis, are so afraid of it. It is hardly a secret that we, too, have nuclear weapons, so I see no reason why we should be more afraid than they are.
Also, and this is important, I have a lot of respect for the Persian people. It is an ancient and wise nation, which knows how to conduct its business. I do not think that they would do something reckless.
Regardless, we should do whatever we can to protect ourselves and not rely on the judgment of others. Accordingly, if there is any way to prevent Iran from developing nuclear arms, we should pursue it. This does not mean, however, that should both countries have nuclear weapons, it will necessarily become a problem for Israel, since in that case both countries will understand that using it will mean their own annihilation.
Either way, Iran should know that we know everything about it: what it has, how much of it, what it intends to do with it, and when. In other words, Iran should know that if it has any intention to act against us, we will know about it in advance and prepare ourselves accordingly. It should know that no one and nothing will stop us from doing what we must do to protect ourselves.
At the same time, we must realize that no weapon or military capability promises absolute security. We, ourselves, are the only shield we have.
Our shield must consist of two levels: the physical, which is our military, and the spiritual, which is our unity. Solidarity is our ultimate weapon. If we hone it and polish it, no enemy will even consider messing with us. It is our ultimate “non-conventional” weapon.
If we establish solid unity in Israel, such social cohesion that the whole world will feel, it will deter all our enemies and even neutralize their hatred without us having to fire a single shot. In fact, the only reason our enemies feel so emboldened these days is our internal division. If we cure this social illness, we will solve all our problems. Unity was, is, and always will be our most powerful weapon, and the one factor that determines whether we succeed or fail in everything we do.
Photo Caption:
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivers a televised speech in Tehran
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