Dear Mr. Netanyahu,
Just a few days before the elections in Israel where you are running for a historic fourth term, you have played your political theater stroke again. Addressing the Congress on a threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, calling it a “bad deal” and warning that “the greatest danger facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons,” you have once again diverted media attention for your campaign.
Your feat in Washington where you addressed the Congress in the absence of many notable figures, including US president Obama, might have got you an edge for your brilliant oratory skills against your opposition candidate, Zionist leader, Isaac Herzog whose meek comeback saying “Netanyahu remains alone” failed to charm the audience.
However, what you fail to acknowledge or choose to ignore, is the idea that you are using decade old strategies to win the elections for an Israel looming with much graver issues. Your political gimmick of scaremongering about Iran's nuclear program has failed to charm the public this time. While Obama dismissed your “destructive” address to the Congress as “distraction from focus,” leaders in Iran and Israeli figures also condemned your speech.
To join the list of the longest serving prime ministers of Israel, you must address concerns that require your attention more than any political argument does. Here are three questions you should answer before you show concern over any other “security threat” to the world.
1. In a column you wrote in 1993 you declared that the current assessment then was that Iran will have its first nuclear bomb by 1999. You also said that they (Iran) will have an Islamic bomb and that “its first target is Israel.” Well, Mr. Netanyahu, it’s been 16 years to 1999 and you go on making the same old claims of “threat” to a US backed Israel from a much weaker Iran. How do you expect people to believe in your claims, then?
1. In a column you wrote in 1993 you declared that the current assessment then was that Iran will have its first nuclear bomb by 1999. You also said that they (Iran) will have an Islamic bomb and that “its first target is Israel.” Well, Mr. Netanyahu, it’s been 16 years to 1999 and you go on making the same old claims of “threat” to a US backed Israel from a much weaker Iran. How do you expect people to believe in your claims, then?
2. Drawing parallels between Iran and Nazi Germany, you said “you can only urge the leaders of the world not to repeat mistakes of the past.” If Iran were to launch a nuclear attack against Israel, it wouldn’t be less than a suicide mission. I fail to understand how a visionary and believer in Israel’s strength like you would not see this. And if Iran did go on this suicidal attack on Israel, Israeli forces (backed by the US) would retaliate and completely destroy the Iran. Why then do you see the nuke deal as a threat to Israel?
3. You said Israel was now at “a critical juncture” on the Iran issue. However, you choose to ignore and divert attention from other equally or even more critical issues that have been haunting Israel during your last term. Amid key issues of poverty, a failing health care system of the country, stalled peace talks with the Palestinians and a housing crisis in Israel, when would you announce your plans of coping with these issues?
Please enlighten us with your plans for Israel and its long pending issues before ensuring “national security” and placing it politically over everything else.
