Israeli Air Force Chief: We May Have To Send Planes To Iran Tomorrow

[Purveyor]

Stressing the need for additional defense spending, Maj.-Gen. Amir Eshel gives an insight into his preoccupations

By Times of Israel staff and Raphael Ahren September 15, 2014, 12:41 am

Israel’s air force commander gave an apparently unintended insight into his priorities and preoccupations, when he remarked during comments about the defense budget that Israel might need to send its attack planes to Tehran at very short notice.

Speaking about the imperative for the government to allocate additional funding to the armed forces, Israel Air Force chief Major-General Amir Eshel declared that “there’s no one in this room who’d be prepared to ride in a car as old as our planes. I’m telling you, no-one. Yesterday these planes were in Gaza, and tomorrow we may send them to Tehran.” The remarks were not delivered in the tone of a threat, but rather as a statement about a possible mission that would require up-to-date equipment.

Eshel’s comments, broadcast Sunday on the local Channel 2 News, came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yair Lapid sparred over the national budget, with Netanyahu earlier Sunday asserting that, in the wake of the summer’s 50-day Israel-Hamas conflict, “We need a significant increase of several billion in the defense budget.”

Netanyahu has repeatedly vowed that Israel will prevent Iran from attaining a nuclear weapons capability, acting alone if necessary. In a major address last week in which he highlighted Israel’s role in confronting worldwide jihadist terrorism, and expressed Jerusalem’s full support for the American-led offensive against the Islamic State organization, the prime minister took pains to stress that the struggle against Sunni radicalism should not lead the world to neglect the threat of Shiite extremism, championed by Iran.

Read more: Israeli air force chief: We may have to send planes to Iran tomorrow | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-air-force-chief-we-may-have-to-send-planes-to-iran-tomorrow/#ixzz3DKtJaAcb

[LuvNewcastle]

1. As if Israel has to spend anything on planes.

America will give them all the equipment they need. If they need a bigger budget, it'll be for bribing American politicians and the like.

[kelliekat44]

2. Trying to finish the PNAC agenda. nt

[BillZBubb]

3. In other words Eshel told AIPAC to get the Americans to pony up more dough.

I would expect a big boost to US handouts to Israel soon. Our "leaders" will do what they are told by the Israelis.

[GeorgeGist]

4. Cry me a river ...