Israeli strike will unite Arabs

[bemildred]

AN Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could enrage the Muslim world so much that the leaders of Egypt and Jordan would have to cancel their peace treaties with the Jewish state, US officials have warned Israel.

The Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonot, quoting a senior Israeli official, said Washington had relayed the message that Arab leaders would have to bow to popular anger if Israel carried out such a strike.

"Today the Arab leaders do not control their peoples, the streets control the leaders," the unidentified US official told his Israeli counterparts. "An Israeli strike is just what the Iranians need. The entire Arab and Muslim street will take to the streets to demonstrate."

Israel's 1979 peace treaty with Egypt was the first with an Arab country and is the cornerstone of the Jewish state's regional security policy. The later treaty with Jordan has also become a mainstay of its defence strategy.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/israeli-strike-will-unite-arabs/story-fnb64oi6-1226479068294

[Purveyor]

1. I can't even begin to imagine... eom

[bemildred]

2. Seems obvious, doesn't it?

We already have Turkey and Egypt snuggling up, which I expect will freak some people out, though it is an obvious move for both countries.

[aquart]

3. Jordan and Turkey are being swamped with Syrian refugees.

Iran, we are told and it may be true, is supplying and arming the Syrian government.

Iran's nuclear potential is not the current problem in the Mideast.

[bemildred]

4. I have no doubt that Iran is doing what it can for Assad.

I expect they are quite taken aback by what is going on in Syria now, as with Russia.

Baghdad is helping Assad too, less overtly. (Oh, the irony there.)

One of the possibilities is a Sunni-Shiia war, and a really excellent chance it could go global because of oil, religion, ethnic divisions, etc..

[Ken Burch]

11. Thanks for saying that.

n/t.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. And yet Iranians are Persians

Who historically have often been the sworn enemies of Arabs

[bemildred]

9. I thought that was why it says "unite arabs" rather than "unite muslims".

I don't see Tehran and the Saudis cuddling up soon. Syria is likely to remain a mess for a long time too. But Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq, ...

It would be extremely awkward to get in a war with any of those countries, and they have most legitimate interests in the matter of Iran.

The problem is that Bush's Iraq debacle created the Shiia Crescent it was supposed to prevent. Syria is already embroiled, if you add Iran, you are not going to be able to leave Iraq and Jordan out.

[bemildred]

10. What we really need to worry about is an Iran-Turkey-Egypt axis.

You heard it here first.

[Ken Burch]

12. Make it Turkey, Iran, and Egypt and you've got an acronym..."The TIE"

n/t.

[aquart]

13. I once referred to a Persian as an Arab.

Not a mistake I'll make twice.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

16. Depending on circumstances, your survival is commendable

[aquart]

17. I was 19 and willowy from mononucleosis.

I could have gotten away with a whole lot, but not that.

[holdencaufield]

6. Arabs have been united before ...

In '48 when the armies of Egypt,Jordan,Iraq,Syria,Lebanon, and volunteer military units from as far away as Saudi Arabia united to try and destroy Israel

And, in '67 when the armies of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Algeria,Libya, Kuwait, Tunisia, Sudan, and the PLO united to try and destroy Israel

And, in '73 when the armies of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Tunisia, Algeria and the PLO united to try and destroy Israel

Arabs have been UNITED by the "dream" of destroying Israel since before Israel was even a country. They never stopped being united over it. They got so tired of having their armies destroyed by waves of futile attacks that they changed tactics in '75 and decided to use Palestinian and Lebanese militias be their pawns in this war but their united goal has never changed -- they want the Jewish State destroyed.

So, I don't see how any attack on nuclear facilities in the region should spark any change in what Arabs (and Iranians) are already united around -- especially since the last two attacks on nuclear facilities by Israel barely raised an eyebrow and were met with NO repercussions.

[shira]

8. Hamas, the MB, al-Qaeda, the Salafists, Hezbollah....

....will of course become united if they see that Iran has the bomb and can start pushing Israel around.

They'll be united in their hate either way.

[oberliner]

7. According to "unidentified officials"

That's some crackerjack reporting.

Incidentally, this article also appears to acquire a login ID to read beyond the second paragraph.

[azurnoir]

15. yep sort of like being called a "Top Hamas official" or AQ;s second in command

whom is very rarely mentioned and is the speaker for a group that's been defunct for over 5 years, but say something stupid or malevolent or get killed by western forces and one is instantly promoted in importance at least in the Western press

[aquart]

14. There is a difference between "will" and "could."