Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember.

Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel.

So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel.

The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal.

Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region.

What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.


  - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst

waggawoody wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 7:13am:

Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember. Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel. So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel. The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal. Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region. What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.   - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst

Iran's new president created a sense of outrage in the west yesterday by describing Israel as a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the face of the earth". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is more hardline than his predecessor, told students in Tehran that a new wave of Palestinian attacks would be enough to finish off Israel.

The populist leader's comments [See footnote], reported by the state-run media, come at a time when Tehran is under pressure over its suspect nuclear weapons ambitions and alleged involvement in attacks on British troops in Iraq.


He said: "Anybody who recognises Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury, [while] any [Islamic leader] who recognises the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world." He was addressing a conference titled The World Without Zionism.

Doesn't seem very pragmatic to me. Is there some cunning strategy here that I am not seeing?

Also, to suggest Iran is a democracy is naïve.

waggawoody wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 7:13am:

Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember. Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel. So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel. The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal. Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region. What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.   - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst

Tell us why you think the Iranian fundamentalist regime that has repeatedly vowed to wipe Israel from the earth should have nuclear weapons?  ::)

Belgarion wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 3:11pm:

waggawoody wrote on Jun 14th, 2025 at 7:13am: Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember. Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel. So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel. The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal. Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region. What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.   - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst Tell us why you think the Iranian fundamentalist regime that has repeatedly vowed to wipe Israel from the earth should have nuclear weapons?  ::)

If they were as trigger happy as you think they are then what happened to true promise 3 ??

You only have to look at Gaza to see who the aggressors really are.

Quote:

You only have to look at Gaza to see who the aggressors really are.

Would you like to explain your logic? Or does it look to silly when you actually write it down?

Frank wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 11:57am:

waggawoody wrote on Jun 14th, 2025 at 7:13am: Israel has been dictating, manipulating, deceiving its population about various threats, especially the “Iranian threat”, for as long as I can remember. Since Netanyahu became deputy foreign minister in the early 1990s, he has been putting Iran on the top of the agenda, sometimes as a deflecting mechanism, but mostly as an existential threat against Israel. So that has planted a seed of hatred and fear, and disgust among Israelis against the Iranian regime. And hence, when such a [military] campaign is launched, it certainly will have popular appeal in Israel. The problem with all of this is that there had been – there was and still is – a diplomatic alternative to all of that. There was a nuclear deal. Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region. What Israel is doing now is not just simply bombing the Iranian nuclear programme, it’s bombing Iranian moderation.   - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst Iran's new president created a sense of outrage in the west yesterday by describing Israel as a "disgraceful blot" that should be "wiped off the face of the earth". Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is more hardline than his predecessor, told students in Tehran that a new wave of Palestinian attacks would be enough to finish off Israel. The populist leader's comments [See footnote], reported by the state-run media, come at a time when Tehran is under pressure over its suspect nuclear weapons ambitions and alleged involvement in attacks on British troops in Iraq. He said: "Anybody who recognises Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury, [while] any [Islamic leader] who recognises the Zionist regime means he is acknowledging the surrender and defeat of the Islamic world." He was addressing a conference titled The World Without Zionism.

The part you highlighted.

Not really:

https://archive.nytimes.com/thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/israeli-minister-agrees-ahmadinejad-never-said-israel-must-be-wiped-off-the-map/

freediver wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 12:15pm:

Doesn't seem very pragmatic to me. Is there some cunning strategy here that I am not seeing? Also, to suggest Iran is a democracy is naïve.

"he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region."

That's why Israel attacked Iran, to sabotage a deal.

And Iran is opposed to Zionism, not Jews per se:


‘Peaceful existence’: Jews in Iran freely observe their religion, communal leader says

by Gary Rosenblatt - March 5, 2021

(New York Jewish Week via JTA) — Contrary to a commonly held belief, Jews living in Iran find it easier to practice their religion today than they did prior to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, according to a longtime leader of the Jewish community in Tehran.

Speaking live via Zoom on Sunday — Shushan Purim — from the land of Queen Esther and the Megillah, Arash Abaie, a civil engineer and prominent Jewish educator, cantor, Torah reader and scholar, explained why he believes Jews living in the country have intensified their religious observance over the past four decades.

Abaie said the Islamic Republic, with its deep commitment to religious law, interacts best with citizens, including Christians and Jews, who are themselves observant. He said Muslims respect Jews who pray regularly, fast, abstain from certain foods and believe in the Messiah.

“They look for commonalities” with Islam, he said, “and this leads to peaceful existence.”

https://www.jta.org/2021/03/05/global/peaceful-existence-jews-in-iran-freely-observe-their-religion-communal-leader-says

waggawoody wrote on Jun 14^th, 2025 at 7:13am:

Just in the last couple of years, the Iranians elected a leader who is so pragmatic, he wanted to sit down with the Americans to cut a deal and lift the sanctions and normalise relations with various countries in the region. - -  Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera's senior political analyst

Aljazeera is Qatar owned propaganda.

The supreme leader Khamenei rules Iran nothing gets done without his approval.
He decides who will be his mouthpiece not the people their elections are a sham.

Obamas nuclear deal was a fraud Iran wouldn't let the IAEA in to inspect nuclear facilities.
If they had nothing to hide why did they keep the IAEA out?

Iran was broke Biden lifted sanctions on Iran giving them billions which they gave to Hamas Hezbollah and the Houthis to attack Israel.