According to Haaretz, a new poll in Israel finds that "only one in five Israeli Jews believes a nuclear-armed Iran would try to destroy Israel and most see life continuing as normal should the Islamic Republic get the bomb." And that poll, for "budgetary reasons," did not even include Israeli Arabs, who comprise 20% of Israel's population. As Haaretz puts it, the poll "challenge[s] the argument of successive Israeli governments that Iran must be denied the means to make atomic weapons lest it threaten Israel's existence." As always, it's striking how much more rational and open debates over Israeli security issues are within Israel as compared to within the U.S.
14 June 2009
The Israeli public's view of Iran
From Glenn Greenwald, who writes an often excellent column at Salon:
Impressive stakes to be rolling the dice on, especially considering that all it will take is just one nuclear bomb. I suppose they won't be worried about it till AFTER it happens.
ReplyDeleteBut then, it will be too late.
By that logic, others countries should strike Israel (which already has nuclear weapons) before it's too late for THEM.
ReplyDeleteThere's no easy answer.
I was the second Anonymous, and I was replying to the first Anonymous, not to the entry itself.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I ought to sign in with a name in the future.