Throughout our lives we have seen peace treaties negotiated and signed to prevent future conflicts from recurring again in the future. To come to an agreement to end hostilities among two nations that both agree to conform to the demands of the accepted and signed results of negotiations. This definition of a peace treaty is more in line with what Westerners and many other parts of the world believe. In the Muslim World this is not the case unless it is between two Muslim nations.

Peace treaties among Muslim nations are acceptable However a peace treaty between a Muslim country and a non-Muslim country is not. This is where the word Hudna comes into play. A few non-Arabic speakers attach complicated meaning to “hudna,” but in reality, its definition is simple. Hudna in different variations can mean calm, tranquillity or an intermission. In the language of politics, “it means the cessation of hostilities, which does not necessarily imply the end of the conflict,” said Rashid Khalidi, the director of Columbia University’s Middle East Institute. “It’s the standard term for an armistice.”

Below is an Interesting video on the struggle for Israel and Palestinian Peace Process

Hudna is an greement that Muslim nations enter into with non-Muslim nations. Hudna is the Islamic process of covenant or peace treaty with non-believers. It is not meant to be kept. There are two reasons that Hudna is important to Islamic nations and militant groups.

We see Hudna in the conflict between Israel and Hizballah. It seems that Hizballah calls for peace after the conflict heats up and begins to experience too much damage at the hands of the more superior and better armed Israeli forces. It is never meant to be a lasting peace. It is the same with the Palestinians. They enter into peace treaties such as the Oslo Peace Accords that the rest of the world saw as a peace treaty in the Western sense, but in the end it was only meant to get as many concessions as the Palestinians could get as well as a time to regroup and be rearmed so that in the next battle they will be in a stronger position. There was never an intent for lasting peace on the side of the Palestinians nor Hizballah in these laughable agreements. It is like calling a timeout. In their eyes the only peace is an end to the state of Israel. Hudna will become more important in the near future as more conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslim nations occur such as the looming Iran and Israel dilemma that we are seeing unfold in the Middle East.

The length of a Hudna is not meant to last for more than ten years.

In recent weeks more and more information is being released to the media regarding a successful assassination of a Hamas Commander not in Israel or in the Palestinian territories, but in the small country of Dubai which is part of the United Arab Emirates. A significant number of operatives utilizing false passports from actual European Israeli Immigrants. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, the target, died of a form of poisoning that was first declared as a death by natural causes, a heart attack in his hotel room.

Hamas was not accepting this verdict and began insisting that the UAE police launch a murder investigation. Dubai Investigators just this past Sunday released that Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was first drugged and then was suffocated with a pillow from his Dubai hotel room. He had just previously arrived in Dubai after flying from Syria. Deputy Police Chief Khamis al Mazeira revealed the results of forensic tests on al Mabhouh’s body, which was found to contain high levels of a muscle relaxant drug called Succinylcholine.

Dubai Police say they are now certain Israel’s spy agency Mossad was behind the killing of Mabhouh on January 20, 2010. Mabhouh was allegedly in Dubai to arrange an arms shipment to Hamas in Gaza. He had previously admitted kidnapping and killing two Israeli soldiers in the 1980s.

What is Mossad?

The Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, otherwise known as the Mossad, has been appointed by the State of Israel to collect information, analyze intelligence, and perform special covert operations beyond its borders.

“Where no counsel is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety”
Proverbs XI/14

Over the years, the Mossad has expanded into many fields, the most prominent of which are:

The Mossad is one of the most feared groups in the Arab world. Especially if your aim is to do harm to Israel or to Israeli citizens abroad. Known as “The Insitute”, this secrective agency is one of Israel’s main weapons against the terrorism they have experienced over the decades since it’s inception over 60 years ago.

Mossad has often come under criticism for perceived excessive actions against Israel’s enemies. It has been criticized for carrying out assassinations, abductions and torture in past covert operations. The latest incident in Dubai is an example of the agency completing it’s mission but being a little sloppy in underestimating the outcome of possible ongoing investigations. Israel will never acknowledge these attacks on foreign territories, as it keeps Mossad’s activities very secretive. In the modern world of electronic security abroad it is becoming harder for these secretive operatives to carry out their missions without popping up on the radar as is the case in the Dubai operation.

It is a special privilege to serve in the Mossad. People enrolling in the Mossad join generations of anonymous and dedicated combatants and intelligence officers who are loyal and devoted to their people and country. The Mossad’s mainstay is its people. They are the very heart of the Mossad. They are its prime movers. They are from the front operational line. People serving in the Mossad are required to give to Israel of their talents, their dedication and their courage. The Mossad’s people are always aware of their goals; they maintain confidentiality and serve with modesty and loyalty

History and Famous Mossad Operations

The Mossad bagan as a small Jewish organization whose mission in 1938 was to bring Jews to the British mandate of Palestine. The British found themselves in control of what was formerly Palestine that was dissolved after WWI. They utilized intelligence and other tactics to sneak many Jews that were escaping the atrocities of the war against them by Nazi Germany into the Mandate area set aside for Jewish settlers. This was done secretly in order to bypass the British quotas on Jewish immigration into the Jewish settlements that would later become Israel. The Mossad’s modes of operation, its ideology, and politics resulted in the creation of the intelligence agency for the Israeli government once it was established in 1948. The agency consisted of the current members who had worked to establish Israel as a Jewish state in the years leading to the birth of Israel as a nation.

After WWII and the decades that followed the Mossad took on the task of identifying and bringing former Nazis that helped slaughter European Jews during the Holocaust. The most famous of these operations was the case of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann who was in hiding in Argentina and through surveillance, they confirmed that he had been living there under the name of Ricardo Klement. He was captured by a team of Mossad agents on May 11, 1960, and subsequently smuggled to Israel where he was tried and executed. Argentina protested what it considered as the violation of its sovereignty but in the future the Mossad contiued to use similar protocol of these clandestine operations abroad.

In an example of the use of Mossad against regional threats to Israel and to stop a perceived dangerous spread of nuclear weapons and significant conventional weapons to states that would like to do harm to Israel an assassination of a Canadian Engineer and ballistics expert was carried out in Belgium in 1990. Mossad is suspected to be responsible for the assassination of Canadian Gerald Bull outside his Brussels apartment March 22, 1990. He was shot multiple times in the head outside his apartment. Bull was at the time working for Iraq on the Project Babylon supergun which Israel saw as a threat to their nation.

In another incident that involved Iraq’s quest for nuclear weapons, Operation Sphinx, during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s Mossad obtained highly sensitive information about Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor by recruiting an Iraqi nuclear scientist in France. On April 5, 1979, the Mossad destroyed 60 percent of the Iraqi reactor components being built in France. An 1981 airstrike in Iraq itself by Israel Airforce would put an end during this period to Iraq’s attempt to obtain nuclear weapons.

Iran 2007 It was alleged by private intelligence agency Stratfor, based on “sources close to Israeli intelligence”, that Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour, a scientist involved in the Iranian nuclear program, was killed by the Mossad on January 15, 2007

The biggest use of Mossad has been to signal out and destroy leaders and important leaders of militant groups such as Hamas and Hizbollah that attack the Jewish state whenever possible with suicide bombers, rockets and other forms of terrorism. When the leaders of these militant groups travel abroad Mossad is usually tracking them and at any moment kill them if the opportunity arises.

Malta The assassination of Fathi Shiqaqi. Shiqaqi a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was shot multiple times in the head in 1995 in front of the Diplomat Hotel in Sliema, Malta.

Within the Palestinian territories itself Mossad is feared as a result of their numerous assassinations of Hamas and other related militant groups.

Mossad has had it’s dissapointments over the years where things did not actually work out for the best for the intelligence agency.

In 1997, two Mossad agents were caught in Jordan, which had signed a peace treaty with Israel, on a mission to assassinate Sheikh Khaled Mashal, a leader of Hamas, by spraying him with poison at a pro-Hamas rally in Amman. The Mossad agents were using fake Canadian passports. This led to a diplomatic crisis with Canada and Jordan. Israel was forced to provide the antidote to the poison and to release around 70 Palestinian prisoners, in particular the Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in exchange for the Mossad agents who would have faced sure death.

On July 21, 1973, Ahmed Bouchiki, a Moroccan waiter in Lillehammer, Norway, was killed by Mossad while walking with his pregnant wife. He had been mistaken for Ali Hassan Salameh, one of the leaders of Black September, the Palestinian group responsible for the Munich massacre, who had been given shelter in Norway. Six Mossad agents were arrested, and the incident became known as the Lillehammer affair.

Is Mossad A Terrorist Organization?

I guess the answer to this is to who’s side you are on. If you are a member of Hamas, Hizballah, or another nation attempting to wipe Israel off the map then yes, you probably view them as a terrorist organization. If you are an Israeli or an ally of Israel you probably see Mossad as an intelligence agency similar to that of the CIA and other intelligence communities around the world.

In the end Mossad has used and will continue to use these covert operations to keep Israel from harms way. Will there be mistakes? As long as there is a human component there is a possibility for misidentifications and other mistakes that lead to civilian deaths. Israel has had to stand alone against an entire region that at one time or another has tried to end their existence as a country. No other country in the world has had to face the plight of the Jewish Homeland. Their has been a secret war against them since the birth of their nation and have been unable to rely on justice from the U.N. or other world bodies. The Palestinians have face horrible atrocities but Hamas, Hizballah, the states that have sponsored these militant groups in the past such as Iran, Syria and Iraq have not and will not offer a reasonable solution to the crisis. Mossad is an ugly necessity until Israel is safe and the entire region accepts that the Jewish state is not going away anytime soon. You can bet Mossad will be heard from again in the future.

Earlier today the IAEA released a report stating that the agency is worried that contrary to U.S. Intelligence reports that concluded that Iran had stopped their nuclear weapons program in 2003, that Iran is indeed working on producing a nuclear warhead.

This is a very big concern not only for Israel who has been threatened openly by the Islamic State but the entire region. Iran’s vast majority of the Muslims are Shia and Sunni neighbors may feel it is important for them to acquire nuclear weapons in order to have a balance in the region.

U.S. intelligence reponded that in 2007 when their assessment was released that they had concluded that Iran had ceased their nuclear weapons program but added that it does not mean that since 2007 Iran did not at some point resume it.

If the United Nations Nuclear Agency is correct in their fear of the course that Iran has taken it will send off an alarm that will have the entire region in a state of heightened tensions. Israel may feel it has it’s back against the wall and attempt to set Iran’s nuclear program back by attacking key components of the program. An Israel attack would shake up the entire region and possibly spread as tension between Israel and Iran ally Syria has ratched up in recent months.

Syria has been a regular meddler in Lebanon politics. Hizballah the terrorist militant group fought a short war with Israel in 2006. Syria is a major supporter of Hizballah and according to statements in recent weeks from Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri that their would not be division in Lebanon over a new war between Israel and Hizballa. Lebanon would give support to Hizballah in a war with Israel. In the past Hizballah has been viewed as a separate entity to the Lebanon Government and more aligned with neighbor Syria as a way to have influence in Beirut than as a Lebanon Military Wing.

It this tension that is always on the cusp of overflowing that has kept these three countries in a state of possible conflict. Syria’s tight friendship with Iran creates a multi front war for Israel and in the end devastation in the region. There is a very high liklihood that Hizballah would send rockets into Israel as the group has it’s roots from the support that Iran provides to the terrorist group.

It us very easy to see the possibility of a wider war in the Middle East if and when Israel attacks Iran. The 2006 war that Israel fought would pale in comparison to an all out conflict that would occur between Israel and Iran.

Listing suspect activities known to it, the IAEA said it is interest in information on high-precision detonator and other explosives experiments; studies on setting off explosions high in the atmosphere; “whether the engineering design and computer modeling studies aimed at producing a new design for the payload chamber of a missile were for a nuclear payload,” and other nuclear activities with a possible military link.

Iran’s behavior of not fully disclosing nuclear facilities creates a need for serious questioning of Iran’s true intentions in regard to it’s self proclaimed “peaceful nuclear program”.

The world will have to continie to hold it’s breathe as this crisis rides it’s course.

After the 1967 Six Day War the Arabs were distraught and humiliated by the loss of land and the Israeli occupation that followed the conflict. Twice they have gone to war against the Jewish State and came up extremely short of any success. Egypt and Syria remained the strength of the Arab contingency in the region and wanted to avenge previous embarrassments. Many hoped that after the death of Nasser of Egypt that new peace could be bridged between Egypt and Israel. Nasser’s replacement, Anwar Sadat, initially did not fit the mold of a peace-maker as he promised to regain the lands lost in previous conflicts. In 1973 Egypt under the leadership of Anwar Sadat along with Syria and a coalition of Arab neighbors attacked Israel. The state of Israel was at that point being led by legendary leader Golda Meir. The War known as the Yom Kippur War by the Israeli’s and the Ramadan War by the Arabs began on the holiest day of the Israeli religious holidays. The war began on October 6, 1973 and ended on October 26, 1973. On Yom Kippur, the holiest day for Jews, not only observant, but most secular Jews fast, abstain from any use of fire, electricity, engines, communications, as well as many other modern conveniences, and all road traffic comes to a standstill. Many soldiers left military facilities for home during the holiday and Israel was left open and vulnerable. Only limited defense units remained at their posts.

The conflict began when Egypt and Syria breached the lines established in the 1967 Six Days War. Egypt crossed into the Sinai and Syria entered the Golan Heights and staged a surprise attack on the Jewish religious holiday, Yom Kippur Day. The Surprise attack was effective for the first two days of the conflict but after that Israel pushed Syria out of the Golan Heights. Syria’s threat to Israel was extinguished in the first two weeks of the war. Israel then set it’s priorities toward the Sinai troops of Egypt. Prior to the war the Soviet Union as they had done in the past supplied the Arabs with supplies and intelligence for their assault. The United States after the surprise attack air dropped supplies and resources to give Israel the chance to regroup and counter the Arab assault. Hafiz al-Asaad of Syria felt strongly that the recent build up of Syrian military might would be able to lead the Arabs to victory. Syria was not interested in negotiating any peace agreement to return the Golan Heights to Syria’s control. Al-Asaad hoped that Syria would become the new power of influence in the region. As history has shown this was a mistake. An unwillingness to negotiate with an Israel that was willing to return the occupied lands in return for state recognition and peace agreements led to another defeat at the hands of Jews. Egypt and Syria leading up to the war depended heavily upon Russian machinery and military strategy. The threat from Egypt subsided as the Israeli war machine pushed the Egyptian troops back across the Suez Canal beaten at the hands of Israel for a fourth time. The 1973 Arab-Israeli conflict once again ended with similar results as the two previous wars and proved to be more beneficial for Israel than the Arabs. It established air and land superiority and placed the shame of defeat once again on the two main Arab states of influence in the region. Egypt and Syria.. At the end the Arabs did not win the Sinai or the Golan Heights back. They actually were pushed further away from the lands they sought to win.. Israel was within striking distance of Cairo when Russia ceased the advance by threatening to intervene if Israel did not withdraw.

Ceasefire Agreement and Peace Negotiations

At the end of hostilities brought on by UN resolution 339 and under U.S. and Soviet pressure to stop fighting, Israel allowed a trapped Egyptian Army to survive at the urgency of the U.S. government. This fact was a key feature in getting Egypt to expel military advisors from the Soviets and forcing Egypt to enter peace negotiations with Israel. A first for an Arab state. Israel and Egypt reached a disengagement agreement in January 1974, whereby Israeli Defense Forces withdrew back across the canal and Israeli and Egyptian troops were separated in the Sinai by a UNEF-manned buffer zone. Israel signed a separate agreement with Syria on May 31, 1974, whereby Israel withdrew to the 1967 cease-fire line in the Golan Heights and a United Nations Disengagement Observer Force occupied a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces. The buffer zones were meant to act as interference if any of the nations sought to violate the ceasefire agreements.

No major wars have been fought since the Yom Kippur war of 1973. In the 1980’s Israel did invade Lebanon and sought out and destroyed PLO installations. Syria was involved but did not commit the level of troops as in the earlier major wars. Lebanon was in a state of civil war during the period as the large numbers of Palestinians that once lived in the State of Israel were displaced into Southern Lebanon, which is why the PLO operated from this area. The Lebanon PLO was crushed during the conflict and Lebanon and Israel came to a ceasefire agreement. The biggest thing that occurred as a result of this conflict was the creation of Hizballah by Iran and Syria intelligence forces. The emergence of this Armed militia has since been able to form a state within a state that as of 2008 is challenging the current Lebanon leadership. The reason the group was initially created was not to take over Lebanon but rather to fight against Israel in case Lebanon was attacked again by the Jewish state.

The Birth Of The PLO

After the 1956 Sinai Campaign resentment and hatred toward the Jewish state of Israel had reached new levels in the region. Israel sought dialogue with the Arabs but there was only disdain for the efforts of the unwelcome occupiers in Palestine. Egypt remained vocal even though it had already been defeated by the Jews in the campaign of 1956. In 1964 the Arab League created the Palestine Liberation Organization. The group was splintered into various factions. The largest faction, Fatah would come to the front of the organization, and its leader, Yasser Arafat, would become the PLO chairman. All the groups directives were working toward completion of a set of objectives laid out in the Palestine National Charter, which called for Israel’s complete destruction. The Terrorist organization delivered fatal attacks on civilian targets. Jordan under King Hussein began to back away from the Arab League and withdrew backing the PLO. Syria stepped up it’s rhetoric and began shelling Israel in 1965 through 1966 from the Golan Heights. The UN refused to condemn the attacks which eventually resulted in Israel shooting down 6 Syrian Russian made Mig fighter jets.

The Six Day War 1967

On May 15, 196, Egyptian troops began to amass along their border in the Sinai.  On May 18th Syria began moving troops and weaponry into the Golan Heights.  The following statements were released by Syria during the attack preparations: 

May 20, 1967  Syrian Defense Minister Hafez Assad:

“Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united….I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation”

0n May 22, 1967 Egypt closed the straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping. It was an attempt to draw Israel into a conflict. Egypt ignored the promises from the agreement after the Sinai Campaign of 1956. Nasser irritated Israel constantly in the days that followed with threats of destruction and defiance of any idea that Arabs and Jews can ever come to terms in Palestine other than the annihilation of the state of Israel.  Jordan signed a military defense agreement with Egypt on May 30, 1967. Jordan would side with Egypt if attacked. The coming of war was becoming inevitable as Egypt’s Nasser proclaimed: “The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are poised on the borders of Israel…to face the challenge, while standing behind us are the armies of Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the whole Arab nation. This act will astound the world. Today they will know that the Arabs are arranged for battle, the critical hour has arrived. We have reached the stage of serious action and not declarations”

As the days passed it became difficult for Israel to remain on such a high level of alertness. For weeks Israeli waited for the invasion from the Arabs from all directions and along all borders. Israel decided to take the fight to the Arabs rather than to wait for the Arabs to attack and possibly serve a deadly first blow. Israel wanted to surprise attack the closest threats including Egypt, Syria and Jordan. On June 5, 1967 The entire Israeli Air Force, with the exception of 12 fighters left to defend Israeli air space, took off at 7:14 a.m. with the intent of bombing Egyptian airfields while the Egyptian pilots were eating breakfast. An estimated 300 Egyptian aircraft were destroyed as a result of the early morning attacks. Later in the morning, Israeli fighters attacked the Jordanian and Syrian air forces, as well as one airfield in Iraq. Nearly the entire Egyptian and Jordanian air forces, and the majority of Syrians’, had been destroyed. Air superiority was established before the end of the first day of the conflict. The days that followed included dramatic tank battles in the Sinai where Israeli tanks blasted Egyptian armor. On June 7th, 1967 Israel captured the holy city of Jerusalem. and pushed the Egyptian and Jordanian forces toward defeat. The forces moved toward Syria to support the limited number of troops in the Golan Heights that were facing a tougher foe in Syria that was dug in. Air superiority led to bombing the Syrian positions for 2 days until the threat was blasted into submission. After just six days of fighting, Israeli forces were in a position to overtake Cairo, Damascus, and Amman if it so chose. At this point Israel gained control of the Golan Heights, the Sinai region, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under U.S. pressure and again Soviet threats to intervene against Israel a ceasefire occurred on June 10, 1967. Most importantly Israel captured and retained possession of it’s historic capital Jerusalem. The crowned jewel for the sacrifices made in the brief war.

UN Resolution 242

UN Resolution 242 was the guidelines to achieve Israeli and Arab peace and bring an end to possible future conflicts. The main area of conflict for Israel was that it called for the removal of Israeli armed forces in the occupied lands. Through negotiation of the settlements affected peace was to be achieved. Their has been debate on both sides of the conflict as to the true meaning and end result desired other than that the two parties maintain the peace through negotiation. Israel gave up the largest part of the territory gained in the Sinai when it stopped occupying parts of the Sinai region but kept enough of a presence to keep tabs on Egypt. This was Israel’s way of showing cooperation and willingness to work toward a peace. Palestinian refugees were an after thought in the declaration and has created a quagmire for the countries involved in the war ever since. It is hard to believe that the basis of the war was the Liberation of Palestine for the Palestinians by the hands of Arabs considering the policies that the Arab countries established to deal with the refugees from there forward.

After the Arab-Israeli war ended, it was time for Israel to focus on building the nation which the people had struggled so hard to regain. Two people who had played major roles during the British Mandate and continued to lead Israel to statehood became the country’s first leaders. Davie Ben-Gurion previously served as head of the Jewish Agency was chosen as the first prime minister. Chaim Weizman, the leader of the World Zionist Organization was elected by the Knesset as the first president. The Knesset is the parliamentary body in the government of Israel On 11 May 1949, Israel took its seat as the 59th member of the United Nations. At this point in time many Arab countries still refuse to recognize the State of Israel. The United States and the Soviet Union were among the first to do so on the day of independence.

During WW2 Britain had slowed the flow of Jewish immigrants from pouring into the homeland of Palestine. The war with the Arabs ended and now Israel brought back an idea known as the ‘ingathering of the exiles’ which lies at the heart of Israel’s raison d’être, the gates of the country were thrown open, affirming the right of every Jew to come to the country and, upon entry, to acquire citizenship. In the first four months of independence, some 50,000 newcomers, mainly Holocaust survivors, reached Israel’s shores. By the end of 1951, a total of 687,000 men, women, and children had arrived, over 300,000 of them refugees from Arab lands, thus doubling the Jewish population.

1956 The Sinai Campaign (a.k.a Suez/Sinai War)

The Early 1950’s saw a growing resentment in the region against Israel from its Arab neighbors.  Palestinian Arab terrorist groups, called “Fedayeen”, began systematic raids against the Israeli civilian population. 1,300 Israelis were killed and wounded by Arab terrorists between 1949 and 1956.  The “Fedayeen” operated from bases located in and controlled by Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.   The group was trained by Egyptian intelligence forces to work the borders and to infiltrate the Jewish state and to perform act of sabotage and terrorism. 

Egypt continued to deteriorate the situation by using a  blockade of the Straits of Tiran, and Egyptian President Nasser’s nationalization of the Suez Canal in July 1956. On October 14, 1956 Nasser stated

: ” I am not solely fighting against Israel itself. My task is to deliver the Arab world from destruction through Israel’s intrigue, which has its roots abroad. Our hatred is very strong. There is no sense in talking about peace with Israel. There is not even the smallest place for negotiations”.

Egypt sealed off the Israeli port of Eilat, effectively stopping Israel’s sea trade with much of Africa and the Far East.  In response to this violation of international agreements which amounted to an act of war, Israel launched a military operation on October 29, 1956.  Britain and France, angered over the Egyptian nationalization of the Suez canal, launched their own campaign in order to reverse Egypt’s unilateral action. In March 1957, after receiving international guarantees that Israel’s vital waterways would remain open, Israel withdrew its troops from Sinai and the Gaza strip. 3,300 un troops replaced them. Despite Israel’s withdrawal, the Egyptians refused to open the Suez canal to Israeli shipping.  The United States, caught by surprise by the  invasions, was more concerned with the Soviet war in Hungary and the Cold War than with Britain and France’s dealings involving Suez.  The war itself lasted for only a week, and invading forces were withdrawn within the month. As a result, Egypt now firmly aligned herself with the Soviet Union, which armed Egypt and other Arab nations for the continuing struggle against Israel  the Soviet Union and the other Warsaw Pact nations threatened to intervene on the Egyptian side and launch attacks by “all types of weapons of destruction” against London, Paris, and Tel Aviv if they did not withdraw.  The U.S. demanded that the invasion stop and sponsored resolutions in the UN Security Council calling for a cease-fire. After six days Britain and French troops disengaged and Israel was given guarantee of free shipping rights in the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.  Militarily it was a huge success for the three powers as they cruised through the Sinai region capturing their military objectives.  The resentment however would continue for generations.

In 1948, almost 26 years after the passage of the League of Nations Mandate of 1922, the state of Israel came into existence. The 1922 ruling gave Britain a mandate to create a “National Home” for the Jews of Palestine. At the same moment that Israel was created Palestine ceased to exist. This birth of a new nation was controversial and difficult from the moment of creation. Arabs were not pleased with the idea of a non Arab people in the former state of Palestine nor the partitioning of it.. The former state was to be partitioned into a Jewish section and an Arab section.  The British concluded that they could no longer manage Palestine and on November 29, 1947, after much debate and discussion, the UN recommended the partition of Palestine into two states ­ one Jewish and one Arab. The Jews accepted the UN resolution while the Arabs rejected it. On May 15, 1948 Britain ended it’s mandate over Palestine and ushered in the birth of Israel. The creation of Israel was faced with many obstacles. Arab states immediately sought to destroy the fledgling nation. The new Jewish state was occupied with fighting a war and facing the dilemmas created in organizing a society. Jewish immigrants from Europe were arriving in large numbers and were in need of immediate health and social services to allow them to adjust into a new way of life in a hostile neighborhood. The European Jews that arrived were in despair. They no longer had money or belongings. They were a defeated and weary people that suffered some of the most devastating abuses in the history of man. Now they were in a new land, a new nation, and a renewed hope of having a home.

The British Mandate of Palestine
At the end of WWI and the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Britain was given control over Palestine. Britain announced with the release of the Balfour Declaration that their intention was to create a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine. In 1920, under the Treaty of Sevres, the British was officially given mandate over Palestine and Mesopotamia. France was given mandate over Syria and Lebanon in the region. The League of Nations Mandate of 1922 provided Britain the mandate to create a “National Home” for the Jews of Palestine. Jewish people from around the world began to immigrate to the new homeland. Almost 400,000 in the period from 1920 – 1945. In the late 1930’s as resentment of the Jewish people in Europe grew many fled to the new Jewish home in Palestine. Resentment was growing among the Arab population and they grew restless under British influence and the growing Jewish population in their homelands. They began attacking and killing Jewish settlers at an alarming rate.

The Irgun

The Jewish agricultural settlements were suffering from Arab maunders who would cause mayhem while hindering the attempts of the Jewish settlers in setting up their settlements. The British, who at first encouraged the immigration of Jews to Israel, now openly banned Jewish immigration. The British felt at the moment they had become ineffective in providing security for the new settlers. For this reason, the Haganah, a Jewish underground armed organization was established. As Arab outrages increased, the members of the Haganah split over the question how to react to Arab terrorism. A group of men, headed by Avraham Tehomi, split from the main group and set up their own organization to be more proactive in pursuing the Arab terrorists The Irgun. The Irgun members broke away from the Haganah and began to use strong violence against the Arabs as reprisals for attacks on the Jewish settlers. They also shared the belief that all Jews had the right to enter the new Jewish homeland in Palestine. As Britain tightened its grip on the new Jewish homeland and created more hardships for the settlers the Irgun began turning their attention of their attacks towards the British occupying troops. In one of their boldest attacks, members of the Irgun, dressed up as Arabs and acted as the Hotel’s Sudanese waiters, planted a bomb in the basement of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem and let it explode. Part of the hotel was being used as the base for the Mandate Secretariat, the British Military headquarters and a branch of the police Criminal Investigation Division. The explosion destroyed a section of the hotel and killed 91 people. It was a deadly terrorist attack that would set a precedent for the way issues are solved in the region even today. Oppressed people will use terrorism to achieve their goals. In this case the goal of an official Jewish nation was at stake. A defensive approach eventually gave way to an offensive approach and continued throughout the early settlement days until the British Mandate ended. Once the Irgun went on the offensive they attacked both the Arabs and the British troops from then on forward without regard. During the period before Israeli independence was declared, two armies of Arab irregular volunteers, let by Haj Amin El Husseini in the Jerusalem area, and by Fawzi El Kaukji in the Galilee, placed their fighters in Arab towns and conducted various aggressive operations against the Jewish towns and village under the eyes of the British. Kaukji and his irregulars were allowed into Palestine from Syria by the British, with the agreement that he would not engage in military actions, but he soon broke the agreement and attacked across the Galilee. The Arab irregulars were met by the Zionist underground army, the Haganah, and by the underground groups of the “dissident” factions, Irgun and Lehi.

Israel: Birth of a Nation

In 1947 on eves of the birth of Israel, many issues stood in front of the partitioning of Palestine and the creation of a Jewish homeland. The Arabs rejected the partition of Palestine and refused to set up the projected Arab state, the British administration, then still governing Palestine under the Mandate, refused to carry out the recommendations of the United Nations to implement the partition plan. The British government made it plain that it would do all in its power to prevent the birth of the Jewish state. Britain announced that she would not carry out the orderly transfer of any functions to the Jewish authorities in the interim before the end of the Mandate on May 15, 1948.

1948 Arab-Israeli War

The first of many Arab and Israeli conflicts began immediately after the nation of Israel was created. Five Arab countries – Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq – attacked Israel.

In the months leading up to the independence of Israel, paramilitary organizations like the Haganah and their associated groups began a massive acquisitions of rifles, machine guns, mortars, bullets, grenades and other supplies critical for the defense of their new nation. Israel was aware that once they achieved independence that they would have to deal with unrest from the Arabs of Palestine and also were anticipating other Arab states to unite against them.

The Arab league had put its trust in King Abdullah of Jordan. Many Arabs were concerned with this selection to lead an Arab military to root out the Jewish settlers the same they had done centuries ago in the Crusades. They felt that Abdullah had negotiated with Jewish leadership, but they persuaded him to lead the Arab forces. The war waged from May of 1948 until the Israeli forces expelled Arab troops in an increasing rout over the timeline of the war. Though Israel was a new nation and military they were able to organize their resources and cohesively add a growing number of Jewish immigrants into their society as active parts of their military and society. by the end of the war Israel had actually gained more land than was originally awarded in the partition of Palestine under the UN guidelines for the partition. Throughout the Spring of 1949 Israel was able to sign peace agreements with each of the Arab nations that attacked her in the war. In the end many Palestinians fled their land and became refugees, an estimated 700,000 plus were displaced as the result of the war.

Iran and Nuclear Technology
In the past few years Israel, the United States and many other members of the world community have been working very hard to stop Iran from enriching the uranium that have until a deal can be worked out to safe guard the region from nuclear proliferation. On August 6, 1945 the United States became the first and on August 9, 1945 the last to use a nuclear weapon on an enemy when they bombed Japan into submission. Since the invention of this incredible force the world has never been the same. It has created crisis after crisis among the United States and the Soviet Union, India and Pakistan, South Korea and North Korea. It has been used as a threat, a deterrent, but the world has remained unscarred by this awesome power for over 50 years. Since 1945 the nuclear club has grown and grown a again. In this early twenty first century as oil demand continues to grow at an astronomical rate and as more and more countries are experiencing increased demands due to industrial growth spearheaded by the new global economy nuclear power is in demand as well. With the interest in nuclear technology growing outside of the world super powers many are becoming concerned with the alternative uses other than to supply a peaceful power source for growing world populations. The increasing demands are not being met by the other energy markets. The fear of smaller nations with questionable motives wanting to acquire this technology are becoming more and more noticed and worrisome. First it was Israel that tipped the balance of power in the Middle East with their undisclosed capabilities, but widely believed that they have been a member for quite some time. India and Pakistan, two countries that have fought over the rights to Kashmir, joined the nuclear club and have test fires missiles in the past as a deterrent to each other. North Korea is known to have nuclear weapons as well. Because of this capability, North Korea has been able to black mail the West on numerous occasions in order to get heating oil, food, cash and everything else they could demand for their limited cooperation. When you possess a nuclear weapon the way that the world deals with you changes. As of late North Korea has been much more open about their capabilities and have are hopefully on the path to joining the rest of the world community in management of this threat. Now we are seeing grave concern over the prospect of Iran climbing the ladder to join the nuclear power club. The seven wannabes nations that have made attempts to enter the level of nuclear capability but as of yet not achieved the status of nuclear power are: Egypt, Libya, Syria, South Korea, Taiwan, Iran, and Serbia and Montenegro. In the past year Saudi Arabia has mentioned the possibility of exploring nuclear know how. According to Israel, Syria was attempting to build a secret reactor that Israel was able to detect and destroy. According to Israel, Syria was being aided by North Korea. Syria has denied this charge and said Israel is conducting unprovoked attacks against Syria. This exporting of nuclear know how that has reached Iran and other Middle East countries is a crisis that must be worked out. Nuclear power is going to happen throughout the world unless a safer alternative is created. It is crucial that the world leaders and the UN are able to develop an approach that guides nations to a peaceful development of a peaceful nuclear program that severely lessens the chance for creating a nuclear weapons program. As I stated above it gives unwarranted power in the world due to it’s potential threat to the nation’s in question neighbors.

Why is the World not Stopping Iran from becoming a nuclear power?

Well, Iran has not broken any international laws by working to create a nuclear facility as a source of power for the future. As long as it is a peaceful program according to the IAEA, every country has the right to seek out and create nuclear power as long as their programs are monitored and remain peaceful in nature.. As Ahmadinejad has stated on numerous occasions: “Iran’s right to nuclear power is not a question of legality, but rather one that is political in nature”. It is important to understand this as the crisis grows.

Deals have been attempted to be worked out amid severe sanctions that have not bent the will of Iran to the point of becoming more open with their past nuclear weapons program that Iran denies existed. Iran has not been cooperative with inspectors and have been not allowing access to all facilities without notice. Israel, the United States and other Western countries have become animate over the thought of a nuclear Iran. As stated above, a series of sanction have been implemented to induce Iran into full cooperation. Countries have suggested that the needed nuclear fuel can be provided and hauled away after it is consumed and becomes nuclear waste. This is a solution that Iran has no interest in. Ahmadinejad has pointed out that Iran does not want to be dependent on countries that have in the past withheld vital necessitates for things such as commercial airliner parts that hurts the public safety of Iranians. He is using the fact that the U.S. has suspended relations and placed embargo’s on Iran to the point that Iran is unable to obtain parts and supplies for items that were purchased for their infrastructure during the Shah’s administration that was overthrown during the Islamic revolution. The Shah was a friend to the United States. He has said why should they be dependent on others when it is Iran’s right to have an independent and peaceful nuclear program. The world has to prove that Iran is seeking to create a nuclear weapon to be in violation of any agreements.

Is Iran’s a peaceful nuclear program or is the threat real?
Iranian officials have stated that there is no stopping a nuclear Iran. Israel has stated that they can not allow a nuclear Iran in the region. The one thing that has hindered Iran and has stopped them from having more widespread support in the world community are their statements and actions that have alarmed not only Israel and the United States but also other Middle East Countries. Saudi Arabia has been concerned with the growing influence that Iran has been having within the region. the Iraq war left a void of power in the region that has placed Iran at the forefront militarily in the region. Saudia Arabia and Egypt in the past have been the main powers of influence in the Middle East as they represented their Sunni beliefs along with this influence. Iran and Syria have been the power of influence for Shia political governments and organizations. Iraq has become the newest Shia led government in the region. Despite being the majority in Iraq the Shia had lived under the Sunni minority Bathist’s that seized power in the late 1968 that eventually placed Saddam Hussein in power in 1979. With this addition Iran has seized the opportunity to not only be a leader among Shia, but to the Muslim world as a whole. Iran is taking the world stage in the Middle East and has been accused of supplying weapons and explosives for the Shia militias and insurgency. Last year it was reported that Iranian made explosives made their way into Afghanistan that also shares a border with Iran. It appears that Iran has been waging a war through proxy in Iraq against coalition troops, especially American ones. Iran’s creation and support of Hizbollah is their war by proxy against Israel. To be a true influence in the Muslim world two things usually have to occur. One is that you have to have a deep hatred for the state of Israel. The second characteristic is that you have to denounce a U.S. presence in the region. Iran has openly and often claimed these characteristics as if they are running for political office. Iran actually is doing this. Iran is Shia while the majority of the Muslim world is Sunni. They are all Muslims but, it is the differences that have in the past that have allowed Sunni nations to have a greater influence. Iran is not an Arab country but rather Persian. This is yet another reason that Iran is wanting to grab this role as it in the past it has been Sunni Arab leaders that have been the voice of the Muslim world. Iran has spread it’s wings and no longer has to worry about an Iraqi neighbor that waged a deadly war in the 1980’s with them. They now have a Shia neighbor that they can over time influence and form a strategic alliance with that completes the Shia crescent. The ultimate goal that has been savored by Middle East Muslim world is a counter or a deterrent against Israel’s nuclear weapons. The neighbor that accomplishes this feat will have great influence and respect from the rest of the gulf Muslim states. Iran wants this influence for protection, political respect in the world, and to use as a constant threat against Israel. The threat would be real if Iran develops a nuclear weapon. The Islamic revolution broke open the cocoon that contained Iran. They were the first true example of an Islamic state created by an Islamic Revolution that has been accepted by it’s people. Iran wants to be the first again. This time as a nuclear armed Muslim country in the middle East. Iran’s nuclear aspirations are a real and true threat to peace in the Middle East. It will embolden the hatred of the state of Israel and the technology will flow throughout the region to other Gulf states that share the same hatred but maybe not as loudly as Iran’s. Nuclear power is good when the program is peaceful, but as countries all in, A Sunni nation would want to counter the Shia nuclear threat. It will be an endless cycle of deterrence in a very small place on the planet until one day it no longer become a deterrent but a weapon to destroy Israel. The threats and the hatred of Israel is too deep. It was the wrong way to go about gaining acceptance of a peaceful nuclear program. The threats and verbal attacks have been constant throughout their development. Being suspicious is not a crime in the world. However being suspicious about your nuclear program and having the capacity to end the existence of an entire nation in one fatal blow has created a nightmare dilemma for the state of Israel. They are faced with the choice of ending Iran’s nuclear program through force or allowing Iran to continue on the path of nuclear technology and hope that it is truly a peaceful program. The main problem with this choice is if they are wrong and do nothing to stop Iran with one mushroom cloud Israel can cease to exist. Israel is a small nation slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. There would not be much left after this horrific event. This is why Israel says they can not have a nuclear armed Iran in the region. The consequences even if their is a slight risk that Iran would use a nuke on Israel is something that Israel can not live with. The only issue that I have with this possibility is that Iran has not in recent history ever attacked another nation they fought Iraq but only after the Iraqis launched an attack. Unlike the one of which they ended when they used air strikes to destroy Saddam Hussein’s attempt to make nuclear weapons in the early stages in 1981. Military experts have said that they do not think that air strikes can get the job done this time since many of Iran’s facilities are deep underground..

Why Iran Wants an End To Israel
In modern history it is rare to hear such harsh threats and statements directed at a country as the ones delivered to the world audience from the leader of Iran as he elaborates on the destruction of Israel. The Iranian president has said Israel should be “wiped off the map,” called the Holocaust a “myth,” and said Israelis should be given a province in Europe, but they should get out of Palestine. Whatever was done to the Jews, said Ahmadinejad, we didn’t do it. Europeans did. Why should we pay the price? Israel is not going to relocate in Europe any time soon. Until they are unseated as the country with the most military might in the Middle East, Israel will continue to exist in the midst and minds of the Muslim world. Israel will not leave the Muslim world on it’s own. Iran has been almost desperately trying to position itself as the regional leader and a power on the world stage. Despite facing sanctions and a struggling economy Iran has made it to the focus of the global spotlight. Iran has been defiant in the defense of it’s nuclear program which Iran claims is peaceful. Iran in the past few years has meddled significantly in Iraq supplying and training Shia militia groups including the strongman Muqtada al Sadr and his Imam Mehdi militia. They have meddled in Afghanistan as well. Explosive devices with trade mark Iranian design have been discovered in raids. Iran, along with Syria, have strengthened Hezbollah to wage war by proxy with Israel as they are doing in Iraq. They have refuted the authority of the United Nations nuclear watchdog by not providing full disclosure of their past weapons programs as well as providing access to their nuclear facilities. Iran’s Ahmadinejad is a crafty and impressive orator. Ahmadinejad speech at Columbia University was an thought provoking display of his ability to play to his audience. He stumbled on the topic of homosexuality in Iran which made many headlines, but one must understand the taboo of this activity in the Muslim world to understand why he made his statements regarding this topic. He truly presents himself as an educator and a world leader on most topics. He is not afraid to speak his ideology to anyone that will listen in the Western World. The problem occurs when he speaks to a Muslim audience. Below you will be able to compare the different tones he uses based on the audience he is speaking to. Ahmadinejad has made Iran look very unfavorable to the rest of the world with his ridicule and threats of agitation directed toward Israel, the United States, and members of the UN. It appears that Iran is using a strange logic in their approach to gaining understanding and acceptance for their nuclear program. It should and does create an apparently dangerous situation if Iran is able to obtain a nuclear weapon. Imagine if Iran would have concentrated only on their nuclear program and not have meddled in crisis in their region to do harm to American troops or if Iran did not make consistent threats of destruction against Israel. It would appear that they could have had much greater success in gaining support and understanding of their intention for a peaceful nuclear program. It is Iran’s very actions on the world stage that has created an atmosphere of suspicion from the world community. The United States is having a period of strained relations with the world community and Iran could have used this against America. It is Iran’s path of actions in the past few years from the meddling, and the capturing and detaining of British sailors to their incredibly stirring threats and statements is why the world should not only be suspicious but actually read the writing that Iran is a danger, they tell us this fact all the time.

Why Iran Wants Israel To Be Destroyed

Ahmadinejad has said that Israel should be destroyed in order for the five million plus Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland. This is his main point in his reasoning. In all reality Iran does want the Palestinians to return to Palestine but it is for political reasons foremost. The majority of Palestinians are Sunni. In Lebanon, where Iran backed Hizbollah is the militia that is more influential than the elected Lebanon government, the Palestinian refugee areas have been at times a nuisance to the Shia led Hizbollah. Palestine refugees in Lebanon face serious and oppressive problems. They do not have social and civil rights, and have very limited access to the government’s public health or educational facilities and no access to public social services. The majority rely entirely on UNRWA as the sole provider of education, health and relief and social services. Considered as foreigners, Palestine refugees are prohibited by law from working in more than 70 trades and professions. This has led to a very high rate of unemployment amongst the refugee population The inconvenience of having over 400,000 impoverished Palestinian in a small nation such as Lebanon is overwhelming and uprisings have become more violent as the Lebanon government has attempted to crack down on the Palestinian militia group Fatah al-Islam that has used Lebanon as a base to wage war with Israel through terrorism. This has created major crisis for not only the Lebanon government but also Hizbollah. Shia Hizbollah protects the Lebanese Shia population that falls victim as innocent bystanders in the group’s conflict with the Lebanon Army. Iran sees the refugee crisis as a destabilizing threat to part of the Shia crescent that includes Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.. Another reason that Iran would like to see the destruction of Israel is that in order to yield their influence in the Muslim region. To have the capability of defeating Israel would make Iran the envy and leader in the Middle East Muslim region. This is a very big bat to swing considering the embarrassment that the Muslims have faced in the past confrontations with Israel. A third reason that Iran wants Israel to disappear from the Middle East is that many Muslim countries feel that Israel is the West’s strategic point of interest that enables the United States to have unwanted influence and interests. Ahmadinejad has stated that Israel was a plant so that the Western powers can be a serious strategic threat in the Muslim world in order to rob the people of the region of their resources and allowing monarchies states that are friendly with the West to rule rather an Islamic state. In order to have the type of influence that Iran is seeking in the Muslim world they have to be loud and out in the open with their hatred of Israel and pose a serious threat to the Jews. It follows the same plan that Egypt used when it was yielding influence in the region in the 1950’s up to the 1970’s. Since their last defeat in a series of embarrassments by Israel, Egypt has not been as hostile to it’s Jewish neighbor.

The leader of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated that the countdown for the destruction of Israel has begun. Israel has replied that they will not allow a nuclear Iran in the region. Ahmadinejad repeatedly demonizes the state of Israel and openly calls for its destruction at every opportunity. Most notoriously, he described Israel as a “fake regime” that “must be wiped off the map.”

The Following is a collection of statements from Iran and Ahmadinejad regarding the destruction of Israel, the Jewish race, and other quotes that shed light on the Iran Israel conflict.

May 14, 2008 regarding Israel 60 years celebration:  “The Zionist regime is dying. The criminals imagine that by holding celebrations … they can save the Zionist regime from death”.

May 6, 2008. Iran’s official IRNA news agency: “Today the reason for the Zionist regime’s existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation.… (Israel) has reached the end like a dead rat after being slapped by the Lebanese.”

November 27, 2008 IRNA news agency: “It is impossible that the Zionist regime will survive. Collapse is in the nature of this regime because it has been created on aggression, lying, oppression and crime.”

October 27, 2007 Al Quds Day Speech: “You cannot tolerate the presence of Zionists in Europe but want to inflict them on the people of our region? You have so much land in your possession. This vast land of Canada and Alaska can be used to resettle the Jews. Save yourselves.”

September 27, 2007 UN Speech: “…on the other hand, they gather a number of Jews from different parts of the world through false propaganda and with the promise of providing them with welfare, jobs and food, and settle them in the occupied territories, exposing them to the harshest restrictions, psychological pressures and constant threats. They prevent these people from returning to their homelands and by coercion and propaganda induce them to malevolence toward the indigenous Palestinian people.” Call for “divine justice” in the international community: “The era of darkness will end. Prisoners will return home. The occupied lands will be freed. Palestine and Iraq will be liberated from the domination of the occupiers. And the people of America and Europe will be free of the pressures exerted by the Zionists.”

June 3, 2007 Fars News Agency: “With God’s help, the countdown button for the destruction of the Zionist regime has been pushed by the hands of the children of Lebanon and Palestine . . . By God’s will, we will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future.”

May 28, 2006 German Newspaper Der Spiegel:  ”I believe the German people are prisoners of the Holocaust. More than 60 million were killed in World War II . . . The question is: Why is it that only the Jews are at the center of attention? “We say that if the Holocaust happened, then the Europeans must accept the consequences and the price should not be paid by Palestine. If it did not happen, then the Jews must return to where they came from.”

April 14, 2006 “Support for the Palestinian Intifada” conference in Tehran: “The Zionist regime is an injustice and by its very nature a permanent threat. Whether you like it or not, the Zionist regime is heading toward annihilation. The Zionist regime is a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm.” “If there is serious doubt over the Holocaust, there is no doubt over the catastrophe and holocaust being faced by the Palestinians. Holocaust has been continuing in Palestine over the past 60 years.”

Israel vs Iran: is War inevitable?

It appears that this is a question that has been debated more frequently in the past few years as Iran pushes quickly forward in their path to becoming the newest member of the nuclear club.. There are many scenarios and most have Iran being attacked before they are able to reach the point of full nuclear capacity. Iran is estimated to have between three and four thousand centrifuges to enrich Uranium. Estimates of a time table for Iran developing a nuclear weapon are as low as 18 months to as high as three years after reaching full capacity in the very near future. This is a very dangerous point for the region that will become even more destabilized by another war with either America or Israel. It might be too difficult for Israel or the United States to completely wipe out Iran’s nuclear program. The most likely scenario would be not to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear program but to set them back a few years. This would buy Israel and the United States time to find alternative ways to deal with the issue. It also would be less deadly for all parties involved. This is a jar you might not want to open.

Why Israel Or The United States Wont Choose To Completely Wipe Iran’s Nuclear Program Out

 Unlike in the early 1980’s when Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear program through strategic air strikes to eliminate the threat, it will take special forces or possibly large numbers of ground troops to end this perceived crisis. Iran has built many of their facilities for their nuclear program deep underground where conventional bombs can not inflict damage. This makes the situation very desperate as Israel knows that time is working against them. The consequences are high for everyone involved as well as the neighboring nations. The constant refugee flow in the region due to the Palestinian conflict as well as the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan not to mention the 2006 Israeli attacks on Lebanon can become a burden for the host nation. This type of atmosphere has created a refugee migration crisis in many countries as war often does and as this occurs the potential for further destabilization occurs in nations that are not able to provide the refugees with the medical and social assistance that is required. Over time the refugees can become unwelcome parasites that suck up resources without contributing to the overall health of the once stable society. The Palestinians have created this situation in many nations across the Middle East most notably Lebanon. It is as if you have a welfare state within a nation. If the migrants do not get what they feel they need they create uprisings in the host nation. If an all out armed conflict occurs it would definitely create a large humanitarian crisis. In the case of a war between Iran and Israel surely Syria and Lebanon’s Hezbollah will be sucked into the conflict as well as the Shia militias in Iraq. It will be a widespread conflict that will take years and years as well as the remaining resources that America has to accomplish this task. It is a lose – lose situation but sometimes that is the only hand that is dealt in some points in history. The destruction of an all out war even without nuclear weapons being involved would be catastrophic to the region, Initial attacks would have to be quick but as in Iraq the resistance would be on a scale unimaginable and much broader in scope and weaponry and tactics. Iran has promised to retaliate any attack and would most likely would attempt to escalate any action against them. Iraq has set the example for a way to crack the armor of the American and Israeli war machines. It is guerilla warfare fought in the streets with the militias, that would strain America and Israel manpower. Imagine the Iraq insurgency a few years back at it’s peak increased four fold in numbers and spread out across the entire region to organize and carry out attacks against Israeli civilians and military as well as the American troops in Iraq and wherever else they reside in the region. With the unrest and with U.S. troops occupied with the Iran conflict it is likely that there would be increased violence in Iraq as well as in Afghanistan. Where would all these troops come from? Israel would be faced with attacks from many different positions as well. On American soil, there would be a real threat at home as well. Ahmadinejad has mentioned that Iran has operatives all over the globe that can target American and Israeli interests. Hezbollah is active in many parts of the world including having many sympathizers in the United State. Can America stand with Israel in such a massive and extensive battle zone if no other coalition can be created. The world is weary of war and it is unlikely that troops would be sent to assist in a conflict such as this.
Even though it is unlikely that Sunni dominated governments would get involved in this conflict directly. Many Sunnis do not want Shia Iran to have the capability to have nuclear weapons. However, there may be groups that would see this as an opportunity to carry out jihad against Israel and America. The smokescreen of a war with Shia Iran with Lebanon and Iraqi elements along with Syria would that is this broad and complicated could be just enough for groups like al Qaeda to inflict damages however and wherever they can to make the situation even more dire.

With all these consequences it is difficult to expect an all out war with Iran by either Israel or the United States. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a flash attack by the United States alone to set the program back a few years and then strengthen their positions in Iraq temporarily in order to deal with the backlash from a larger than ever Shia militia strengthened by the blending in of Iranian military forces.

What If Israel Does Not Conduct A Pre-emptive Strike on Iran?

At this point one would say that it is a gamble that Israel can not take considering the that the size of Israel is slightly smaller than the state of New Jersey. If one nuclear weapon would be utilized against Israel it would more than likely be unable to recover. It would have devastating and more than likely terminal results. Iran’s Ahmadinejad stated a few years back that he could accept the counter strike consequences from Israel’s nuclear arsenal if Iran launched a first attack using nuclear weapon. Other than an odd statement to make, it provides some insight that Iran has contemplated the event. Another scenario that is possible is that Iran would arm Hezbollah with a nuclear device to use against Israel. This appears to be the most realistic threat presented. Proximity to Israel would allow Hezbollah to strike as they had in the 2006 war where they were able to send thousands of rockets deeper into Israel than at any other time. Imagine one nuclear warhead mixed in with the thousands that were fired in that conflict. This is why Israel can not take a gamble with Iran as a nuclear power. By using a militia group that is that close to the enemy as Lebanon is to Israel would create an opportunity to deliver the package without much risk and increase the odds of the weapon hitting pay dirt. Hezbollah is capable of carrying out such a mission with the assistance of Iran and Syria.

An important issue that will result if Iran is able to continue on it’s path is that other Middle East Countries are surely to follow suit. Nuclear technology will spread rapidly as Sunni’s would have to possess this awesome power to counter growing Iranian influence. The UN ’s Security Council has to understand as a whole the risks of of this situation in the region. It appears however that despite this crisis many are looking only at the current situation and believe that the world will just have to deal with a nuclear Iran. That is bad in itself based on Iran’s posture, but if the whole neighborhood starts nuclear programs that should make the entire world nervous. That would create an awful lot of enriched uranium and as long as extremists are linked to and part of the military wings of many of these nations it is a recipe for disaster. In essence the world is faced with the dilemma of gambling that Iran’s motives for nuclear power are peaceful and the likelihood of the consequences that a completely nuclear armed Middle East would create. The big picture is what this conflict is really about more than anything else. If Iran gets the bomb then Egypt and Saudi Arabia will get the bomb. When Iran shares the technology with Syria and so on and so on. The worst thing about this situation is that it is being driven by bitter leftover cold war antics. The global economy that the West wanted is here and Russia and China are some of the best arms and technology dealers in the market and they both get along well with Iran.

Iran has reached the alarm point of being able to produce nuclear weapons according to Israel’s chief intelligence agency. As the world’s attention is being consumed by the global economic crisis, Iran has marched it’s nuclear program forward at a pace that a year ago seemed unlikely any time soon. Most estimates gave more time but under the cover of other international events Iran has completed the cycle in becoming a potential lethal power. They will have at their fingertips a weapon that has threatened the existence of mankind. Israel is at great risk and experts have said that an attempt to pummel Iran’s nuclear capabilities could end with the purchase of a Russian anti-aircraft missile defense system that would greatly reduce the chances of success for Israeli strikes on the nuclear facilities operated by Iran.

The Israeli conclusion is a similar assessment provided by the U.S. military chief, Adm. Mike Mullen. He said a week ago that Iran has enough fissile material to build a bomb now. In recent elections a hawkish Israeli Prime Minister was selected in Benjamin Netanyahu that has said in the past that Iran represents a threat to the Jewish nation. Netanyahu as the choice to create the new government will have to, as a result of these recent revelations, put together a war plan to eliminate the threat.

Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu, who is putting together the next Israeli government, for years has said that Iran represents an existential threat to the Jewish state. He is seen as more likely than other Israeli leaders to order an attack.

As mentioned above, what would make an Israeli strike much more of a risk would be the sale of a S-300 anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Russia has been using the sale as a bargaining chip with the West who has warned that sales of advanced weaponry to Iran by Russia or China would have consequences. A war in the Middle East Region would be a win-win situation for the former American Cold War foe. Russia could sell weapons and with oils shipments being disturbed in the region it would drive up the price of oil. A shot in the arm for a country that is in economic dire straits with a crushed global economy. Energy prices have fallen drastically in the past year that has hurt the Russian proposed budget. A war between Iran and Israel would be sort of a stimulus plan for Russia.

If your gut is not getting an eerie feeling that something like this is going to dominate the late Spring and Summer period your senses are not working. The economic sour global markets are the gasoline being poured on every conflict around the globe. As conditions get worse drastic moves will be made to deflect from government issues and with Iran and Israel staring each other down from across the pen like two pit bulldogs wanting to be released to enter combat. Each for their own reasons. Israel is fighting for her existence in a part of the world that they are not welcomed in. Iran is fighting for the idea of a defeated Israel at their hands so that their influence in the Muslim world would be unquestionable. It would not only make them the most powerful nation in the Middle East but also promote a Shia revival.

Israel feels that Iran is playing games and is only buying time in attempts to build dialogue with the West. Iran is trying to use the talks with Western powers on its nuclear ambitions to buy time to produce an atomic bomb, Israel’s military intelligence chief said on Sunday. “Iran has crossed the technological threshold. Reaching a military-grade nuclear capability is a question of synchronizing its strategy with the production of a nuclear bomb,” Major General Amos Yadlin told cabinet ministers.

The five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany announced last week that they were ready for direct talks with Iran to resolve the long-running crisis.

There are mixed feelings coming from different sources within the American armed forces and intelligence agencies. The new CIA director, Leon Panetta, said “there is no question, they (Iran) are seeking that capability.” The Pentagon chief, Admiral Mike Mullen, claimed Iran had “enough fissile material to build a bomb.” The czar of all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies, Admiral Dennis Blair, stated Iran could have enough enriched uranium for one atomic weapon by 2010-15. But he reaffirmed the 2007 U.S. National Intelligence Estimate that Iran does not have nuclear weapons and is not pursuing them. Defense Secretary William Gates backed up Blair.

Regardless Israel is growing weary of how the process has evolved inside the international community and may not want to continue to gamble their existence on other nations talks. Israel will not wait much longer to launch an attack if it is in their cards to do so. The window of opportunity is closing this year

Back Ground Information

Hamas, the terror group turn political party, was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.. HAMAS was formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both violent and political means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. It is loosely structured, with some elements working clandestinely and others operating openly through mosques and social service institutions to recruit members, raise money, organize activities, and distribute propaganda. HAMAS’ strength is concentrated in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood continues to share good interrelationships. Hamas has been in a violent confrontation since the organizations inception against Israeli forces that have resulted in the death of many Palestinians that have unfortunately been caught in the crossfire. Many upper echelon members of Hamas organization have been the target of Israeli air strikes.

 HAMAS currently limits its terrorist operations to Israeli military and civilian targets in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel. In recent years more and more kidnappings are starting to take place. Two of the group’s most senior leaders in the Gaza Strip, Shaykh Ahmad Yasin and Abd al Aziz al Rantisi, were killed in Israeli air strikes in 2004. The Intifada, the Palestinian public resistance that started the same year that Hamas was founded was central in making Hamas one of the most important and feared groups in Palestine. Hamas has never been willing to compromise or negotiate with Israel. Their central ideology is based on the idea that no party has the power to give up any Palestinian land. Jihad is the only solution to their struggle with Israel. HAMAS has not yet directly targeted US interests, although the group makes little or no effort to avoid targets frequented by foreigners. HAMAS continues to confine its attacks to Israelis inside Israel and the occupied territories.

Hamas’ Charter calls for complete destruction of Israel and it will be replaced by a Palestinian Islamic State in what is now Israel. Hamas has further gained popularity by establishing extensive welfare programs, funding schools, orphanages, and healthcare clinics, throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The common Palestinian supports the ideology and actions of Hamas. Since the elections Palestinians have lost faith in the ruling Fatah party claiming corruption and are beginning to support Hamas more and more in elections.

Hamas regards the territory of the present-day State of Israel — as well as the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — as an inalienable Islamic religious bequest, which can never be surrendered to non -Muslims. It asserts that Jihad to regain control of the land from Israel is the religious duty of every Muslim (fard `ain). Hamas does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state, unlike the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which has recognized it since 1988, and calls it the “Zionist Entity”. Iran has been a very big supporter of Hamas and Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahamadinejad has used this struggle to unite Muslims from the region against Israel. He has in numerous statements reiterated the ideology based on the Hamas charter including “wiping Israel off the face of the Earth”.

Leadership and Organization

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

The group retains a cadre of senior leaders spread throughout the Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and the Gulf States. Small groups act independently at times for their own purpose. This fact makes it difficult for a peace process to evolve. Receives funding from Iran but primarily relies on donations from Palestinian expatriates around the world and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Some fundraising and propaganda activity take place in Western Europe and North America.

Major Acts of Terrorism.

Hamas has become known for their special branch of jihad called “Allotment of the Power of Religion” These dedicated suicide bombers believe that death in the name of God is the greatest sacrifice that a Muslim can offer. Targets of these attacks have included Israelis and moderate Palestinians including the members of the PLO.

The organization’s first mass attack was a car bomb that blew up at a bus stop in Afula in April 1994, murdering 8 and wounding 51.

22 people killed and 56 wounded in a suicide bombing attack on the No. 5 bus on
Dizengoff St. in Tel Aviv, Oct. 1994

26 killed by suicide bomber on a #18 bus near the Jerusalem Central Bus Station, Feb. 1996

16 killed in the Mahane Yehuda open market in Jerusalem in a double suicide attack, July 1997

March 4, 2001 – A suicide bomber detonated a case laden with explosives on
the main street of Netanya. Three Israelis were killed and 53 injured

June 1, 2001 – Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, 21 killed – mostly new-immigrant teenagers from the former Soviet Union. A suicide bomber detonated himself at the entrance to the
“Dolphinarium” club in Tel Aviv.

Aug. 9, 2001 – Sbarro’s Pizzeria in Jerusalem, 15 killed, including the parents and three children of the Schijveschuurder family

Sept. 9, 2001 – A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to
his body at the Nahariya train station. An Israeli civilian and two soldiers
were killed and 46 were wounded.

Dec. 2, 2001 – Haifa bus explosion. Suicide bomber detonated an explosive device concealed
under a coat on a bus near Yad L’banim in Haifa. Fifteen civilians were
killed and 35 wounded.

45 murdered within the space of five days in March 2002: a suicide Hamas terrorist blew himself up in a Haifa restaurant, killing 15, and another one did the same in the Park Hotel in in Netanya during a Passover Seder, murdering some 30 and wounding 144.

May 7, 2002 – Rishon Letzion hall, 16 killed. Suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt and an additional
explosive device in a bag, at a club in.

June 18, 2002 – #32 bus from Gilo, Jerusalem, 19 killed. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden bag on a bus traveling along Dov-Yosef Street in Jerusalem.

March 5, 2003 – #37 bus in Haifa, 15 dead

May 18, 2003 – A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to
his body at the entrance to a mall in Netanya. Five Israeli civilians were
killed, and 86 were wounded.

June 11, 2003 – #14 bus, Jerusalem, 17 murdered
23 dead and 115 wounded when a Hamas suicide bomber blew himself up on a No. 2 bus line coming from the Western Wall in Jerusalem, August 2003

Jan. 29, 2004 – A suicide bomber detonated a bag laden with explosives on a
No. 19 bus line on Aza Street in Jerusalem. Ten Israelis and one foreigner
were killed and 44 were injured.

Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli missile attack in March 2004, and less than a month later, the same fate befell his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. There has been hundreds of terrorists attacks plotted by members of Hamas. It is impossible to list them all here.. At least 557 people have been killed in the attacks.