October 3, 2012
Catch Up
When Prime Minister Netanyahu returned home from New York on Saturday night, in order to arrive here for Sukkot, he pronounced himself satisfied with his speech at the UN:
He has called the world's attention to the issue of the dangers of a nuclear Iran, and has done so in terms that can be dramatically and readily understood.
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When, in the course of a subsequent Channel 2 interview, he was asked about whether Israel had postponed readiness to attack Iran, he responded:
"Not for one second did I give up on Israel’s right to defend itself at all times."
And I think this clarification, once again, is important. He was calling on the US, or the international community, to establish a red line. He wasn't limiting Israel to any particular time frame, because he cannot be certain of how the US, or the international community, will respond and what it might be necessary for Israel to do in the way of self-defense.
I have picked up on commentators who said, "now that Netanyahu has pledged to push back an Israeli response until spring or summer of next year..." But I didn't hear that.
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As to Israel's relationship with the US following the speech, Netanyahu had this to say:
“I believe that Israel and the United States can reach agreements that are far more consistent than what this or that analyst would suggest."
Hmmm... very vague. Very non-specific. But certainly highly suggestive of some understanding between Israel and the US that has been reached or is coalescing. (IF this is so, by the way, it does suggest that Israel will not be acting unilaterally in the weeks ahead.)
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And now, just days later, we find ourselves watching a situation unfold here in Israel that leaves any observer of the Israeli political scene just a tad startled:
