Why play into Iran's hands?

Zalman Shoval..
Israel Hayom..
26 August '12..

The recent statements, full of bluster and hysteria, by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his minions are more a sign of the anxiety felt by the Iranian regime than of its self-confidence.

No one is more aware than they are of their country's fundamental weaknesses, including in military terms. The most pressing factor contributing to Tehran's anxiety is the crisis in Syria: If the regime in Damascus falls it would not only be a fatal blow to Iran's status in the Middle East, but also to the operational capabilities of local actors such as Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad (and to a certain extent Hamas), which operate as part of Iran's long arm to perpetrate violence in the region.

The increasing likelihood that the Syrian regime will be defeated by largely Sunni elements supported by Tehran's enemies, in addition to the damage it will cause to Iran's image, could deliver a death blow to Iranian pretensions of hegemony in the entire Middle East.

While the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran (a more misleading name has never been created), planned for later this week, has been in the works for some time already, its timing will undoubtedly be exploited to the fullest extent by its Iranian hosts to undermine the U.S. and Israel, and to mask their concern and embarrassment over the Syrian issue.

However, the ostensible failure on the Syrian front and its emerging consequences are actually amplifying Iran's determination to push its nuclear weapons program ahead at an even faster pace. It is sad that the manner in which the U.S. and Europe have thus far dealt with this threat, as opposed to what the situation really calls for, is helping Iran accomplish its goals.

None other than the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, has all but confirmed this disconnect by saying that despite Israel and the U.S. sharing the same intelligence information, "our clocks are turning at different rates," and that "[Israel] is living with an existential concern that we are not living with."

Such comments undercut the moral and practical foundation behind Washington's adamant opposition to the possibility of an independent Israeli strike on Iran — even more so in light of Washington's intransigent refusal to threaten Tehran that it will not hesitate to take military action against it. If the U.S. would adopt such an approach, as many officials, including in Israel, have demanded, it is likely that those in Israel responsible for protecting the public could weigh the difficult decisions they must make in a different manner.

Israel today has the best foreign policy and defense leadership it has ever had, and perhaps the most cautious since the days of its first Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, and it can also be trusted to make the correct decisions on the Iranian issue.

America, however, could be helping with this, and it is strange that it is not. Tehran's ultimate objective is to impair, once and for all, Washington's status in the region and damage its interests. And while these interests may not be existential in nature as they are for Israel, they are still vital according to all parameters. It is regrettable that Washington, instead of taking advantage of Iran's weakness, is playing into its hands.

Link: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=2464

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