Anyone Just a Little Tense?

 

May is getting really close. That is the day that President Trump is ready to no longer renew waivers on sanctions against importers of Iranian oil. That is the red line Iran claims will result in their closure of the Strait of Hormuz. That waterway is the chokepoint of almost one-third of the world’s oil. The United States has vowed they will keep the waterways open no matter what it takes. The United States has two aircraft carriers in the region, one in the Persian Gulf and the other in the Mediterranean Sea amongst others including an Amphibious Assault Unit. These have been supplemented with other weapon systems deployed around the region.

 

One has to consider that Iran technically controls all government decision making over an area near that of the United States, from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea over which they can threaten a broad array of countries. Granted, the United States has placed a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in Israel, which can provide a fair-sized umbrella of protection. Additionally, there are any number of support vessels supporting each carrier which includes defensive anti-missile technologies. We hope that everyone has thought this through to a conclusion and realize that, as the WOPR defense computer stated in the movie War Games, “Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.” We guess some in the world have yet to figure out that war is always a loss of resources simply for the destruction of resources already in use. Yes, the rebuilding provides work, providing the workplace is not a smoking, radio-active bombsite. The problem in this scenario is that one side may be under-estimating what the other side has in the way of offensive capabilities. Everyone knows that the United States has almost any weapon system you could ever need in surplus. What is unknown is the extent to which Iran is close to equal in their capabilities. The United States has the brighter, shinier and larger vessels, but Iran uses hundreds of dedicated individuals willing to ram those nice shiny ships and blow both of them up, one completely and the other a great gash in the hull. Iranian missile technology is another unknown as they are known to have ballistic missiles, but what is unknown is whether or not they have ICBM’s capable of striking the United States mainland. “Strange game. The only winning move is not to play.”

 

War Games WOPR Computer

 

But that is one of the problems when something such as this is started, one side has to blink before the other and preferably before too much of the planet is destroyed either economically or literally. Living in Israel makes one even more attuned to these situations because we are always a handy target to get somebody’s point across, and Israel will shoot it down anyway. Well, they will, won’t they? Well, we sure hope they can and do. It would ruin a whole week or more if one got through depending on the target and accuracy. There are two more unknowns though the accuracy question is the Iranian missiles can be extremely accurate. But isn’t that why the United States placed a THAAD system in Israel? Actually, that is only part of the reason. Another reason is that the United States often places or provides systems to Israel because we are more likely to need them and thus serve as an actual live-fire testing ground. It was just such testing that provided some vital information about a weakness, a blind spot, in the F-16 fighters. Since then they have all been upgraded with side-view mirrors so they can basically see behind their tail which can be quite vital to not being shot down. OK, so that wasn’t all that high tech, why do things have to be complicated. Sure, they could have placed a camera in the tail and a monitor in the cockpit such that when the picture cuts out, there is probably something on your tail shooting at you.

 

F16 with After Modification Rear-view Mirrors

 

There have been many other upgrades which have come from Israeli use of weapons such as the around the corner gun, a rifle with remote firing and a camera looking down the barrel so the soldier does not need to stick their heads out to see if it is clear. Unfortunately, when war comes to Israel, the civilians are the target group and the safest place is on an IDF military base. This, amongst a million other obvious arguments, is why Israel has spent so much on rocket and missile defense. We love when people ask why Israel is not spending billions of Shekels countering the anti-Israel propaganda war being fought against her. We simply ask them if they lived here, which would they prefer Israel invest, fighting words or fighting incoming projectiles. When it is put that way, it becomes amazing how quickly people realize that you can really only fight one war at a time and one type of war is always coming and kills people, the other is made up fabrications which truth will hopefully win in the end. We know that is wishful thinking, but we will live with things as they are and be glad should we ever need those defenses.

 

There is one thing which is an integral part of living in Israel, that is becoming nervous when things look as if they may boil over and spill into your own back yard. This is definitely one of those times as Iran has promised that in the case of hostilities with the United States, they intend to strike Israel first. This was the same threat given by Saddam Hussein when he was facing against President George Bush, both of them. They both attacked, Iraq and Iraq launched ballistic missiles at Israel. Fortunately, the vast majority were intercepted and the few which struck Israel did minimal damage and resulted in almost no losses of life. We are not sure what it is that makes these Middle East dictators threaten to strike Israel if the United States does anything as if such a threat would mean anything to the average American President. Their view is that Israel can take care of themselves just as long as they do not attack their aggressor. So, when Saddam Hussein launched a series of scud missiles at Israel, the United States demanded that Israel stand down and they would take care of the launchers of the scud missiles. Needless to point out, they missed a number of them which struck Israel for close to a week during the first Gulf War. President Bush was far more concerned with keeping his Arab allies than having Israel retaliate. There have been rumors that Israel was permitted to strike a single town from which the scud missiles had been launched and even then, only for one day. Further rumors claimed that this town ceased to exist in a single day. We are unable to confirm nor deny these rumors and present them simply for discussion.

 

Iran is a completely different matter as for them to strike Israel, they will need to use some of their furthest reaching and best guided missiles, at least as their current abilities are considered to be capable of launching. Further, these are their most advanced missiles according to current intelligence and they can carry biologic, chemical or nuclear warheads. This will require that every single missile be intercepted otherwise Israel could be facing a mass casualty strike. The entirety of the Middle East, even the Mullahs of Iran, that should Israel be attacked with any WMD, weapons of mass destruction, be they chemical, biologic or nuclear, will be responded to by Israel with the sole Israeli WMD, nuclear warheads. Israel unofficially has a few nuclear weapons capable of serious damage. Many intelligence sources claim Israel has between seventy-five and two-hundred nuclear warheads they could place atop a Jericho ballistic missile and deploy such to anywhere in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and if necessary, Israel is capable of striking anywhere on the globe. But Israel, and most Israelis, would prefer to never need to respond to an attack, especially using any WMD’s even in response to such an attack upon Israel. We want peace and quiet without the threats of terrorism, invasion, genocidal WMD attacks or any other form of violence of which one could think. We would far more appreciate being the source of discoveries, technological developments, cures, vaccinations, hybrid fruits and vegetables, plants capable of being grown in the desert with minimal water needs or a myriad of other advancements for the benefit of all mankind. But, despite the demand to design anti-missile systems such that Israel is capable of intercepting very short range projectiles, medium range missiles and rockets, long range rockets and missiles and ballistic missiles and even ICBM’s plus even the Trophy Systems for all varieties of military vehicles from main battle tanks to the generals field Humvee, there is a video at the link which is short and gives an overview of the Trophy System, and yes, you can add this threat defense system to the list of military advances Israel shares with the United States. The Trophy Systems as well as Iron Dome, Arrow Anti-missile Defense, David’s Sling Ballistic Missile Defense and other Israeli systems are currently protecting Israel and United States equipment and other critical assets.

 

Living in Israel is usually not very frightening and, despite what the news reports, you are less likely to be attacked including terrorism in Israel than one would be in the United States. Just like the United States, one can reduce their vulnerability simply by not traveling through specific areas. Our lives here have been quiet, peaceful and rewarding. We have found groups of friends and many activities which would have been next to impossible in the United States. People in Israel are mostly very friendly and willing to assist others. Charitable giving in Israel would be impossible to monitor as beyond the collection box at Synagogue which goes to charity and would be trackable, people are quite generous to those who are unable of finding employment to such an extent that one could afford modest accommodations and sufficient food from the generosity of others. Even many store owners have developed relations with people such that they are provided with goods. Even the coffee store where we purchase our coffee beans, yes, we are coffee snobs, he gives ground beans to a number of individuals who provide meals for those in need, organizations who have a meager budget and pay what they can and others who are just people of limited means. Perhaps it is knowing that at any moment war can be thrust upon Israel from every direction with the possible exception of from the west, but even the Mediterranean Sea could be part of an offensive upon our very small nation.

 

One has to remember, though Israel is often cast by the media and others as being this powerhouse nation which could withstand almost any form of attack, Israel is not the United States, it is New Jersey in size and when it comes to warfare, size matters. Fortunately, we have a cold peace with Egypt and another with Jordan, though there have been demonstrations in Jordan demanding that they need to attack Israel and be rid of the Jewish menace in the Middle East, plus we are technically still in states of war with Lebanon (Hezballah) and Syria. Syria has more than sufficient problems that attacking Israel is something some of the forces supporting Bashir al-Assad will attempt, especially the Iranian al-Quds Force and Lebanon will not strike at Israel unless instructed to open up a front in order to draw attentions away from Iran. Thus, the main front which remains active is with Gaza where Hamas finds it easier and more profitable for their leaders to keep the people rioting along the Israeli border as they blame Israel for every problem within their society. Truth be told, it has been the misuse of building supplies intended for rebuilding moneys and apartment buildings but instead used to build bunkers, tunnels, rocket launching positions underground, and infiltration tunnels under the Gaza border into Israel intending to use them whenever they press to force another war upon Israel. So, how are Israelis taking the new confrontational situation?

 

This current face-off between President Trump and the Mad Mullahs of Tehran does have many in Israel concerned, and rightfully so. We know that both sides have a problem with backing down and that unless one does blink and back down, then there will be another Middle East active conflict. As mentioned, this would be a conflict involving two sides fairly evenly matched for region of direct control as Iran currently has virtual control over Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen and partial control in Syria including the border with Israel along the Golan Heights. Looking at the current situation, President Trump recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel was required in advance of the ending of the waivers for export of Iranian oil. President Trump knew that the first front which Iran would open up would be against Israel just to see what the United States would do as far as reacting to protect Israel. Were the American planners taking the smart road, they would barely react to such an attack at all instead depending on the Israelis to defend themselves and address any threat from out of Syria. Would Iran turn loose Hezballah against Israel with a stockpile of approximately one-hundred-fifty-thousand rockets and missiles, then the United States is likely to assist in the destruction of these threats before they could be fully utilized. One can be assured that Israel knows where these missiles are stored and the locations of their launchers, even including the mobile launchers. That is probably the reason for a carrier strike group sitting in the Mediterranean off of the Syrian and Lebanese shorelines.

 

We are all holding our breath, not really, but hoping that one side backs down, and we prefer for it to be Tehran as, should the United States back down, then Iran would figure they were the more powerful country and thus would increase the attacks they finance across the Middle East and the world. President Trump has placed himself in a precarious position as should the Iranians press the issue over who actually controls the Strait of Hormuz, that would place not only Iranian fast ships against the United States fleets ships but also land-based launchers and artillery against American air-power. Iranians possess both Russian anti-aircraft missiles as well as their own reverse engineered and presumably improved versions of these systems. Additionally, there is a group consisting of Iranian warships and support vessels of undetermined size presumably headed for the United States eastern seaboard. This is their response to the American fleet close to the Iranian shoreline and within the main oil shipping lanes including the Strait of Hormuz. It is entirely possible that some of their apparent support vessels might be outfitted with a system allowing for them to fire ballistic missiles as far as a thousand miles making the majority of American cities along the coastline vulnerable to attack should hostilities begin. Such an attack on the American homeland would cause an escalation with its conclusion as anybody’s guess. Everything turns on one supposition, does Iran already have a nuclear warhead which is usable and if so, how many do they have. Most sources assume that Iran has yet to develop a nuclear capable warhead as they have been unable to miniaturize their system. We believe that this is nothing more than wishful thinking and that any war between Iran and the United States would turn nuclear in a very short period after its commencement. We foresee an Iranian ultimatum for the United States to cease hostilities or else. The or else would be left unstated, but should the brain-trust within the CIA and Military Defense establishment believe that Iran is not capable of having any weapons which could be considered an ‘or else’ and the Iranians have a warhead and the missile with which to deploy it and strike the American mainland, even if it was from a ship in the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans, then such a conflict would become all but uncontrollable as the stakes grow ever larger. Imagine the American response were New York to be struck with a nuclear weapon taking out most if not all of Staten Island or Manhattan. It could be Boston or Washington D.C. being struck at the same time. They might even target West Palm Beach in order to destroy Mar-a-Lago and any of these would bring an American response which is currently unthinkable. This is the risk the world is facing and we advise everybody, especially the two adversaries, to be very uncomfortable and take great care in planning their next steps. This is a situation where one wrong move could start a spiraling confrontation drawing in more and more nations resulting in something well beyond what was initially envisioned. Such underestimations of the strength and capabilities of an enemy have resulted in broader and more damaging conflicts throughout history. But then history is one of those subjects not being taught properly thus most younger people have little knowledge of the past, which is frightening.

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

A Monetary Solution to Remove Settlers

 

Dr. Martin Sherman gave a defense of his formula for solving the Palestinian Arab versus Israel conflict in an article titled, “</a href=https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/22651 target=blank>Haaretz vs. IISS-The anatomy of ‘Fake News’,” which he depicted how he was misrepresented in an article in Haaretz, and we would advise reading his defense. In his defense, he covers his concept for a solution to the Palestinian Arab-Israeli conflict which involves several interwoven cloths of solutions which are far different and more complete and far less violent than the Haaretz article depicted. We are not surprised by this but were conflicted as to why Dr. Martin Sherman actually deigned to give any interview to Haaretz and why he expected they would treat him with any sense of propriety or responsibility. Why Dr. Sherman thought he was getting an opportunity with any equal treatment from this far left newspaper with a record of excoriating every right wing or nationalist position and having done so for decades was beyond our scope of understanding. Their slanting of the news in our opinion was so far left and anti-Zionist that we stopped reading them except when they came up in searches for exact information, which we will credit Haaretz in that they do often represent facts with a straight-forward and honest manner which is why we have often quoted their presentation of facts. Their problem is with those who hold opinions which differ from their political framework, which Dr. Sherman qualifies, along with his great ability to speak and write in a clear and easily understood manner. Apparently, he was not clear enough or the author of the article had some animus for the position presented by Dr. Sherman and thus heard something quite different than the actual words presented, whatever the reason, she really got under Dr. Sherman’s skin enough to have him write, as he pointed out, an entire article in defiance of the Haaretz lynching of his actual opinions and positions.

 

Dr. Martin Sherman

 

We actually agree with much of what Dr. Sherman includes in his formula with some basic differences. The very first item is to differentiate the indigenous people from the actual settlers. Factually, as you will realize, the Jews are the indigenous peoples while the Arabs are the settlers, so glad that has been sorted. The first item we would present the Palestinian Arabs with is that Israel will annex all the lands west of the Jordan River in a fixed period of one year or less, depending on the mood of the government and what they will accept. We would advise that the time period should be decided to be as short as considered feasible and not a second longer because the longer the time period, the more time there will be for problems and interference from the rest of the world. For some reason, the entire world believes that they have the right to tell Israel how they will be permitted to run their affairs. Simple things which if performed by any other nation would simply pass without even notice is immediately snatched by the busybodies of our world and immediately made into a life or death problem which must be negotiated by the European Union, the United Nations, the Arab League and so many other organizations and nations who all feel that before Israel is permitted to conduct any business, the item of that business must first be passed through the rest of the world and made to fit the particular perfidies of every critic. Sorry world, Israel is an independent and equal nation with the same rights, powers, political freedoms, passage of laws, declarations of national established origins, basic national flag along with anthem with language as well as being a national home for the Jewish People and court case decisions which do not require, need or desire your assistance in accomplishing these areas. So, when it comes to dealing with the remnants of Arabs left behind after Jordan lost the area it illegally occupied and illegally populated with numbers of their citizens, some which they forcefully transferred, Israel needs to tread softly yet definitively to correct the crimes committed by Jordan from 1948 through the Six Day War in 1967. In providing for solutions in many wars, including both World Wars, the people whose governing nations lost the regions which they resided within were relocated to their previous national lands often without any compensation and given a very limited time frame before threat of military force would be applied. This option was, of course, denied Israel as was retaining lands gained in a defensive war as has been the rule of international law except for Israel. So, how can Israel finally address this problem and possibly get this monkey off our backs and the whole world can finally rest at night, though we completely doubt that any of the detractors of Israel will lose ten seconds before exploding into indignation, but at some point Israel will have to weather such a storm and simply reply to the world that they can simply bug-off.

 

The solution which Israel may need to take, and do so in the near term, is to inform the Arabs residing in the Shomron (Jordanian named West Bank) that they will be required to sign a guarantee that as resident aliens of Jordanian lineage they swear to act in a manner which will have the characteristics and results of non-belligerence or face deportation without any reimbursement for property or other losses. They should also be granted that they have two other alternatives. The first and far preferable would include their being reimbursed for all properties for which they have deed proving ownership above market value plus a relocation bonus which should be of a level which would make them attractive to most nations as their wealth would be welcome. This bonus would be less than many Israelis or others might believe, likely less than one-hundred-thousand-dollars. This payment would be a one time offer and one time payment for which they would sign that they are satisfied with their settlement and also promise to never seek to reside within Israel in the future under pain of deportation. The other choice would be to refuse either option above and as such have decided to take up a belligerence against Israel and consider themselves to be in a state of open war with Israel. In response to those choosing this option will be complied with and will face the full power of the IDF as soon as they are located without any measure of remorse. These would be the three choice method in which the Arabs currently residing in the Shomron could be given which would resolve the difficulty and remove any doubt as to their desire to remain within Israel peaceably without any desire to disturb the peace while others will have chosen to not reside in Israel and take monetary compensation and seek to reside outside of Israel and surrender all rights to reside within Israel in the future. Then there will be those who will decide they wish to wage war against Israel. They will face the rules of war and such a war will be waged against those so choosing. We would believe that anybody choosing to war with Israel will be minimal and the vast majority of the Arab population would take the reimbursement and inducement and the remainder will likely choose non-belligerence and actually mean this.

 

The problem would result from those who either signed the documents and stay or take the payments and leave and then continue to commit acts of terror and target Israelis. This should also be stated that should any choose either option and continue to commit acts of terror, they will immediately be considered to actually be amongst those who chose to war with Israel and be treated as such. The likelihood that those deciding to be at war with Israel will continue to be a problem for more than a few months is highly unlikely as the Israeli Defense Force is a well trained military and as this will be actual acts or war, the IDF will be informed that they may feel free to engage those choosing to war with Israel with maximum vigor and that Israel is willing to take prisoners but that prisoners are not a high priority. Those taken as prisoners will be placed within a prisoner of war camps built specially to care for them until the entirety of the Arab and Muslim worlds make peace with Israel and establish friendly relations. We would prefer that they actually live long enough to see such become a reality but if they do not, we will not lose any sleep. Those who choose to remain within Israel as resident aliens will be given as many freedoms as feasible with the hope that they will fairly soon be able to be treated with equality to all other legal aliens who reside and work within Israel. All other problems should resolve themselves within two years and after these are settled, then Israel can hopefully live in peace and the world can finally take a breath and leave Israel to their own future.

 

Beyond the Cusp