Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made the following points at the UN: Iran doesn’t deserve a seat among civilized nations because they deny the Holocaust; Iran doesn’t deserve a seat among UN nations because they threatened to wipe out a member-state; Iran doesn’t deserve a seat among peaceful nations because they’re building nuclear weapons with the announced intention of using them. The biggest impact of her speech was that anti-Iranian interests became despondent because now they think that the anti-Iran movement won’t get anywhere because the Jews are involved:
According to assessments in Israel, in addition to the Saudis, the Egyptians, Jordanians and Gulf States are extremely concerned about Iran’s nuclear march, and would like to see it stopped. “When Israel stands up and shouts against Iran, they can all remain quiet,” the official said, saying that these countries might have taken a more public stand against Iranian nuclear weapons were the issue not perceived to such a large extent as an Iranian-Israeli one.
Three things: (1) Anti-Iran diplomatic pressure is the opposite of credible right now. (2) We think that people in the world already had an inkling that Israel would rather Iran didn’t nuclearize. (3) If Israel can’t say out loud “we think you people should take a stand against this country because they’re threatening to wipe us out,” then the cause is doomed anyway.
Here’s the thing about Iran though. Crazy:
For many devout Shiite Muslims, this is a place of miracles — the place of the Mahdi, the messiah. From lowly carpet weavers to Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, devotion to the Mahdi and anticipation of his return appears to be crescendoing in Iran… All Muslims await the appearance of the Mahdi; the largest branch of Shiites, those known as Twelvers, await his return…
The Mahdi, the 12th Imam, the Imam of Our Times, was born Muhammad ibn Hasan and went into hiding around 878. Shiites believe he maintained contact with representatives until 941, when all communication from him ceased. When the time is ripe, they teach, he will reappear and, along with Jesus, will lead Muslims in a struggle to rid the world of corruption and establish justice. The Mahdi ordered a shrine built in Jamkaran nearly 1,000 years ago, Shiite teachings hold…
Mr. Ahmadinejad’s particular attention to the Mahdi in his speeches and actions — soon after taking office he allocated $20 million to improve and enlarge the Jamkaran Mosque complex — has been noted by Western critics. So, too was Mr. Ahmadinejad’s appearance in September at the United Nations General Assembly, when he said a prayer calling for the Mahdi’s return: “O mighty Lord, I pray to hasten the emergence of … the promised one …. the one who will fill this world with justice and peace.”…
“This is why Mr. Bush has put divisions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq – to kill the Mahdi and make Jesus the messiah,” Mr. Safr said. “I am serious. There have been speeches in the Pentagon about it.”
Yeah, ummm. We’re not trying to be perpetual downers or anything, but we’re not really hopeful about the chances of “dialogue” with the guy who thinks that Bush is trying to kill the Mahdi – a personage who, let’s remember, still doesn’t technically “exist” in this dimension. As such.
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