Olmert: Israel May Or May Not Have Nukes
We have a paper due in literally an hour and it is in several pieces right now. But Stan of Dejafoo just text'd us to the effect that Olmert declared that Israel has nukes. This is more or less true:
In a move unprecedented by any Israeli leader, Olmert earlier suggested that Israel possessed nuclear weapons capability when he named Israel in a list of nuclear nations. In the SAT 1 interview, Olmert was asked about the statement by newly-appointed US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates regarding Israel's nuclear capability.
Last week, Gates, when asked by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee why Iran was seeking nuclear weapons, replied that it sought "a deterrent against nuclear nations around them - Pakistan from the East, Russia from the North, Israel from the West and us in the Persian Gulf." The prime minister became enraged when he was asked if the fact that Israel possessed nuclear power weakened the West's position against Iran. "Israel is a democracy and does not threaten anyone," Olmert exclaimed. The only thing we have tried to do is to live without [threats of] terror, but we have never threatened anyone with annihilation. Iran explicitly, openly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Can you say that this is the same level, when they [Iran] are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, like America, France, Israel and Russia?" he said, adding that these were "civilized nations" who did not threaten the world's foundations with nuclear destruction.
We're obviously going to have to blog more about this later this evening. Initial reactions:
(1) It seems like the more significant scandal should be that Gates is either ignorant or so biased incredibly biased as to be positively dangerous? He really thinks that Iran believes that Israel is going to attack it out of the blue? Seriously?
(2) Contrary to the howls of outrage from within the Israeli political community, we actually think this is a very good thing. Louis Rene Beres suggested a couple of years ago that Israel has to slowly start disclosing its nuclear weapons. Maybe - maybe - that will scare some sense into Iran. We'll dig up that article and provide a link later, but a Google search should turn it up.
(3) "Israel has nukes" is not news. Even if it was news, "Israel suggested that they have nukes then denied that they suggested that" is CERTAINLY not news.
(4) Olmert's argument is basically right. If you think that Israel having nukes and Iran having nukes is the same thing, then you're as biased or ignorant as the new SecDef apparently is. There is simply a difference between a Western democracy having nukes and a lunatic genocidal regime having nukes. How is this not the most obvious thing in the world?
Previously: Iran Sanctions Blah Blah Blah, Memo To Diplomatic Sophisticates: Ahmadinejad Did Not Get The Part Where You Meeting With Him and Being Nice To Him Was A 'Criticism', Iran Proposes Peace Plan
