++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If an Op Ed ever nailed it this one has:
If an Op Ed ever nailed it this one has:
Why the Democrats are losing Latino support
By Rajan Laad
If you were to ask casual consumers of news about the cause of racism in the U.S., they would most likely blame the Republicans and President Trump.
They will claim that President Trump referred to white supremacists in Charlottesville as "very fine people." They will mention bigoted MAGA-supporters. Some may equate Republicans with Nazis.
The list of misperceptions and falsehoods is interminable and has enabled the Democrats to develop a permanent voter base among most demographic minorities.
This is especially true for African-Americans, who, for almost half a century, have been voting overwhelmingly for Democrats.
African-Americans have suffered for decades from poverty, poor education, drug addiction, unemployment, crime, and an absence of a traditional family structure. Chicago is a war zone with gang violence and a city where African-Americans are victims of crimes.
Is COVID Now Becoming a Pandemic of the Vaccinated?
The Democrats haven't resolved any of these issues despite being in power for ages, yet African-Americans continue to vote for Democrats.
This is the power of decades of propaganda that has brainwashed African-Americans into thinking Democrats are the sole custodians of diversity and pluralism.
So they vote for Democrats, perhaps thinking that that party serves as the least among evils.
The Democrats now take the African-American vote for granted.
When a black radio jockey urged candidate Joe Biden to answer questions pertaining to African-American issues, he curtly fired back with "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black."
In Biden's mind, black people are his minions who are duty-bound to vote for him. If they dare question him, they are disloyal and a traitor to their race. This is the sort of thinking that slave-owners of old had.
These remarks were made on a radio show that has a considerable black audience, and it was even carried by the media, yet Biden managed to secure 90 percent of the black vote.
It is nothing short of astounding that the party that fought the Civil War in favor of slavery, which founded the Ku Klux Klan, and which opposed desegregation, is now supported by a huge majority of African-Americans.
The next target for the Democrats is Hispanics.
Hence, they are fervent advocates of open borders.
The goal is to allow the influx of mostly Hispanics into the U.S. and to resettle them in states where Republicans have a record of winning. The hope is that these new citizens will be welfare-dependent and hence will vote for Democrats. In time, they have a permanent voter base that makes elections meaningless. They seek a voter set-up much like in California and New York, where elections are held, but a potted plant with the letter "D" will win against the most capable, hardworking, and selfless Republican.
However, things may not be going as planned for the Democrats on that matter.
A recent Marist poll showed that at the end of his first year in office, only 41 percent of people approved of the job that Biden is doing as president.
Among these, an emphatic 65 percent among Latinos disapprove of Joe Biden, while a mere 33 percent of Latinos approve.
The overall low voter approval is obviously bad news for the Democrats in the short term, considering that the November 2022 midterms are not too far away.
But the poor showing among Hispanics is what will cause sleepless nights for Democrats because this is an impediment to their long-term goal of altering the demographic to ensure permanence in power.
So why are the Democrats failing with Hispanic voters?
The first reason:
The Democrats have been proponents for open borders.
Most people, including Latinos, desire a life where they can earn enough to provide a quality life for their families. They also desire upward mobility.
If you flood their neighborhoods with unvetted foreigners, the resources meant for citizens will be depleted. Jobs meant for citizens will go to migrants willing to work for lower wages. Educational and medical institutions will be overwhelmed. Since there was no form of vetting, there will be a spike in crimes.
If you are a Latino citizen, will you be pleased by all of these problems just because migrants happen to be of the same race as you?
The second reason: Among the roughly 63 million Latinos in the U.S., 77 percent are Christian, and the rest are Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, of indigenous faiths, or agnostic. Only 2 percent are atheists.
The Democrats have been fanatic proponents of abortion, gay "marriage," and various other LGBT causes that are generally not approved by Christians. Most Democrats, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, have frequently displayed disdain for Christianity. Entertainment shows created by liberal Democrats also frequently mock Christianity.
If you are a person of faith for whom the traditional way of life matters, would you support a party that wants to dismantle it all?
The third reason.
The modern Democrat party has many vocal members such as Sens. Bernie Sanders, Liz Warren, and members of the Squad, who are proud socialists.
Most Latinos have either themselves experiences the evils of socialism or have heard from their relatives abroad about its perils. They know how economic systems collapse due to socialism. They know how high inflation owing to socialistic policies leads to poverty and despondency.
The modern Democrat also has a proclivity for totalitarianism.
Under the Democrats, basic rights such as the choice to consume medicine or take a vaccine as well as freedom of movement are at risk following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Democrats frequently use "wokeness" as an excuse to police speech and "cancel" those who dare to disagree with the groupthink. The Democrats brand dissenters or those who participate in protests as domestic terrorists.
Most Latinos, especially those who originate from socialist or communist countries such as Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Cuba, know how the dictators rule with an iron fist to suppress freedoms and human rights and cause death and destruction. They see the behavior of Democrats as warning signs.
In fact, the keenness for freedom and prosperity caused them to take the U.S. as their home.
Why would they support a party that wants to implement a political ideology that brought them nothing but sorrow?
The reason the Democrats failed to see these obvious challenges with Latinos is that they have plunged so deeply into identity politics that they fail to respect and recognize the individual. They see only demographic groups, and worse still, they see Latinos as a single group, so their understanding of these groups is based on racist stereotypes that emanate from their bigoted minds.
They think of Latinos as impoverished, unskilled, and poorly educated people who will survive on handouts, which will make them permanent Democrat voters.
The poll proves how completely erroneous the Democrats are on every level.
It is now up to the Republicans to take advantage of this and show everyone, including Latinos, that they are the party of freedom, peace, and prosperity.
Will they rise to the occasion?
We live in hope!
++++++++++++++++++++
Good news Israel (edited.)
In the 26th Dec 21 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- An Israeli treatment for Parkinson’s has successfully finished trials.
- Israel is the only Middle Eastern country where Christians are thriving.
- Israeli nanomaterials are reshaping the manufacturing industry.
- The UAE hosted an event in its Embassy to showcase Israeli technology.
- An Israeli woman has won Israel’s first World Championship swimming gold medals.
- Three major archaeological discoveries in Israel.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Covid is not what it seems. Scientists at Israel’s Ben Gurion University have found that coronavirus patients have damaged mitochondria in the blood, but not in the lungs. They now urge a medical re-think, in that it is the immune system that needs treating and that antioxidants may be more effective than respiratory medications.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Amorphous calcium to treat Covid-19. (TY Hazel) 18 COVID-19 patients hospitalized with moderate or severe symptoms were treated with Amor-18 from Israel’s Amorphical (see here previously). All recovered and were discharged in a few days. https://www.jpost.com/health-
https://www.amorphical.com/
Parkinson’s treatment success. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Pharma Two B (see here in 2015) has successfully completed the Phase 3 human trial of its P2B001 treatment for Parkinson’s Disease. The trial met its primary and key secondary endpoints, and the company can now prepare for US FDA approval.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
$5 million grant to test Alzheimer’s treatment. Israel’s ImmunoBrain Checkpoint (see here previously) has been awarded a grant of $5 million over 3 years to support human clinical trials of IBC-Ab002, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Development was based on Weizmann Institute immune system studies.
https://www.weizmann-usa.org/
Monitoring babies’ hearts at home. (TY Hazel) The partnership between Israel’s Datos Health and Israel’s Sheba Medical Center has progressed to at-home monitoring of babies born with complex heart malformations. Babies monitored include in the Palestinian Authority, Gaza, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Cyprus.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://datos-health.com/
Link between sleep and the gut. Scientists at Haifa University and the Technion Institute have found a link between bacteria in the gut and sleep patterns. Those that eat fatty foods tend to be night owls, whereas those that have a high fiber diet tend to be early risers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
3D digital X-ray imaging. Israel’s Nanox (see here previously) has delivered the first of its next-generation X-ray machines to Israel’s Shamir Medical Center in Tzifrin. The Nanox.ARC uses low-radiation X-rays to produce high-resolution 3-D digital images, previously only available from expensive CT scans.
https://www.jpost.com/health-
Preventing errors in the ICU. The virtual reality simulator from Israel’s DecideVR identifies decision-making errors by doctors in medical treatment in intensive care units (ICU). The platform, developed by Professor Alex Mintz, formerly of Herzliya’s Reichman University, currently focuses on life-saving cardiovascular decisions.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Helping to tackle infertility in the UK. Israel’s AiVF (see here previously) has received regulatory approval to sell its IVF analysis platform product in the United Kingdom - one of the largest IVF markets in Europe. It can predict, without the need for a biopsy, whether a given embryo is genetically suitable for transfer.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
The selfie that could save your life. Israel’s Binah.ai (see here previously) has come a long way in the last 18 months. Some 50 million customers of the world’s top insurance companies now use Binah’s remote health and wellness monitoring platform to measure vital signs, from the changes in the reflection of light on facial skin.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Second “special” brother joins IDF. Ittai graduated from Lotem Special Education School in Rehovot last year and, thanks to “Special in Uniform”, has just been inducted into the Israel Defense Forces. His brother Roi, who has cerebral palsy, joined the IDF five years ago and managed the medical clinic in one of the IDF bases.
https://www.
Helping Ethiopian Israelis access higher education. (TY I24 News) Since it began in 1994, Israeli foundation Hanan Aynor has given scholarships and funding for higher education fees to 4,500 Israelis of Ethiopian origin. It also gives priority to older people, for whom it might soon be too late to enroll, as well as to single mothers.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The first female Military Secretary. TY JNS & WIN) Intelligence officer Col. N. is the first woman to be appointed Military Secretary to the Israeli President and will be promoted to Brigadier-General. She has served 22 years in the IDF Intelligence Corps. The previous Military Secretary was an Israeli Druze (see here).
https://www.israelhayom.com/
Five new female foreign Ambassadors. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has received the credentials of the new ambassadors from five countries, including close friends of Israel - El Salvador, Malta, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Nauru. All five are women.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
84% of Christians happy in Israel. Some 182,000 Christians live in Israel – 1.4% more than in 2020. They comprise about 1.9% of the State of Israel’s population. And contrary to some recent negative stories in the Mainstream Media, 84% of Christians said they were satisfied with their life.
https://www.
https://honestreporting.com/
Christmas trees. The Jerusalem Municipality has again distributed free Christmas trees to Jerusalem residents celebrating Christmas. And KKL-JNF (Jewish National Fund) supplied 108 trees to 27 embassies, consulates, and foreign missions in Israel. The trees came from environmentally managed groves in the Galilee.
https://www.jerusalem.muni.il/
https://www.jpost.com/
Arab and Haredi women create a startup. Arab Moslem Amira Jabar Qassem and Haredi Jew Hani Sabag co-founded Israel’s Job 360, to train Arabs and Haredim in interview techniques for hi-tech jobs. Their website allows job seekers to simulate interviews. This article describes both their professional and private relationship.
https://www.israelhayom.com/
Israel leads international cyber training event. Israel led a 10-day simulation of a sophisticated cyberattack on the world’s financial system to learn how to minimize the potential damage to banks and financial markets. Participants included the US, UK, UAE, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the IMF, and the World Bank.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
British army receives Israeli night vision systems. (TY Hazel) Israel’s Elbit Systems has delivered the first tranche of its lightweight micro binocular XACT Night Vision Goggles to the British Army. They were manufactured at Elbit Systems’ UK subsidiary.
https://defence-blog.com/
UN passes another Israeli-proposed resolution. Israel is the recognized global leader in technology to conquer world hunger. 135 countries chose to partner with Israel in its United Nations proposal to promote access and use of advanced agricultural technologies to developing countries and drought-stricken areas.
https://www.jns.org/israels-
Aid to the Philippines. (TY Hazel) The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines has sent food packs, hygiene kits, and NUF water purifiers to the victims of Typhoon Odette in Bohol and Cebu. It also sent solar energy systems to provide electrical power to some 2,000 typhoon-hit families. The storm has displaced some 600,000 people
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NIS 20 million for energy projects. Israel’s Energy Ministry is giving grants worth NIS 20 million for 16 projects to develop energy storage prototypes. They include 11 lithium battery projects and two hydrogen initiatives. One project is a combined solar panel and storage system for Bedouin farmers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Modi’in - Israel’s next tech city. Built in the 1990s and branded as “the city of the future,” Modi’in is ranked 10th in Israel on StartupBlink’s Start-up Ecosystem list, and 627 worldwide, for tech ecosystem size, quality, and ease of doing business. Advantages include location, transport links and young English-speaking residents.
https://www.jpost.com/jpost-
The future materialized. Israel’s Nemo Nanomaterials is producing game-changing nanomaterials that can transform products in industries such as automotive, electronics, textile, construction, telecom, energy, and aerospace. The startup is already working with 10 large companies, including multi-billion-dollar corporations.
https://jewishbusinessnews.
Another Israeli-led vertical farm. Infarm, led by Israelis Osnat Michaeli, Erez and Guy Galonska, distributed their 25sqm “vertical crop farm on a platform” to hundreds of supermarkets across Europe. Each can grow over 65 kinds of herbs and vegetables and said to be more than 400 times more efficient than land-based agriculture.
https://forbes.co.il/e/the-
Pizza-making robots. The Pizza Hut chain (see here previously) has many branches in Israel. One branch is soon going to be run entirely by robots. Udi Shamai, owner of Pizza Hut Israel and CEO of Hyper Food Robotics, explains how the technology works and why robot-made fast food is the future.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Mastering sweetness. Israel’s B.T. Sweet has unveiled Cambya™, a plant-based sugar replacer for multiple food applications. The proprietary formula is based on soluble fibers, monk fruit, and select botanicals.
https://www.cambya.com/
Spearheading sustainable packaging. More news about the sustainable packaging from Israel’s Melodea (see here previously). Its wood pulp-based, compostable, recyclable, and completely non-toxic products include MelOx™ and VBcoat™ that protect packaged goods while eliminating the need for aluminum and plastic.
https://www.prnewswire.com/
Reasons to be cheerful at end of 2021. (TY Nicky Blackburn & UWI) Israel21c’s summary of Israeli achievements in 2021 includes some facts new to this newsletter. It’s healthy to interact with plants; Israel’s TurboGen’s micro-turbines to power buildings; and WaveBL & DockTech improving the supply chain.
https://www.israel21c.org/21-
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Unemployment down again. The rate of unemployment in Israel in the second half of November 2021 fell to 4.3% from 4.7% in the first half of November. Many of the 143,000+ job vacancies are for software developers and computer engineers.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/
Tax relief for hi-tech returnees. Israel is upgrading its tax-benefit program to attract Israeli high-tech workers currently living abroad, to help resolve Israel’s workforce shortage. They will pay no taxes for two years on passive income and capital gains earned outside Israel. They can also deduct expenses incurred in returning.
https://www.jns.org/israel-
$100 million to advance hydrogen tech. Israel plans to spend NIS 100 million over five years on a national institute for hydrogen production and storage. It has also established a pilot hydrogen filling station in northern Israel and will open the first commercial hydrogen filling station for trucks next year in the Haifa Bay area.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Business forum in UAE’s Tel Aviv embassy. The United Arab Emirates hosted a first-of-its-kind business conference on Israeli technology and innovation, in the UAE’s Israel embassy. Some 200 people attended the summit, including a UAE delegation led by two UAE ministers.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
University to fund dozens more startups. Tel Aviv University’s Venture Capital arm has raised another $50m (see first fund here in 2018) to invest in early-stage Israeli startups. It plans to invest up to $1 million in 15-25 companies founded by Israeli entrepreneurs. All the investors from 2018 have reinvested in the new fund.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
It’s all happening in the kitchen. (TY JNS) The Kitchen (see here previously), established in 2015, is Israel’s first FoodTech incubator. It now has 22 portfolio companies cooking up innovations to feed the world more efficiently, sustainably, and securely. Israel’s agri-tech knowhow is making breakthroughs on a global scale.
https://www.israel21c.org/
A VAST new development center. Israel’s VAST Data (see here previously) has opened a new center in the city of Haifa, an addition to its main development center in Tel Aviv. It seeks to recruit graduates from the North of Israel, so the new facility is located close to Haifa University.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Helping entrepreneurs in Judea & Samaria. Israeli non-profit Bikurim develops and delivers technology tools that family-run small businesses in Judea and Samaria need to grow. It subsidizes the cost of web design, helps fund marketing materials, and promotes businesses through an online directory.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-
Israeli mergers and acquisitions: Israel’s Ness Technologies is acquiring Israel’s DXC Technology for $65 million combining 5,000 employees.
Investment in Israeli startups: Innovid raised $251 million (IPO); PlainID raised $75 million; Greeneye raised $22 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT`
Love Jerusalem. (TY Sharon) Positive things to share from Jerusalem’s streets include - daily prayers outside the Mamilla Mall; the Knesset Museum project; the Prime Minister’s street is open; seasonal decorations and market; children; Temech conference for businesswomen; winter festivals and Teddy Park’s musical fountains.
http://rjstreets.com/2021/12/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jerusalem’s Sacher Park is upgraded. One of the highlights in The Jerusalem Streets is the improved Sacher Park. The municipality has upgraded the infrastructure, improved accessibility, and is even adding Wi-Fi. New features include a unique playground, running trails, sports fields, security cameras and a dog garden.
https://www.
Israel’s first truly green hotel. The Six Senses hotel in Shaharut, near Ovda airport in the Negev, is the first hotel in Israel to receive the American Green Building Council approval for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It also complies with the Israeli standard for green construction.
https://www.jpost.com/must/
https://www.sixsenses.com/en/
Israel’s first ever World swimming golds. Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (see here previously) won Israel’s first two World Swimming Championships gold medals in Abu Dhabi. The 18-year-old won the women’s 50m breaststroke final and the women’s 100-meter medley final. Hear Hatikvah in the UAE.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
THE JEWISH STATE
Look what they found in the garbage. (TY JNS) A marble sarcophagus lid dating back some 1,900 years has been rescued from a garbage dump site in Ashkelon. The Roman-era artifact, which weighs some two tons, is believed to have been unearthed at a construction site and discarded on an illegal trash heap.
https://www.israelhayom.com/
Discovered underwater. Marine archaeologists have uncovered ancient artifacts off the coast of Caesarea, many dating back to the third century CE. They include a gemstone engraved with a lyre (like King David’s harp). Also, a gold ring engraved with a shepherd boy, plus a hoard of gold coins from the Mamluk period.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Unearthing Yavne. (TY WIN & UWI) Remains of a building and a cemetery containing Jewish relics from the time of the Sanhedrin have been uncovered in Yavne. They date from the 1st century CE when the Jewish legislative assembly relocated after the Romans destroyed the capital Jerusalem and the 2nd Temple in 70 CE.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Ukraine to recognize Jerusalem as capital. Ukraine’s Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk stated that his country recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s “one and only capital” and that a branch of its embassy would be opened there in the next year. Security issues are being finalized.
https://worldisraelnews.com/
https://www.jns.org/ukraine-
Awards for positively representing Israel. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a “Light Ceremony” to present awards to personalities who excel in their professional arena while promoting Israel’s image in the media and on social networks. They include Idan Raichel, Lior Suchard, Netta Barzilai and Sivan Yaari.
https://www.
+++++
How about thinking of America?
Bring Back ‘Regular Order’
First, our elected leaders have to commit to getting things done for their country and constituents.
By Joe Lieberman
Sen. Joe Manchin’s opposition to the Build Back Better bill this week and John McCain’s thumbs down to the repeal of ObamaCare four years ago together are an urgent appeal for Congress and the White House to find bipartisan solutions to America’s problems.
The words Sens. McCain and Manchin used to explain their courageous views should inspire members of Congress and the president to follow their example. That would break Washington’s gridlock and might ease the destructive division among the American people.
“I’ve stated time and again,” McCain declared after his vote, “that one of the major failures of ObamaCare was that it was rammed through the Congress by Democrats on a strict party-line basis. . . . We need to deliver a bill that will finally deliver affordable healthcare for the American people.”
This week, Mr. Manchin said very similar words: “I cannot move forward on this mammoth piece of legislation,” which is “not targeting things we should be doing, making sure that people who truly need it are getting it. . . . We have things we can do in a bipartisan way—the way the Senate is supposed to work. . . . Just go through the committees. Let’s work it.”
McCain closed his argument against repealing ObamaCare: “Let’s trust each other. Let’s return to regular order. We have been spinning our wheels on too many important issues because we keep trying to find a way to win without help from across the aisle.” In urging his colleagues to “return to regular order,” he used a term from the Senate dictionary that is unknown to most Americans but imperative for our elected lawmakers to revive.
“Regular order” refers to the rules and precedents of the Senate that have let members accomplish great things for our country. “Regular order” requires that a legislative proposal be referred to the appropriate committee, where it is given a public hearing, then discussed, debated, and amended by members of both parties on the committee. If it has the support of a majority in committee, it is sent to the full Senate, where it is debated again and opened for amendments by members of both parties, after which a final yea-or-nay vote is called. That, as Mr. Manchin said, is “the way the Senate is supposed to work.”
“Regular order” is a sensible process that is open to public view and invites bipartisan collaboration in the national interest.
But “regular order” is more than Senate rules and precedents. To work, it requires an attitude toward public service that we haven’t seen much of in Washington in recent years from either party. It begins with a personal decision by elected leaders that their primary purpose is to get things done for their country and constituents, and that getting things done matters more to them than pleasing their party, their campaign contributors, or the increasingly partisan media. “Regular order” requires a willingness to reach common ground—to meet with colleagues of both parties with humility, trust, civility and an open mind, and then to talk, negotiate, and compromise to get the votes necessary to enact good laws.
American history is full of examples of “regular order” working—from the Constitutional Convention, where the Founders resolved differences to enable our new country to survive, to the great bipartisan agreements of more recent times—President Johnson and Sen. Everett Dirksen on civil-rights laws, President Reagan and Speaker Tip O’Neill on Social Security reform, and President Clinton and Speaker Newt Gingrich on balancing the federal budget. This shows how much progress “regular order” can enable if the president and bipartisan congressional majorities put it into practice, as President Biden and Congress recently did in enacting the Bipartisan Infrastructure Reform Bill.
Joe Manchin and John McCain appealed to their colleagues to do better for America and showed how it can be done.
Mr. Lieberman is national co-chairman of the bipartisan political-action committee No Labels. He was the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 2000 and a U.S. senator from Connecticut, 1989-2013.
+++
Dermer Sees two red lines:
Ron Dermer: Iran Nuclear Deal Has ‘Put Us on Cruise Control Heading Over a Cliff’ | The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com |
By Dmitriy Shapiro | .
Speaking on Tuesday in a Zoom seminar held by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), in conversation with JINSA President and CEO Michael Makovsky, the former envoy said he stands by his previously expressed stance that U.S. withdrawal from the deal (also known as the JCPOA) under the Trump administration was the single-most important decision that any president had made for Israel’s national security.
Under the accord, Dermer explained, Iran “was allowed to do research and development on more and more advanced centrifuges. So, the nuclear deal with Iran enabled Iran to advance their nuclear program, under the imprimatur of the international community — essentially gave a kosher stamp to Iran moving on a path not just on one bomb but to an entire nuclear arsenal.”
Makovsky said that Iran is getting very close to a nuclear bomb, having enriched Uranium to 90 percent — one of the red lines that those discussing Iran were hoping would not be reached.
Dermer noted that even according to the former President Barack Obama, whose administration helped negotiate the agreement, when the deal’s provisions were scheduled to sunset, Iran would have had a breakout time of zero.
Breakout is defined by having the fissile material necessary to create a single nuclear weapon. This does not include the time it would take for Iran to build the nuclear weapon, which Dermer said some estimate as being an additional year to two years. The former ambassador also said it would be a mistake to assume the U.S. or Israel know how advanced Iran’s state of weaponization is.
“This deal did not block Iran’s path to the bomb. This deal ultimately paves and basically guarantees that Iran is going to become a military nuclear power,” Dermer said. “So, they actually haven’t solved the one problem everybody wants to solve, which is the nuclear issue. And they’ve also made the regional issue much worse because with the sanctions relief, Iran goes from facing essentially a headwind of sanctions, to now a tailwind of sanctions relief that allows them to fuel their war of aggression throughout the region.”
The nuclear deal created a false sense of security, or as Dermer described, “put us on cruise control heading over a cliff.”
Even when the U.S. withdrew from the Iran deal in May of 2018, Iran was still allowed to sell around 1 million barrels of oil a day. It was not until May 2019 that true crippling sanctions were implemented against the Iranians, reducing their oil sales to about 300,000 barrels per day after they had previously reached a rate of 2.8 million barrels daily.
But Iranian leaders had hope, Dermer said, because by that time, virtually all U.S. presidential candidates on the Democratic side supported reentering the nuclear deal, which signaled to Iran that it could just wait out the Trump presidency.
Dermer said that now, only a credible military threat from the U.S. could compel Iran to give up its nuclear program peacefully. He explained that in 2003, after the U.S. toppled the regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Iranian weapons of mass destruction program was stopped for a year because the Bush administration’s actions demonstrated a credible military threat.
“Without a U.S. credible military threat, no diplomacy will achieve a positive outcome and nothing you do will achieve a positive outcome,” Dermer said. “And unfortunately, I don’t see that happening right now.”
Makovsky wondered why Israel is delaying a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. When Iran’s nuclear program was discovered in the 1990s, Iran did not have terror proxies across the Middle East as it does today, ready to attack if the regime is provoked.
Dermer said Iran is busy tightening the noose around Israel, so that if it gets attacked, its proxies can respond by firing thousands of rockets into Tel Aviv.
“The critical thing for Israeli decision-makers is, can we afford to wait? Can we afford another month, another two months, another three months?” Dermer said. “When will later be too late? And that’s the question that Israel has to ask itself.”
“I would hope the senior decision-makers and the military officials in Israel are thinking very carefully about when they will reach a point where they can no longer take that action and if they’re going to reach that point, they have to act before it,” he said.
Asked by Makovsky where Israel and America’s red line should be with Iran, Dermer said that there are two red lines.
For Israel, the red line would be when the Israeli military is no longer able to take out Iran’s nuclear capabilities on its own. For the U.S., that red line is different because it has different capabilities. But this is immaterial for Israel, as it cannot allow Iran to cross its red line.
“Ultimately, there will reach a point where an Israeli prime minister could not act anymore, but an American president could,” Dermer said. “And if an Israeli prime minister would make the decision, ‘OK, I can’t act anymore if I wait another week or another month…I’m going to cede that decision to the president of the United States because the president can act’ — at that point, I think that the prime minister of Israel should resign because he or she would not be worthy of sitting in that chair.”
+++
The conviction of former Minnesota police officer Kim Potter in the death of Daunte Wright was a "double injustice with dangerous implications for policing in America," especially considering the judge in the case denied her being released on bail, Harvard Law professor... | Newsmax
Click here to read more: https://www.newsmax.com/
And more op ed's I agree with:
| ||
| ||
|
No comments:
Post a Comment