At an event at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a ‘think tank’ founded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the main pro-Israel lobby; Israel’s defense minister Ehud Barak stated the Israel may attack Iran without neither U.S. support nor approval.
While he stated that he did not think Iran “would drop [a bomb] in the neighborhood” if it developed one, downplaying what many Israelis view as an existential threat; he did state that “all options” have to remain on the table is seeking to prevent a nuclear Iran.
Baker dismissed the notion that Israel needs to be in contact with America if the nation decides to attack Iran’s nuclear installations: “I don’t think that there is a need to coordinate in this regard,” and that Israelis have always “felt very proud that we never asked the Americans to come and fight for us.”
Israelis may feel proud that they never asked America to fight a war on their behalf (of course, they ask America for armaments and aid and a UN veto and have encouraged and cheered and called for American wars against Israel’s enemies: Iran, Syria, Hezbullah and even now it would suit Israel very much if America attacks Iran), but they should consider the consequences for America if Israel attacks Iran.
Given the ‘special relationship’ between America and Israel, unless the Obama administration is ready to unequivocally condemn an Israeli attack, America will be blamed for any violent Israeli action. Iranians and Arabs will hold America accountable as an enabler is not secret supporter of the Israeli war.
And this will not only lead to a worsening of public opinion of the United States in the region, but may even lead to Iran retaliation against American troops in Iraq and/or elsewhere and the possibility of more terrorism targeting Americans. And, finally, there is the fear of a destabilization in the oil trade.
