POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN IN THE TIMES
Israel has always been the main obstacle to a fair peace, and the reason for that is its desire to absorb the West Bank and Gaza without the people living there, as well as its desire to control events for a thousand miles around.
Israel's idea of negotiations - under every government, left or right - has been that the other side should make every major concession before "talks" can even begin, a rather ridiculous position for any negotiation.
With the threats against Iran, Israel's desire to control events everywhere for a thousand miles around has reached its most dangerous period.
An attack on Iran, a country which has attacked no one in its entire modern history, would be absolutely destabilizing to the world. In constantly threatening this, Israel is beginning to resemble a black hole absorbing everything around it.
It has attacked at one time or another every neighbor it has. It has violated international law and agreements again and again, including building its own threatening nuclear force and, in the past, assisting nuclear proliferation through its arrangements with apartheid South Africa.
It isn't satisfied that Bush destroyed Iraq, in large part for Israel's benefit, it wants a list of other places neutralized or destroyed. Sharon asked for attacks on Iran and Syria too.
A nuclear Iran would actually benefit peace in the region, just as MAD kept peace in Europe through decades of turmoil. Israel would lose its absolute threat over all its neighbors and might even become amenable to a realistic peace.
