Israeli Leftists: No Immediate Attack on Iran Necessary

There are sure to be people asking why Barack Obama turned down a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu, given the critical nature of Iran’s race toward nuclear weaponry. Obama’s animus toward Israel is an open secret, but there may be an additional aspect of the story.  Behind Netanyahu’s back, former IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz spoke to the left-wing J Street organization.

Halutz told J Street that he thinks Israeli leaders don’t necessarily think they must attack Iran immediately, “despite all the noise.” Halutz even agreed with Obama that the U.S. administration’s should not set “red lines” for Iran and that “red lines” would limit America and Israel’s flexibility in dealing with Iran.

This is not the first time leftists in Israel have tried to undercut a government that doesn’t embrace their views; there is a long history of the left working against Netanyahu. As recently as June, in a speech at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Shaul Mofaz, leader of the opposition Kadima Party, undercut Netanyahu by claiming a strike on Iran was not necessary.

The Israeli left has never made a secret of wanting to depose Netanyahu and his plans for turning Israel into a capitalist system rather than a socialist one. It is astonishing that they would jeopardize Israel’s security in order to do so.