I waited to respond on this and I gotta say: This thread is crap.  Biden NEVER said it was “OK” for Israel to bomb Iran.  He just didn’t say that or even imply that.

ALL he said (and the White House expanded on it) is that every nation is a sovereign actor and can and will take the actions it thinks are in its best interest.  It is a standard statement in international relations that says nothing and means nothing.

If Avigdor Lieberman thinks it means more than that, it just shows how ignorant and incompetent he is to hold the Foreign Minister’s portfolio.

The mis-quote of Biden here is as ridiculous as the Re-thug mis-quote of Al Gore saying “I invented the Internet.” (of course, Gore said nothing of the kind, nor made any such claim).

Virginia777, July 7 at 8:07 pm #

“OK Sepharad what now?”

how about an end to usurious trolls?
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Far better to end childish commentary. Wouldnt you be more comfortable on Facebook?

For the last month and more, the Obama administration and some of the Euros have been trying to figure out how get the Arab Sunni governments to help pressure Iran.
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I fail to understand, what with the enmity between competing(? Conflicting) muslim sects, why you think Sunni governments would have an effect upon Shia Iran?

ardee, Arutzsheva has information just like any other media outlet—Ha’aretz, Cairo Times—but as with any other outlet you don’t buy the spin that comes with it. Saudi Arabia has its own motives. To me any interest the Saudis have in enabling an attack on Iran is a huge reason to NOT do it. I think Israel would be crazy to attack Iran. I don’t
want them to.

For the last month and more, the Obama administration and some of the Euros have been trying to figure out how get the Arab Sunni governments to help pressure Iran. Personally, I think the North Koreans and unsecured Pakistani nuclear tech and materials are a more imminent problem. But if Iranians want a bomb there is not much anyone can, or should, do other than hoping whoever is in charge of the bomb and delivery systems sees it as a deterrent rather than a strategic weapon. 

Floating the notion that the Saudis would lend airspace for attacking Iran, while probably true, is NOT information that would recommend such an attack as a good idea for the Israelis, in my humble opinion. Quite the opposite. I thought I’d made that clear but obviously not.

Come on, FT, Israel not only has a blank check, they have control of our MSM, most of Congress, our Vice President,

they own our country!

This HAS to change.

I don’t think Israel has a blank check, Ed.  I think they are restricted by US foreign policy.  Biden is a self proclaimed Zionist but ke is known for talking too much.  He talked too much.

He was immediately corrected by the White House.  And Obama then said that the US ISN’T allowing Israel to bomb Iran.  Obama is probably irritated at Biden because Obama is going to make a public display of negotiating with Iran, and possibly doing so for real.

Of course Israel might do it anyway.  Anyone who would appoint Lieberman as foreign minister is heedless of political consequences.  But bombing Iran is even crazier than that.

“OK Sepharad what now?”

how about an end to usurious trolls?

Arutz Sheva (Hebrew: ???? ????) (Channel Seven) is an Israeli media network identifying with Religious Zionism. It offers online news in English, Hebrew, French and Russian in three formats: written, internet radio, and internet television. The Israeli government has never granted it a license to broadcast, prompting[who?] charges of government discrimination against the Religious Zionist public. It sees itself as “the only independent national radio station in Israel” and a counterbalance to “the ‘negative thinking’ and ‘post-Zionist’ attitudes so prevalent in Israel’s liberal-left media.” Based in the West Bank (“Judea and Samaria”), Arutz Sheva is seen as the voice of the Israeli settlement movement.

OK Sepharad what now?

ardee, check out Arutzsheva—you can google it.
The Saudi Wahabis hate and fear Shiia Iran and I’m sure they would be pleased to have Israel attack it, so they could have a major thorn removed from their side and also an excuse to further damn Israel as Muslim killers. (I think most of the Saudi oil workers are from Pakistan, China, etc.) But putting the Saudis aside, I think it would be a huge mistake for Israel to attack Iran for any reason. Such a move, in my eyes anyway, would be more of an existential threat to Israel than Ahmadinejad in the sky astride a nuclear warhead Dr. Strangelove style. If I were a praying person I’d be praying now that the Israeli leaders are too smart to attack Iran. And I wish Biden had kept his mouth shut. Insanity all around.

Biden pretended to frame his remarks in terms of some universal right of “sovereignty”. He absurdly said that Israel can bomb Iran because Israel is a sovereign nation. So the implication is that any sovereign nation has the right to decide to bomb anybody else, and for us to say they shouldn’t would be a violation of that nation’s sovereignty. Quite obviously Biden could not possibly mean that.

What he means, but cannot bring himself to say plainly, is that — at least in the world of US politics — Israelis have unlimited permission to do whatever the hell they want, because they are better than the rest of us. Israelis (at least, Jewish Israelis) are simply better than people. To question this superior rank is anti-Semitic and will result in the political and professional destruction of the questioner.

Biden should be immediately terminated.

This puppet on AIPAC’s chain needs to be released to his Masters!

While Mr. Robinson, Ms. Coco and MSNBC (...for politics) were infatuated with Ms. Palin and M Jackson, our esteemed VP was busy giving green light to Israel to attack Iran. Isn’t this shameful for all of us?

Let’s see now… $2.4 Billion a year to Israel, but $0 to California. Looks like Israel is more important to our government than California. Time to secede.

Sepharad, July 7 at 2:19 am

I have read nothing indicating Saudi Arabia or Syria has made such an offer, if true a disheartening turn of events I think. Perhaps , as Iran is Shia, and Saudi Arabia is Wahabi Sunni and having problems with their oil workers who are predominately Shia, this might be a reason????

ardee, I hope the Israelis have the good sense to not touch Iran. Am disturbed by Biden’s comment, and also the fact that Arutzsheva online noted that Saudi Arabia and Syria allegedly offered their airspace if Israel needs it to attack Iran. I’m confident that even Netanyahu would realize that anything the Saudis think Israel should to do to the point that the Saudis would abet them is obviously something not good for Israel and the region but useful and convenient for the Saudis and, perhaps, the Americans. I suspect the current American administration would like it if Israel played the wild child and struck at Iran, after which Obama would say some mildly scolding things to the Israelis and keep his hands clean. But if Israel is stupid enough to play into such a scenario ... was about to say I love Israel but would give up on it. I probably wouldn’t give up; would however be disgusted and just keep pushing the Peace Now agenda. Even if I were a hawk, looking at the way the Iranians have spread out their nuclear facilities, with the most sensitive ones perhaps unknown and others literally under mountains and population centers, I would see how unrewarding and disastrous such an attack would be. Better the Israelis keep quiet, let the nuclear capability they have tucked in the back pocket serve as a deterrent. The divisions since the Iranian elections should reassure Israel that for the moment, all the clerics are not feeling in a suicidal mood.

One hopes these insanities are merely posturing and attempts to bring Iran to the table. Israel will not use nuclear weaponry without the compete acquiescence of the USA, and it is illogical to believe that will happen.

I point to this statement by the Israeli foreign minister while in Russia:

“Instead, he has voiced a contrasting concern — that Israel might be expected to do the world’s dirty work by hitting Iran, leaving the world community free to criticize Israel afterward, as happened after the attack on Iraq in 1981.

During a visit to Russia, Lieberman said, “We do not intend to bomb Iran, and nobody will solve their problems with our hands.”“
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Biden is a notorious big mouth as we all understand, so what does his statement about Israeli sovereignity really amount to?

Obama should certainly threaten to withhold the billions in aid we give to Israel, both economic and military, and that is certainly on the minds of Netanyahu as well. Perhaps he has already done so in private.

The US is certainly between a rock and a hard place what with the Middle East, Honduras, the refusal of the economy to respond to bribes, increasing unemployment and rising unrest at home. The last thing this government needs is a ridiculous military venture by Israel, especially as the article notes the nature of the Iranian nuclear program, spread out and hidden.

I await the certainty of radical and ridiculous commentary regarding the way Israel runs our own govt.