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 | | Rafi Eitan: Israeli Dr. Strangelove |
Israeli Minister Calls for Kidnapping Ahmadinejad
by Richard Silverstein
Sometimes, you don’t know whether the Israeli cabinet is a governing body or a 3-ring circus. The latest circus act set up its tent at Der Spiegel, where minister Rafi Eitan, a veteran of many a Mossad special ops project, intimated that Israel might kidnap Iran’s president and send him to the International Court: Eitan: It could very well be that a leader such as Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suddenly finds himself before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. SPIEGEL: Do you mean that seriously? Eitan: Absolutely. Those who spread poison and want to eradicate another people has to expect such consequences. Even if Israel could kidnap him–which is a highly dubious proposition–what charge would Israel claim before an international tribunal? That Ahmadinejad said nasty things against Israel? Crimes usually require action. So what crimes has he committed? And even if there were proof that he personally had committed any does anyone in their right mind think that Israeli generals and political leaders haven’t been equally culpable in ordering military attacks that caused terrific mayhem on innocent civilians? Where do such charges get Israel? They only focus the spotlight ever more brightly on its own misdeeds. So if Eitan wants to “go there” he’s got my blessing. I’ve always said I’m in favor of Nasrallah going to the Hague as long as Olmert and Halutz accompany him for the mayhem all three caused in Lebanon. Chances are this is just political posturing on Eitan’s part as he knows national elections are right around the corner and his Pensioners Party has lost almost all its popularity. A spicy statement like this may be just what the political spin doctor ordered in terms of drumming up interest in a failed political program. It’s just a shame that Israeli politicians are so selfish about their political power that they are willing to abuse their own nation’s international good name to score a few points. Iran has rightly complained to the UN about Eitan’s goofball statement. Israel’s response was outlandish: Israel’s new U.N. ambassador, Gabriela Shalev, called Iran’s complaint “absurd”: Iran’s president repeatedly denies the Holocaust and calls — again and again — for the destruction of the state of Israel…. [Ahmadinejad leads a country] that develops nuclear capabilities endangering the entire world…. As such, Iran is under United Nations sanctions for its non-compliance with the international community…. Furthermore, Iran openly and actively supports and arms terrorist organizations. Just to fill in the background here, Rafi Eitan is the spook who brought the world not only Adolph Eichmann’s capture, but Jonathan Pollard. Yes, he “ran” Pollard and we have Eitan to thank for that tawdry affair. You’ll notice that Eitan won’t be appearing at any fundraisers in the U.S. If he did he’d likely end up in the federal clink, and rightfully so. So this is the sterling character Israel is allowing to dictate its “diplomatic” approach to Iran. Richard Silverstein writes Tikun Olam, one of the earliest progressive Jewish blogs (2003), dedicated to Israeli-Arab peace. He also created the Israel Palestine Forum, a site for progressive discussion of the issues related to the conflict. He writes weekly for the Guardian's Comment is Free blog and for Huffington Post. He has also published at Haaretz, the Jewish Forward, the Los Angeles Times, and American Conservative Magazine. He contributed a chapter to A Time to Speak Out (Verso Books), an essay collection by Independent Jewish Voices to be published in October. He earned undergraduate degrees from Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary and an MA in Comparative Literature at UCLA. He has been devoted to Israeli-Arab peace since 1968, and currently lives in Seattle with his wife and three children.
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