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How Israel Might Destroy Iran's Nuclear Program

Reader comment on item: How Israel Might Destroy Iran's Nuclear Program

Submitted by Edmond Beniacar (Australia), Jul 20, 2015 at 21:10

There is a widespread view that Israel has an absolute need to destroy Iran's nuclear program.

I'd like to propose that the old story of David and Goliath may be a useful reminder that there is another alternative:

1. We know that anti-ballistic missile technology is improving by the day and that Israel will quickly reach the stage where it can be fairly certain of shooting down any missile from Iran

2. Israel is a tiny state and most of it is desert anyway. The critical effect of this is that it would take very few missile batteries to provide a protective shield over the country. Multiple redundancy would be the order of the day to ensure as great a guarantee of success is is possible. We know about Iron Dome and David's Sling. The Arrow will reach tht stage and better.

3. On the other hand, Iran is terrtorially large and consequently far more difficult to protect against attack, if at all.

4. Critically, the most vulnerable to any development of Iranian missilry and nuclear weapons will be Europe. Given its land mass, it would not have a snowflake's chance in hell of protecting all its cities and would be left open to easy blackmail from Iran.

Consequently, in any exchange with Iran, Israel is the only one that can harmlessly repulse an attack and retaliate massively, the others would have to be prepared to suffer mutual damage. It would be interesting to see how Europe would react to an Iranian threat, given its history of prompt capitulation.

Once in a while, it pays to be David and watch the other Goliaths face off among one another.

Given a choice, I would much rather be an Israeli than a European.

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Daniel Pipes replies:

You are right that missile defense will help the Israelis. But there are other ways that the Iranians can use to attack Israel with nuclear weapons.

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Reader comments (47) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
a different attack [37 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Michael LermanJan 11, 2016 00:10227568
14th Option - Drag Iran further into the Quagmire of Syria [312 words]RobertOct 6, 2015 09:59225474
4America already set the standard on nukes [123 words]Bertram CohenAug 6, 2015 12:13224596
2My money is on Israel [164 words]Michael SAug 9, 2015 03:01224596
Iranian Doomsday - No More Oil! [173 words]RobertOct 6, 2015 10:22224596
Netanyahu's job, vs. Merkel's [177 words]Michael SOct 9, 2015 21:35224596
1Syrian Plalistinians & Palistinian Syrians vs. Russian Jews & Jewish Russians [432 words]RobertOct 12, 2015 08:05224596
The Arabs do not want peace, and the Israelis do not need it. [1145 words]Michael SOct 15, 2015 22:20224596
1Preliminaries of a View To the Mount of Olives [166 words]M. ToveyJul 28, 2015 14:12224464
we are in uncharted territory [88 words]Charles MartelJul 28, 2015 00:20224455
Precedents to the current situation [176 words]Michael SOct 19, 2015 03:53224455
1If A Nuclear Attack is Israel's Only Option [38 words]mjazzguitarJul 27, 2015 03:36224444
1attack the hand that holds the weapon, Nietzsche's choice [114 words]mythJul 25, 2015 21:40224423
1another idea: a cloud of... [96 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Daniel L RemlerJul 23, 2015 10:16224384
options [200 words]michael fayermanJul 21, 2015 07:37224354
2America Will Defend Iran Against an Israeli Attack [144 words]Geert ter HorstJul 21, 2015 05:43224352
Sunni Arabs are playing their existence is not Israel. [123 words]James TaggartJul 20, 2015 22:53224345
1Sunni Arabs are playing their existence is not Israel. [118 words]James TaggatJul 20, 2015 22:50224344
How Israel Might Destroy Iran's Nuclear Program [291 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Edmond BeniacarJul 20, 2015 21:10224343
Already heard of "saturation attack"? [48 words]Albrecht KleinJul 21, 2015 05:05224343
Saturation attack [201 words]Edmond BeniacarJul 22, 2015 03:04224343
Defence only is always a losing strategy [7 words]Vadim AnshelevichSep 14, 2015 14:15224343
The Jewish people will not flinch: Putin and Obama are bent on suicide in Iran and Syria [493 words]Michael SSep 21, 2015 14:28224343
1Force Is The Only Option [126 words]DaveJul 19, 2015 05:07224325
Answer to How Israel Might Destroy Irans Nuclear Program [142 words]Ameer Labeeb HassanJul 18, 2015 23:00224317
Iran punching above their weight ? [67 words]Carlos de SouzaJul 17, 2015 22:01224305
1There Is Another Way [150 words]Barry BlackJul 17, 2015 10:03224295
hope so, but fear not [154 words]David BlochJul 16, 2015 23:50224280
1Why did you wait Israel to miss the last bus? [181 words]NuritGJul 16, 2015 21:32224279
1ever think EMPs? [2 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Dan SeidelJul 16, 2015 19:12224276
What about targeted EMP? [6 words]steven LJul 22, 2015 00:09224276
1Self-reliance is absolute when you can rely on NO ONE. Don't trust and verify. [64 words]steven LJul 16, 2015 18:20224274
Peace to Jerusalem [427 words]Michael SJul 16, 2015 15:54224268
Psalm 122:6; What the World has Missed in Embracing Iranian Folly [108 words]M ToveyJul 30, 2015 16:20224268
I eagerly await the destruction of Israel's enemies [576 words]Michael SAug 5, 2015 09:35224268
Sure, but anyone could be reading this ... [21 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DavidJul 16, 2015 14:58224265
The Iranian first strike [43 words]Wayne SchmittJul 16, 2015 14:45224264
Tactical nuke attack from the air might be the answer [154 words]Howard DanielJul 16, 2015 12:22224260
Israel would only attack if Iran were seen to carry out illiicit activities [83 words]Anon.Jul 16, 2015 10:58224255
The same author who wrote the foreward of Two Minutes Over Baghdad [75 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PezDispenserJul 16, 2015 10:37224252
Fixed the broken link [20 words]PezDispenserJul 28, 2015 18:38224252
Israel is not in danger of reprisals from Iran, if it destroys their nuke program [137 words]Michael SAug 12, 2015 14:27224252
5#2 is being already protected against in the deal by the P5+1 [65 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
TirtzaJul 16, 2015 01:03224241
will be a non conventional [76 words]bbJul 16, 2015 13:16224241
inspectors are human shields [23 words]mythJul 17, 2015 06:12224241
best option [24 words]ellen popperJul 22, 2015 22:48224241
3Other special ops ideas [165 words]YosefJul 16, 2015 00:17224238

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