Israel to Obama: Lead, Follow or GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Perhaps signaling a change to their 'wait and see strategy". Israel is telling President Obama--Dayanu! Enough! That was the message given to U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon during his Israel visit this past week.  Donilon met with  Defense Minister Ehud Barak , Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz,and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week and according to reports was told that as long as Iran does not halt its nuclear program entirely, action must be taken now to stop it from progressing any further. “

The conversation covered a broad spectrum of topics that relate to our ties as well as a variety of issues concerning the entire region,” Barak said after his meeting with Donilon. Barak pointed out that Israel’s ties with the U.S. involve those of “sovereign countries that are ultimately responsible for their own decisions and futures.”

In other words we are going to do what we need to do to protect our citizens, and if you don't approve we're sorry but we need to proceed.

All this happening while Israel is facing tremendous pressure to wait for sanctions to work, they have already been waiting for almost ten years for the sanctions to work.

At this time, Israel is coming under increased pressure from Washington and Europe to hold off from attacking Iran over its disputed nuclear drive and allow time for a regime of tight international sanctions to kick in.

Pressure is being exerted from all directions, officials acknowledge, with Washington's concern over a pre-emptive Israeli strike reflected in the steady stream of senior officials arriving in Jerusalem for top-level talks.

According to Gideon Rachman at the Financial Times, Israel is not the only factor. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States are also “obsessed with the need to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons.”

All along the holdup has been the question of whether a preemptive Israeli would delay Iran's nuclear ambitions more than six-months to a year. While  many experts say that is beyond Israel's capability, others disagree;

Hans Rühle, a leading German security expert, asserted last week in a lengthy article in the Die Welt that a comprehensive Israel-based bombing campaign could significantly set back, perhaps a decade or more, Iran’s nuclear weapons program.

In the article titled “How Israel can destroy Iran’s nuclear program” Rühle analyzed the number of Israeli fighter jets and bombs necessary to obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Citing experts, Rühle writes that an extensive bombing campaign is within Israel’s capability to decimate Iran’s ability to continue to make progress on developing nuclear weapons.

According to Rühle, there are 25 to 30 facilities in Iran used for its atomic program, of which six are primary-bombing targets.

He cites the nuclear enrichment plant Natanz, the conversion facility in Isfahan, the heavy water reactor Arak and the weapons and munitions sites in Parchin. In addition, he notes the deep underground enrichment facility Fordow and Iran’s operational nuclear plant Bushehr.

The popular PJ Media news website columnist, David P. Goldman, wrote last week that “Hans Rühle was one of the toughest and most perspicacious analysts in those heady days” during the Cold war period.

Goldman added that “Rühle is highly confident that Israel could knock out Iran’s nuclear program for a decade or more with about 25 of its 87 F-15 fighter-bombers and a smaller number of its F-16s. Each of the F- 15s would carry two of the GBU-28 bunker busters, with the F-16s armed with smaller bombs.

Rühle writes that surveillance “information about Natanz is solid,“ adding that the “project has been observed from satellites and from the location from 'Israeli tourists.'”

He added that Israel strongest bunker buster bombs GBU-28 could destroy the roof of the facility. If the damage is not sufficient, a second GBU-28 could be launched to complete the aim of destruction.

According to Rühle, Israel’s successful obliteration of the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007 laid an important precedent. He writes that “many experts believe “ that strikes against Iran’s nuclear operations could set back the program 10 years, or possibly longer, based on present knowledge.

 In the end it doesn't matter what President Obama or Hans Rühle believes. Justifiably the Israeli government feels threatened by the Iranian Nuke program.  They believe that their first priority is to protect their citizens. They also understand that when push comes to shove, they can only depend on themselves for protection.

If Israel believes it can launch a successful strike against Iran, one that would delay their nuke program for years, then they will proceed no matter what anyone says.  Iran is building weapons and threatening Israel, the lives of millions of people are at risk...and a post apocalyptic statement from the President of the United States saying "Ooops we were wrong" just doesn't cut it.