The Speech and Viewpoints

Today is the big day. No, not hump day, that’s on Wednesday, but today is a big day nevertheless. Today is the speech by Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister to Congress, a situation that makes President Obama just want to spit. In anticipation of the speech, both Joel C. Rosenberg and Dr. George Friedman offer their opinions on our situation, and they couldn’t be farther apart.

Many of you have read my notations where I quote Rosenberg’s opinions and are aware of his Christian perspective. His full article is here but I’ll give you the general gist of the article, which is his view of Prime Minister Netanyahu. In short, Netanyahu believes that Iran is motivated to achieve weaponized nuclear capability in order to wipe Israel from the face of the earth. He outlines a Muslim belief in what he terms, “ Apocalyptic Islam” which is the return of the Mahdi, and will signal the destruction of Islam’s enemies and the rightful ascension of Islam over the world. Bad things, man.

Mr. Friedman is a geopolitical analytical writer. In his article, here, he lays out the foundation of our relationship with Israel and how it is simply a dynamically changing relationship brought about by the careful analysis of what the US desires versus what the US can achieve. Friedman’s analysis explains the differing views of Israelis, Muslims, and Americans based solely on geopolitical framework, or what can one nation hope to attain or maintain without regard for any existential considerations other than basic nationalistic policy in an ever-changing world. He argues that both Obama and Netanyahu are simply locked into the two different viewpoints of their two nations and that since the US holds the majority of the cards, that Israel will have to adjust.  Looks good on paper.

If it looks and smells like a skunk, then it probably is a skunk. Reza Kahlili is an Iranian who was once both an officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and a CIA spy at the same time. In 2011, he published his book, A Time To Betray, in which he told of his time in the center of Iran’s cultural and religious military arm. He stated that the Guards understood that the Mahdi would not return to the earth until there was chaos, and if the destruction of Iran pushed the world into chaos, then so much the better. Mr. Netanyahu bases his warnings about Iran on this viewpoint, and Mr. Friedman believes national policies are organized around more earthly entitlements, such as the price of oil and financial systems.  President Obama, I suppose, agrees with Mr. Friedman along with jobs for the Islamic State’s fighters.  I agree with Mr. Netanyahu.