“the enemy of your enemy, is your enemy.”

from The Gray Area:

This could become an historic day. Pleading for the world’s safety, a foreign leader addressed the United States Congress.

How do you get Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to stand and cheer together? You stand a strong, passionate, genuine leader in front of them who speaks the truth directly and honestly. That is what Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu did today.

It is not the first time PM Netanyahu has presented stark realities concerning Iran for everyone to see. Though, his words have not been heeded, some may want to keep their heads in the sand, or put politics ahead of world peace, or just not want to hear the facts, PM Netanyahu is speaking them again anyway. He spoke truthfully and played the role of Winston Churchill. Pleading that the US and the world read the aggressive actions and consistent words of Iran for what they are – threats to world order and world peace.

Though most members of Congress attended the joint session, here is a list of 56 Democrats who did not attend the speech. Listening to the other side of an argument, is not something ideologues on the left are interested in. No one from the Obama Administration was present for the speech. John Kerry is the only one who said anything positive about the Prime Minister being here and speaking to Congress. President Obama will not watch it either, his staff saying, his schedule is too “action packed”. Many world leaders have addressed Congress, Netanyahu 4 times. So why are President Obama and his supporters so afraid of hearing what Netanyahu has to say? Interestingly for someone without time for PM Netanyahu, President Obama met the press at the WH concerning the speech within a hour!?! Political message control again (immigration, Keystone pipeline, SOTU, etc) appears to be the most important element for the Administration.

In his speech, PM Netanyahu laid out the case against Iran. He went back to 1979 to the Iranian Revolution and the “brutal dictatorship” it set up. He explained that Iran’s revolutionaries set up a constitution that “promised death, tyranny and the pursuit of jihad“. A stark contrast to the US founding document’s promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

He implored us not to be confused by the Iranian support to stop ISIS. The Islamic Republic is fighting the Islamic State for leadership of the Islamic world he said. “The enemy of your enemy, is your enemy” he said.

He warned that the “bad deal” in the works “paves Iran’s path to the bomb” and could lead to a “potential nuclear nightmare.” Because it does nothing to stop Iran’s development of nuclear weapons capability. At best it only delays it, allowing Iran time to collect all the necessary materials needed to have a bomb.

Democrats have complained that Netanyahu did not offer any alternative to the current deal. That current sanctions are not deterring Iran and we need to relieve those sanctions so that Iran will change its ways and take us seriously.

Netanyahu said that “we don’t have to bet the security of the world on the hope that Iran will change for the better… We can insist that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program not be lifted as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in the world.” Specifically, Netanyahu said Iran needs to agree to and any deal needs to include the following:
1. Stop its aggression against its neighbors in the middle east
2. Stop supporting terrorism around the world
3. Stop threatening to annihilate Israel

He warned that we not get lulled into “gaining an illusionary peace“from a bad deal. He further stated that “the Jewish people … can defend themselves. … Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand.”

He closed with a stunning reference to the face of Moses in front of him in the Congressional chamber, quoting, “be strong and resolute, neither fear or dread them“. And hoping that Israel and America always stand together.

This Iranian nuclear negotiation is the 21st century’s version of the deal between Neville Chamberlain and Adolph Hitler. Hoping that Iran will change for the better after a desperate deal is negotiated is the same as when Chamberlain hoped that Hitler would change after he agreed to stop his aggression in Europe. That failed miserably and proved that appeasement of evil never works. And, if the US continues to ignore Iran for what it is, this appeasement will end the same way. Given the power of the devastating weapons we are talking about, with much worse results for the world.

Negotiations are always better than war. But, negotiations from a position of strength now, while we have a position of strength, is imperative. In 10 years after Iran has the bomb it will be too late. Require Iran to publicly renounce, by words & actions, its threats against the US and Israel before any deal can be attempted. Then, maybe, an honest deal has a chance. Otherwise, history will repeat itself once again.