Tuesday.....International.....Israel, Iran Tensions

In order to deal with Israel, as either a friend or a foe, you have to understand why they at times act as they do. They feel that they are essentially alone in this world as to their national security. The power, economic and military, of the United States has indeed been used in defense of Israel since they became a state. Yet they still do not totally trust us. The Obama administration is in the process of cementing Israel's concerns. Former Carter administration National Security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski's comments about confronting Israel jets in the air over Iraq as they are on their way to Iran, only stirs up their survival instinct. Israel must know that they can depend on the majority of Americans rallying to their defense against the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but that alone will not guarantee the supportive actions of an American government that that same public is increasingly, day after day, feeling distrustful of. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made a secret trip to Russia that was brought to light. Russia is traditionally no friend of the Persian nation. They spar over oil in the Caspian Sea, and Russia's support of Iran is tentative and only for their own purposes. Could anyone blame Israel for looking to Russia to make a side-deal for their security? There is no evidence of this. I have heard no one speculate on it, but Israel has proven in the past that they will not put absolute trust in anyone else for their security and history seems to bear their concerns out. Netanyahu's trip may have been confrontational, that is what would be expected, rather than bargaining. Either way, it would behoove us to realize how they think and why they sometimes act as they do.