Are we April fools?….asks Michael Kuttner
There would be hardly an Australian or New Zealander who did not know what the expression April fool means.
Michael Kuttner
This year on 1 April flowing over to 2 April, Israel together with the rest of the world was witness to the biggest April fools’ confidence trick ever experienced. Not only have we been hoodwinked on an unprecedented grand scale but those doing the fooling actually believe that their act is anything but foolish. Moreover there are also those who having had the wool pulled over their eyes still naively accept that it all must be true.
Occurring on the very eve of Passover this amazing event gained added meaning for those of us who believe that there are vital lessons to be remembered at this time of the year.
I am referring of course to the much touted and heralded, almost messianic ecstasy media circus surrounding the nuclear non agreement accord negotiated between Iran and the rest of the world led by the Kerry/Obama team. To sum it up in one sentence, using a boxing analogy, I would declare that it was a KO in the first round. Not a technical knock out or even on points but a Kerry Obama debacle where Iran out foxed, out boxed, outwitted and finally floored opponents who clearly were unwilling to really take the fight too seriously. It was obvious that Iran could last as long as it took while those in the opposite corner were only too eager to throw in the towel at the earliest opportunity.
This is not the first time in history when those who have been outmaneuvered claimed victory but it certainly gets the prize for the 21st. century’s greatest confidence trick. The previous two similar situations which lead to subsequent disasters were the Munich agreement and the nuclear accord negotiated by Bill Clinton with North Korea. This current preliminary decision to finalize a permanent pact still has a few hurdles to overcome but the outline is clear enough and provides plenty of scope for concern.
Looking at and learning from previous attempts in the art of appeasing terrorists reinforces fears that just as those gestures failed disastrously so will this one.
Neville Chamberlain in his genuine but naïve belief that negotiating and satisfying the voracious appetite of a scheming, lying German Nazi regime, would avert war, proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can postpone the evil day but ultimately it will have to be dealt with. As usually happens the longer one waits to tackle bullies the harder it becomes. Chamberlain however had the honesty at the end to acknowledge that he had been wrong and that he had been hoodwinked.
Bill Clinton no doubt still believes that he was and is a gift to the human race. His gift of the gab and unshakeable confidence that he knows what is best resulted in resurrecting Arafat and elevating him to some sort of sainthood. It is to our discredit that we went along with this charade which resulted in the deaths and maiming of thousands of Israelis. Just as calamitous was Clinton’s triumphant announcement that he had neutered North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Listen to this video clip. It sounds eerily familiar and gives a major clue as to why the KO team’s current appalling appeasement will end with the same if not worse murderous results.
The third genius in this trilogy of “peace makers” is the current incumbent in the White House and his acolytes. In fact in the whole history of the Nobel Prizes this must be the first recipient of the Peace prize who was awarded it before any sort of meaningful peace was achieved. Nevertheless, confident in his ability to dazzle dictators and dictate demands to friendly allies, he has pulled off what he considers the coup of the millennium. The trouble is that the only people cheering are his supporters, European leaders and of course the Iranian Mullahs. The latter can hardly believe their good fortune because the potential agreement leaves intact their ballistic missiles, secret underground facilities, lots of centrifuges still spinning, research & development capabilities and who knows what else that has not yet been uncovered. Unanswered and seemingly ignored is why Iran needs secret underground facilities and inter continental missiles with nuclear warheads if their intentions are purely peaceful. Swept under the carpet are Iranian threats to eradicate Israel.
Despite these obvious black holes the Iranians have been offered a complete relief from crippling sanctions, the only non military weapon which could have led to the collapse of the current regime and some meaningful progress on defanging this terror State.
Just as the democracies ignored the Nazi plan to eliminate Jews and Clinton ignored the horrendous human rights catastrophe in North Korea so today Obama prefers to ignore the fact that Iran is a leading sponsor of terror with ambitions to dominate and control vital areas of the Middle East. As their cohorts take over Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon and have their eyes on other countries, and as Moslems, Christians and other minorities are beheaded, burnt and murdered, the White House blithely carries on business as usual. In a cry which should grab every Jewish person’s heart, a Christian victim of Islamic horror in Kenya stated that he now understands how Jews felt abandoned during the Holocaust years.
The spin doctors are now spinning at full speed trying to sell a rotten bill of goods. We would really be April fools if we fell for this latest example of diplomatic duplicity. Three quotes demonstrate the wide gulf which exists between the gullible on the one hand and realists on the other.
The Pope echoing the sentiments of most of Europe hailed the nuclear deal with Iran as “a definitive step towards a more secure and fraternal world.” The mind-boggling denial encapsulated in this flight of fancy is breathtaking.
The ex. Deputy head of the International Atomic Energy Agency stated “this agreement could be a recipe for North Korean style failure.” A shot of clear-headed logic articulated at last.
The American President assured Israelis that he has our backs and that he would consider his Presidency a failure if Israel was weakened in any way.
This latter dose of spin is no doubt designed to engender a warm glow of confidence. I am afraid that for most Israelis all it conjures up is a radioactive glow just down the track. No doubt the day after Iran announces it has acquired nuclear weapons and rockets are on their way, an address from the White House Rose Garden will express amazement that such a scenario could arise. By then it will be too late.
Noises emanating from Tehran already prove that the wool has been well and truly pulled over the eyes of those who rejoiced in Lausanne. Confirmation that Obama/Kerry capitulated is evidenced by an expert analysis written by Henry Kissinger and George Shultz. It proves conclusively that Israel has been well and truly sold down the river.
We cannot afford to be suckered as April fools again. Yom Hashoa (Holocaust Martyrs Memorial Day) next week is a stark reminder of what happens when we outsource our survival to those who would rather memorialize dead Jews than see living Jews defend themselves.
Michael Kuttner is a Jewish New Zealander who for many years was actively involved with various communal organisations connected to Judaism and Israel. He now lives in Israel and is J-Wire’s correspondent in the region.
