No Exit.....................by Dan Friedman

The Bulgaria bombing only complicates the Syria question. “The Iranians would love to see Israel retaliate against Hezbollah in a limited way,” said Yoram Schweitzer, a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies. “It can create belligerent acts that could help Syria. The Iranians are very keen on helping Assad as his situation is getting worse and worse.”

-- The last word in a very shallow NYT report today entitled “Israel Is Forced to Rethink Its Regional Strategies”

[It takes many perversions of thought and language to fabricate the anti-Israel “narrative.” One of my favorites is the assertion that thwarting your enemy will only be playing into their hands. This idiotic - and nearly funny - line of reasoning is often used by “experts” quoted in the media, both here and in Israel. It doesn’t take a political scientist to figure out that presenting Israel with these phony Hobson’s Choices is simply a propagandist’s tool designed to freeze Israel in the headlights or steer it in a certain direction. The now-defunct “demographic time bomb” and the critically ill “it will ruin Israel’s democracy” are both examples of the same species. Lately, it’s most often been invoked by the kibitzing class to discourage Israel from taking the nuclear bat out of Iran’s hands. But as Obama’s Middle East continues to unravel around Israel’s edges (as part of his plan?) Israel is now confronted with multiple critical choices and so the defeatists’ gospel of inaction is reproducing in other areas as well.

Through no fault of its own (except being Jewish), life and death decisions have been Israel’s lot since the very beginning - and it’s never been easy. If the wise heads in Israel are to see their country prevail this time around, shying away from acting quickly and decisively to neutralize the new threats is an option that does not belong on the table. Waiting to do the inevitable has always made matters worse. df]