The Israeli (and world) media is in an uproar about what was supposed to be a quick, secret visit by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Russia. There have been denials that the trip took place, but the preponderance of evidence indicates that it did occur. The first link, from the Jerusalem Post, relates details about this “secret” trip by Netanyahu to Russia. My thanks to a reader for sending me this link. A Reuters story adds additional details about the visit (see second link). While these links detail that the trip did happen, they offer little in explanation re: “why” the trip occurred.
The third link below, from MSNBC, suggests that Netanyahu had urgent business to discuss with the Russians concerning the recent mysterious voyage of the Arctic Sea (which supposedly had a cargo of Finnish timber but was intercepted by a third party and had its “real” cargo flown back to Russia by military air transports) and Russia’s intentions to sell advanced anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. I think this story has hit the nail on the head. There are growing indications that Iran is now so close to having nuclear weapons that Israel may soon have no choice but to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, regardless of what international outcry it may create. Let’s speculate on what else may have been discussed. I will touch on possibilities the media will dare not discuss.
There are many subjects which may have been discussed at the secret meeting between Netanyahu and Russia’s leaders. The Israelis and many other nations are, no doubt, worried by the steadily-weakening economic, political and military condition of the USA. President Obama, a novice on economic, political and military matters when he came into office, seems to have no comprehension of who America’s allies and enemies are in the world. Given Obama’s dropping poll numbers, Americans now seem to realize they have elected a “newbie” to America’s highest office at a time when a wise greybeard was needed instead. Netanyahu may have flown to Russia with inducements to Russia to allow the Israelis to hit Iran’s nuclear facilities without Russian retaliation (or with Russian intelligence help). What inducements he may have offered are open to imagination. On the other hand, Netanyahu may have come to Russia with a hard message. He may have told the Russians that if Iran succeeds in defeating a conventional Israeli attack due to Russian anti-aircraft missile batteries, Israel will have no choice but to use nuclear weapons to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu may have had an even harder message to deliver to Russia; the kind one would never openly acknowledge. With Iran almost having nuclear weapons and with Syria and Hezbollah reportedly having chemical and/or bacteriological weapons on missiles aimed at Israeli cities, Netanyahu may have given to Russia a “Masada” warning: That if the Israelis should face national extinction due to Russian-supplied weaponry and technology, hundreds of Israeli nuclear weapons will be unleashed…and many will have Russian addresses on them. Indeed, if Russian scientists could make “suitcase nukes”” during the days of the USSR, you can be sure Israeli scientists could make them too. During the chaos that followed the collapse of the USSR, the Mossad may have taken advantage of the chaos to prepare for just such a national emergency as the Israelis now face. What if the Mossad years ago pre-placed suitcase nukes at Russian locations and the Israelis now have no need to deliver them by missile or airplane? If so, all that is needed to detonate those nukes would be an electronic signal. It could be true or it could be a bluff. Is Putin willing to raise the bet and find out the answer? I think Russia would listen to such a message and take action to prevent such Israeli action from being necessary. Russia does not want to die for Iran.
Netanyahu may have had a very hard message to give to Vladimir Putin, just so there would be no “misunderstandings” about what was at stake in a looming Mideast conflict. Remember that approximately 6 million Jews died in Hitler’s death-camps. When the modern Jews/Israelis say “Never Again!”, they really mean it. I’ve been to the Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, a memorial to the near-extermination of the Jews just decades ago. In many unspoken ways, the Yad Vashem’s memories shapes the modern Israeli ethos. If their national survival is at stake, do not underestimate the ability of the Israelis to play “hard ball” in the game of global geopolitics.
The Bible lends support to these possibilities. Genesis 49:8-10, a prophecy about “Judah” (the Jews/Israelis) in the latter days, foretells that Judah’s “hand will be on the neck of your enemies,” and it will be like a lion that rises up from its prey. Zephaniah 2:1-8 prophesies that it is the Creator God’s will that the Jews have a homeland in the old Promised Land in the latter days, and Zechariah 12:1-7 promises God will defend Judah even if all the nations of the earth be gathered together against it. Zechariah 12:6 prophesies that at the end of this age, God will make the Jews/Israelis “like a hearth of fire among the wood and like a torch of fire in a sheaf: and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and the left…” God fulfilled that prophecy in 1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973. Maybe God will fulfill this prophecy again.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1251804526431
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5891YJ20090910
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32754195
