Netanyahu said. “Iran’s leaders know that, too. For them, you’re the great Satan. We’re the little Satan. For them, we are you and you are us. And you know something, Mr. President? At least on that last point, I think they’re right.” --- There has never been a treaty between Israel and the United States. Although the United States recognized Israel, it also strictly enforced the Neutrality Act which prohibited the sale or transfer of any military weapons to Israel. For the first 17 years of its existence, Israel did not receive any military or economic aid from the United States government. In 1948, Charles Winters, Al Schwimmer and Herman Greenspun were convicted under the 1939 Act after smuggling B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from Florida to the nascent state of Israel during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Long story short: By 1966, Israel had purchased and taken delivery of 76 Mirage IIIC jet aircraft and had purchased and paid for 50 more. DeGaulle refused to deliver the 50 additional jets and he also refused to refund the purchase price. France also constructed some missile boats for Israel at the Port of Cherbourg. At this point in the mid-1960s, an interesting event occurred. The Israeli Mossad sent an American female agent to Iraq where she cultivated a romance with Munir Redfa, an Iraqi jet fighter pilot who had been trained both in the United States and the Soviet Union. The pilot, a Christian Arab, was lured to Paris. When they arrived, the eager prospective lover was told," This is not about sex. If you would like a handsome sum of money and your family out of Iraq, take this ticket and false passport and fly to Tel Aviv. Otherwise, you may fly back to Iraq." The Iraqi pilot made the trip to Tel Aviv and ultimately his family left Iraq. Then, on a lovely clear day, he flew an Iraqi Air Force MiG-21 to Israel, where the family was reunited and he got his handsome amount of dollars. In 1966, the MiG-21 was the Soviet first line jet fighter and no Western country had been able to get near one. While the official U.S.-Israeli relationship had been first indifferent from 1948 until 1956, and then cold from 1956 into the 1960s, one slender strand of cooperation had remained intact. During World War II, Palestinian Jews had cooperated with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the fight against Nazi Germany. Following WWII, the OSS became the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The U.S. Chief of Counter Intelligence, James Jesus Angelton, developed, maintained, and nurtured a symbiotic relationship between the CIA and those Palestinian Jews who evolved into the Israeli Mossad. Following the turning over of the MiG-21, President Johnson invited Prime Minister Levi Eshkol to his ranch in Texas and Eshkol arrived with a long shopping list. He left with promises of future U.S. military supplies, including A-4 attack aircraft. Although the U.S. military hardware did not arrive in time for the 1967 war, it ultimately replaced the French source for military hardware and the U.S.-Israel special relationship became closer and warmer. Following Israel's victory in the Six Day War, strong support for the state of Israel developed in the United States. American public opinion swung dramatically in favor of Israel and for the first time in history, a majority of American Jews became Zionists, that is they supported the concept of a Jewish state. Now, it seems, America will defend israel with life, limb, checkbook and the greatest military on the planet. Because they were on our side against the Soviets and Egypt we give them eternal funding and protection as the US closes in on bankruptcy? Choose sides carefully. On Mar 5, 12:37 pm, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > Obama, Netanyahu emphasize common bond, common enemies > By Amie Parnes and Jeremy Herb - 03/05/12 12:54 PM ET > > President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu > accentuated their unity Monday ahead of a high-stakes meeting at the > White House focused on the rising threat posed by Iran. > > Obama sought to assure Netanyahu that all options remain on the table > to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, while the Israeli > leader reserved the right for a unilateral strike by his country. > > “I reserve all options and my policy is not going to be one of > containment,” Obama told Netanyahu in the Oval Office, before a gaggle > of reporters. “My policy is prevention of Iran obtaining nuclear > weapons.” > > For the second day in a row, Obama said there’s “still a window that > allows for a diplomatic resolution” to the Iranian nuclear threat and > that the United States, together with other countries, would continue > to “tighten pressure” and put forth the “most crippling sanctions” to > date. > > But Obama, who in a Sunday address to the American Israel Public > Affairs Committee emphasized that he “had Israel’s back,” said that if > the Iranian regime didn’t move in the right direction, he would > consider other options. > > “As I indicated yesterday in my speech, when I say all options are on > the table I mean it,” Obama said. > > Netanyahu, who sat beside Obama in the Oval Office, took a more > hawkish approach, saying Israel “must reserve the right” to act > unilaterally. > > “Israel must have the ability to defend itself, by itself, against any > threat,” Netanyahu said. “When it comes to Israel’s security, Israel > has the right, the sovereign right, to make its own decisions. I > believe that's why you appreciate, Mr. President, that Israel must > reserve the right to defend itself. > > “My supreme responsibility as prime minister of Israel is to ensure > that Israel remains the master of its fate,” Netanyahu added. > > The prime minister, who thanked Obama for his “strong” speech on > Sunday, also touted his country’s relationship with the United States. > > “We face common enemies,” Netanyahu said. “Iran’s leaders know that, > too. For them, you’re the great Satan. We’re the little Satan. For > them, we are you and you are us. And you know something, Mr. > President? At least on that last point, I think they’re right.” > > As the two leaders wrestled with arguably their weightiest issue to > date, the meeting on Monday appeared far less tense than their meeting > last year, when Netanyahu appeared to lecture Obama on the history of > Israel. > > On Monday, before a one-on-one meeting followed by a working lunch, > the two leaders both highlighted their common bond, sending a strong > message to Iran and other nations about their unity. > > “As I’ve said repeatedly the bond between our two countries is > unbreakable," Obama said. "My personal commitment, a commitment that > us consistent with the history of other occupants of this Oval Office, > is rock solid, and as I’ve said to the prime minister in every single > one of our meetings, the United States will always have Israel’s back > when it comes to Israel’s security.” > > Natan Sachs, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center, > said Monday's meeting will help Obama and Netanyahu coordinate their > private strategies as well as their public messages. > > "Confusion and mixed messages create uncertainty, which can be very > dangerous in a situation that's ripe for war," Sachs said. > > Speaking to Netanyahu on Monday, Obama said it's "unacceptable from > Israel's perspective to have a country with a nuclear weapon that has > called for the destruction of Israel.” > > "But as I emphasized yesterday, it is profoundly in the United > States’s interest as well, to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear > weapon," he added. "We do not want to see a nuclear arms race in one > of the most volatile regions of the world. We do not want the > possibility of a nuclear weapon falling into the hands of terrorists > and we do not want a regime that has been a state sponsor of terrorism > being able to feel that it can act even more aggressively or with > impunity as a consequence of its nuclear power." > > More:http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/214123-obama... > > -- > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. > Have a great day, > Tommy > > -- > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. > Have a great day, > Tommy -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
