Why Israel will never outsource her self-defense

This is why Israel will never outsource her defense: A book detailing the bombing of the Syrian nuclear reactor is coming out, and Ynet is excerpting it. The Bush administration tried to convince Israel not to bomb the reactor at first, saying Israel was exaggerating the threat.

In June 2007, PM Olmert traveled to Washington to present all the material gathered by Israel; at the conclusion of a lengthy discussion with President George W. Bush, Olmert informed the US president that he decided to strike the Syrian reactor. The Americans were still hesitant, however. Israel recommended a military strike, but the US refused. According to credible American sources, the White House eventually decided that “the US prefers not to strike.” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates attempted to convince Israel to confront the Syrians, but not to attack.

That wasn’t enough evidence. Neither was this:

In July 2007, Israel held aerial patrols above the reactor and elicited images of the activity at the site via satellite Ofek 7. The images were analyzed by American and Israeli experts, who ruled that Syria is building a nuclear reactor based on the North Korean model. In fact, the experts reached the conclusion that the reactors were identical. Meanwhile, Israel’s intelligence-gathering Unit 8200 provided records of conversations between Syrian scientists and North Korea experts. This information was also handed over to Washington, but the Americans demanded unequivocal proof that the facility will be used as a nuclear reactor, and that nuclear materials are already at the site. Israel decided to supply this information as well.

What changed their minds? Israeli special forces landing in the desert and taking soil samples to prove the reactor was building nukes. But Israel had to have a “smoking gun” before the Bushies would act. This does not bode well at all for those who insist that the U.S. will protect Israel from a nuclear Iran. Benjamin Netanyahu has stated quite clearly that Israel will not rely on other nations to protect her. Jews have done that over the past several millennia, and it never ends well.

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