[Beagle8U]

” It is an interesting question whether Israel is too “chicken” to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities or whether they have been covertly intimidated out of such an action by the Obama administration.”

I think I read that Israel would need our help with fueling to do that. They don’t have air tankers large enough or something like that?

[nathanbedford]

There is no question that the military obstacles to bombing Iran's nuclear facilities are formidable even for the United States, much less for Israel. They include, for Israel, the need to refuel and the problem of delivering real bunker busting bombs which can penetrate the immense shells under which the Iranians have protected their facilities. The problem has only worsened with time as the Iranians have increasingly dispersed the projects. Yet, history has taught us that there can be no more resourceful country than Israel doing more with less against great odds.

Diplomatically, Obama has thrown up a screen of false progress in the talks with the Iranians and made it increasingly difficult for Israel to strike and withstand the inevitable worldwide criticism.

The alternative to passively permitting Iran to get the bomb is, in Obama's own words, unacceptable because it will pose a genuine existential threat not just Israel but also to the United States, it will turn the present balance of power in the Persian Gulf on its head leaving the United States impotent in the face of future Iranian aggression and choking a large part of the world's supply of oil, and it will certainly trigger a nuclear arms race in the region generating nuclear proliferation which poses yet another existential threat to the United States.

Rather than facilitating Israel's power to strike militarily or doing it himself, Obama has enabled Iran, handcuffed Israel, and deceived his own people.