Of course, Mr. Caplan is entitled to his opinions, even when his facts and assumptions are wrong. But he goes too far when he accuses Israel of being a greater threat to peace than the fanatical leaders of Iran. Just so I am not accused of hyperbole, here is Mr. Caplan’s quote, in its entirety: “The proposition that Iran is more dangerous than Israel, which has repeatedly invaded its neighbours and sends saboteurs and death squads around the world to get its enemies, simply ignores reality.”
Talk about the lunatic fringe. Israel faces a constant threat from its neighbours – not just rocket attacks, which are as common in parts of Israel as rain is in Vancouver, but also the existential threat posed by Hamas, Hezbollah and the Iranian regime itself. Yet Mr. Caplan sees in Israel’s legitimate self-defense only unprovoked aggression, while absolving Iran of responsibility for years of atrocities committed by Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Shiite militia in Iraq, and the other terrorist organizations and client states Iran trains, funds, and directs.
After this frolic through the looking glass, the reader should be prepared for anything, but Mr. Caplan’s leap from the malicious to the absurd still comes as a surprise. Mr. Caplan proceeds to admonish that we have no right to demand the denuclearization of Iran when countries like Britain, France, and the United States possess nuclear weapons.
What utter nonsense. None of these democratic countries has uttered anything like these words:
· “Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation’s fury.”
· “Today the reason for the Zionist regime’s existence is questioned, and this regime is on its way to annihilation.”
· “The Zionist regime has reached a total dead end. Thanks to God, your wish will soon be realized, and this germ of corruption will be wiped off.”
· “Like a cancer cell that spreads through the body, this regime infects any region. It must be removed from the body.”
These are not the words of someone who can be trusted with the destructive power of nuclear weapons. Iran’s leaders have repeatedly and unambiguously declared their intention to wipe Israel off the map. Their stated goal is the complete destruction of the Jewish state and the Jewish people. Will they carry out their promise? No one can be one hundred per cent sure, but if the 20th Century taught us anything, it is that when fanatics issue clear threats, it is smart to take them at their word. And when they announce their intentions in advance, it would be foolish not to try to stop them.
Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin apparently felt the same way when he said: “This threat to Israel’s existence, this call for genocide coupled with Iran’s obvious nuclear ambitions is a matter that the world cannot ignore.” I could not agree more with Mr. Martin, or disagree more with Mr. Caplan.
I have said on numerous occasions that I will not speculate as to what actions may be necessary to stop Iran’s annihilatory ambitions. And I see no reason to resort to “spin notes and sound bites” when the facts speak for themselves. I will simply say that I agree with the Prime Minister’s assessment that a nuclear Iran presents the most significant and immediate threat to global peace and security. That is not rhetoric, that is reality.
John Baird is Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs
