Israel fears Hezbollah can create blockade – West ignores

Editor’s Note – The sabers are rattling in Tehran since the failure of the P5+1 talks, and Israel is well aware of what that means with Hezbollah in control in Lebanon. here in America, much goes unreported, and our opinions are woefully uninformed.

For instance, a recent interview with an Israeli Cabinet member, Moshe Ya’alon, was not even heard in America, yet his apocalyptic message is what Israel knows to be true.

Via Madisdeadblogspot by Mladen Andrijasevic

A western journalist asked Ya’alon:

But the Iranians are rational, and the use of nuclear weapons is an irrational act. Like the Soviets, they will never do that.

A Western individual observing the fantastic ambitions of the Iranian leadership scoffs: ‘What do they think, that they will Islamize us?’

The surprising answer is: ‘Yes, they think they will Islamize us, the ambition of the present regime in Tehran is for the Western world to become Muslim at the end of a lengthy process.’

Accordingly, we have to understand that their rationality is completely different from our rationality. Their concepts are different and their considerations are different. They are completely unlike the former Soviet Union.

They are not even like Pakistan or North Korea. If Iran enjoys a nuclear umbrella and the feeling of strength of a nuclear power, there is no knowing how it will behave. It will be impossible to accommodate a nuclear Iran and it will be impossible to attain stability. The consequences of a nuclear Iran will be catastrophic.”

Israel concerned Hezbollah might seek to impose de facto naval blockade in next conflict, officer says

Almost all of Israel’s imports come by sea; fear is Nasrallah may try to cripple the economy by firing missiles at foreign commercial vessels, scaring them off

By ILAN BEN ZION – Times of Israel

The INS Hanit. (photo credit: Tsahi Ben-Ami /Flash90)

The Israeli military is preparing for the next volley of missiles from Hezbollah, but fears it may be on the high seas rather than the hills of Galilee.

During the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah launched two Iranian-made C-802 anti-ship missiles at a foreign merchant ship and the Israeli Naval Ship Hanit. The missile nearly sunk the Hanit and killed four of her sailors.

In the next round of conflict, whenever that may come, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah might use missiles to try to impose a de facto blockade on the State of Israel, a senior navy official told Walla News on Sunday.

The Navy speculates that the terrorist group’s operatives would fire missiles from Lebanon at commercial vessels and scare them away from entering Israel’s ports, he said.

“I am not sure that Israelis comprehend the significance of 99% of Israeli imports arriving by sea. The light bulb hasn’t gone on. It is critical to the State of Israel,” he said.

“Nasrallah is capable of launching missiles at Haifa Bay or at Israel’s natural gas rigs, because he does not care about the purity of arms — like any guerrilla organization. He is likely to harm civilians and merchant ships,” the unnamed officer added.

Such an eventuality would have “grave economic consequences” for Israel and “operational significance on the national security level,” the naval commander said. ”Our primary mission is to deal with this threat.”

The Navy is also concerned that Hezbollah could obtain weapons from the Syrian Army which would affect the balance of power and could be used to threaten Israel’s territorial waters.

“We are closely following everything that happens in Syria, and if we need to respond, we will do so with all our capabilities,” the commander said.

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