Netanyahu Launches Anti-Iranian Twitter Campaign
by Stephen Lendman
He's obsessed with Iran. He's Israel's worst ever leader. He exceeds Sharonian evil. He responded harshly to Hassan Rohani's election.
He attacked him unfairly. He called his agenda "talk and enrich. Talk and continue to enrich uranium. For future nuclear weapons."
"We cannot accept anything less than the total cessation of all enrichment of nuclear materials at all levels, removal from Iran of all enriched nuclear material, closure of Iran's elicit nuclear facilities," he said.
"Until Iran meets these demands, pressure must be stepped up and Iranian nuclear program must be stopped. Period."
His Twitter campaign [3] is called "The Real Face of Iran." He's targeting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. More on it below.
His October UN General Assembly Address mentioned Iran 70 times. Separately, he mentioned Rohani 25 times.
One anti-Iranian epithet followed another. He rages against the Islamic Republic every chance he gets.
He falsely claims it wants Israel destroyed. He lies about its nuclear program. It's entirely peaceful.
Iran threatens no one. Netanyahu's bluster wore thin long ago. It continues unabated. The New York Times [4] was uncharacteristically critical.
On October 11, it headlined "Netanyahu Takes a Lonely Stance Denouncing Iran," saying:
He "come(s) off sounding shrill. (He) risks seeming frozen in the past amid a shifting geopolitical landscape."
He's "(i)ncreasingly alone abroad and at home. (He) stubbornly argues that if people would just study the facts, they would surely agree with him."
He launched an "energetic (anti-Iranian) media blitz. (He) embarked on the public-diplomacy campaign of his career."
He's trying to prevent what he calls "a bad deal" with Iran. He insists on a complete halt to Iranian enrichment as well as maintaining stiff sanctions.
He "appears out of step with" growing numbers of others. He's increasingly isolated. It's not new for "a man with few personal friends."
He never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to do the wrong thing. He's "comfortable predicting disaster." He likes "scaring people." According to Jerusalem political consultant Mitchell Barak:
"The problem is now he's lost momentum. His message is clear. His message is the same. The situation is the same, but everyone else's perspective has changed."
Since addressing the UN in October, he hasn't stopped selling his message. Israeli political analysts call him action averse but diplomatically deft. He's comfortable behind a microphone or in front of a camera.
According to The Times:
"His United Nations speech went through 50 drafts, and 45 minutes before go-time he replaced three pages near the top with a single punchy paragraph ending: 'Hope charts the future. Vigilance protects it.' "
Iran remains his "signature issue." Israeli journalist/Netanyahu biographer Ben Caspit said:
"Even though most Israelis dislike him, they see him as the best advocate. He knows how to deliver the goods when we are talking about talking."
"He's a professional whistleblower. He's a professional prophet. But all the time pessimistic, threatening."
He's increasingly a solo act on the world stage. He's a one-man show in Israel. Until Avigdor Lieberman's disgraceful acquittal on serious charges demanding punishment, he doubled as foreign minister.
Despite opposition within his Likud Party ranks, no challenger to his top status emerged.
His office wall features a map of Iran prominently. It's his obsession. He repeatedly cries wolf about a nonexistent threat.
He's accused of pursuing a Messianic crusade. He claims a near divine right to defend Israel from a nuclear Iran.
"I'm not going to let that happen," he says. "It's not going to happen." He knows Iran's program is peaceful.
He claims otherwise publicly. He threatens to attack unilaterally. He's partnered with Obama's war on Syria.
He's waging one on Occupied Palestine. He calls nonviolent civilians terrorist threats. His main obsession remains Iran. He wants a regional rival removed.
On November 5, Haaretz [5]headlined "Netanyahu launches Twitter campaign against Iran's Khamenei to show 'real face of Iran."
He began by focusing on anti-American protests. On November 4, they marked Student Day. They reflected the 34th anniversary of taking over Washington's Tehran embassy.
Demonstrators burned American flags. They chanted "Death to America." They have just cause to be angry.
Netanyahu's official Twitter feed headlined "The Real Face of Iran." It featured photos of Iranians burning US flags. It showed Imam Khamenei denouncing America.
It ignored his support for nuclear negotiations. At the same time, he's justifiably negative on their outcome.
"With God's permission," he said, "we will not be harmed by these negotiations. (I)f (they) reach a conclusion then all the better, but if they don't it will mean that the country must stand on its own feet."
He criticized Washington for imposing lawless sanctions. They harm ordinary Iranians most.
"We must not trust an enemy who smiles," he said. "From one side, the Americans smile and express a desire to negotiate, and from another side they immediately say all options are on the table."
Obama insists he'll "take (none) off the table, including military options, in terms of making sure that we do not have nuclear weapons in Iran."
Netanyahu took full advantage of anti-American street protests.
"People are saying: What is the true face of the Iranian regime," he asked?
"(T)hey obviously changed their style. They speak now in English and they smile. They smile in the talks in Europe."
"But that regime, which is controlled by Khamenei, has tens of thousands of people on the streets of Tehran today chanting 'death to America,' celebrating the seizure of the US Embassy in 1979, 34 years ago."
"They're celebrating, and Khamenei, who is the real ruler of Iran, yesterday says: 'America is the most hated country in the world. You can't believe a word of what they say.' And he fuels that hatred. That's the real Iran."
"Do we want this country to have nuclear weapons? And the answer is: Absolutely not. America and the P5+1 should listen to the chants of ‘Death to America’ in Tehran, and give no discounts to Tehran."
A Final Comment
On November 7, Netanyahu rejected what Washington calls a "first step" interim six-month agreement in return for limited sanctions relief.
It weakens pressure, he said. "Iran's concessions are non-concessions," he claims.
Iranian officials maintain optimism. Thursday talks began well, they said. At the same time, discussions aren't easy. Much remains unresolved.
After the morning session, Catherine Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann, said EU nations hope to make concrete progress.
Talks seek a verifiable agreement satisfying everyone. Iran must prove its peaceful nuclear intentions, he added.
Deputy Foreign Minister/senior negotiator Seyed Abbas Araqchi rejected reports about Iran suspending its enrichment for six months.
It's "important to us and is our redline," he said. Many differences remain, he added.
"Bringing the viewpoints close to each other is not an easy job and it is still too early for an assessment."
"We can say that we are in a good and positive situation, but we should wait to see at what speed the viewpoints come close to each other."
Talks "continue on Friday. Various and complicated issues are on the negotiating table, and reaching an agreement is not an easy job and we hope that we can have good progress today and tomorrow."
More talks may follow, he added. Geneva will likely host them. "Iran's goal is endorsement of an agreement between the two sides, and the other side also has the same view," he stressed.
Anti-Iranian hostility persisted for decades. Clear signs of change aren't apparent. America has lots of proving to do. Rhetoric is no substitute for fair-minded policy. None mattering most appears forthcoming.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
His new book is titled "Banker Occupation: Waging Financial War on Humanity."
http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanII.html
Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com.
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