The following article was written by Rabbi Menachem Posner of Montreal’s Congregation Shomrim Laboker following CIJR’s recent Community Colloquium at the synagogue (Click HERE to view pictures of the event.)
“Israel is now worse off than before the Arab spring,” was the gist of the fact-filled talks given at a March 4th colloquium co-sponsored by Congregation Shomrim Laboker and the CIJR (Canadian Institute for Jewish Research).
Dr. Fredrick Krantz, director of the CIJR, masterfully and deftly laid out the pros and cons of the changed landscape of the Middle East. “While there was much hope pinned on the upheavals, it is now clear that—with few notable exceptions—most countries are now heading deeper into pre-modern, primitive, weak, and unstable regimes.” One positive dimension, Dr. Kranz pointed out, was as the surrounding countries become weaker and more chaotic, their threat to Israel is significantly lowered.
Dr. Norrin Ripsman explained that while it is quite apparent that Iran is currently pursuing nuclear capabilities (despite official positions of the US and Iran), and a nuclear Iran is very bad news for Israel, it is not likely that the crisis will result in a preventive strike from Israel. Dr. Ripsman demonstrated that would Israel truly plan to strike Iran, politicians and military leaders would not be talking in public about any planned strike—and certainly not as openly as the possibility of a strike is being bandied about at the present. Rather the purpose of the current chatter is to convince world leaders that the issue of nuclear Iran is a serious threat not to be taken lightly—and one that Israel is not capable of solving militarily.
Dr. Harold Waller added important perspective by presenting thoughtful analysis of the US positions and projected some likely scenarios by reviewing past policies since the end of W.W. II, when the US first took an active role in international politics. While the US has historically stepped in where it felt US and democratic interest are at stake, a war-weary public, a contracted military and an administration eager to curry Arab favor is significantly less eager to play a central role, he explained. With the Purim just around the corner, Dr. Waller turned to the event of Persia over two millennia ago to lend insight into the importance of Israel neutralizing a nuclear threat from Iran and expressed his hope for prudent action coming from Israeli and US.
The professors were joined by Rabbis Yonah Rosner, Aaron Sultan, Menachem Posner, as well as an overflow crowd of students and activists from across the Jewish and non-Jewish community who posed thought-provoking and educated questions on a wide range of topics to the august panel.
The morning proved to be educational and deeply riveting. According to Jeff Waxman from Montreal, “I found it very informative. The presenters knew what they were talking about. The subjects were timely and gave me a better understanding as to what Israel currently faces. I was especially enlightened by Professor Waller’s analysis of how and why America is unable to act at the moment, and how economics and the price of oil so severely limit the US and their reach at this point in history.”
