Iran's Zarif says Israel's 'myth of invincibility' has crumbled

[webfact]

Iran's Zarif says Israel's 'myth of invincibility' has crumbled

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (R) and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend a meeting with Muslim leaders and scholars in Hyderabad, India, February 15, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui

 

MUNICH (Reuters) - Iran's foreign minister said on Sunday the shooting down of an Israeli jet after it bombed an Iranian site in Syria had shattered Israel's "so-called invincibility", reacting to a critical speech delivered earlier by Israel's premier.

 

"Israel uses aggression as a policy against its neighbours," Mohammad Javad Zarif told the Munich Security Conference, accusing Israel of "mass reprisals against its neighbours and daily incursions into Syria, Lebanon."

 

"Once the Syrians have the guts to down one of its planes it's as if a disaster has happened," Zarif said.

 

He was responding to Benjamin Netanyahu's address to the conference hours before, in which the Israeli prime minister, holding a piece of what he said was an Iranian drone, accused Iran of trying to impose an "empire" across the Middle East.

 

"What has happened in the past several days is the so-called invincibility (of Israel) has crumbled," Zarif said of Netanyahu's remarks, which followed the Feb. 10 downing of an Israeli F-16 jet.

 

Netanyahu had also told the conference: "We will act if necessary not just against Iran's proxies but against Iran itself."

 

In an interview with NBC News on the sidelines of the conference, Zarif retorted: "Well, if they try to exercise that threat, they will see the response."

 

David Ivry, a former Israeli Air Force chief, told Reuters earlier this month he believed it was the first time an Israeli F-16 had been brought down since Israel began using the jets in the 1980s.

 

Anti-aircraft fire downed the jet as it was returning from a bombing raid on Iran-backed positions in Syria.

 

It was one of at least eight Israeli planes despatched in response to what Israel said was an Iranian drone's incursion into its airspace earlier on that day.

 

The jet was hit by a Syrian anti-aircraft missile and crashed in northern Israel, according to an Israeli official.

 

(Reporting by Robin Emmott and Thomas Escritt; Editing by Sandra Maler)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-19

[car720]

The silence is deafening.

[Baerboxer]

Since it's existence modern Israel has been surrounded by enemies determined to exterminate it. Countless attempts at peaceful solutions were dismissed. In that context, is it surprising they find those they wish to exterminate somewhat aggressive to them?

 

If you compare the size of Israel against the combined might of their enemies they should have been defeated long ago. But David v Goliath and a Goliath that's riddled with hatred, distrust and despise among these "allies" and whose hate one another along bi-factional beliefs seeming more than they hate Israel!

 

Modern weapons are equalizers but when push comes to shove, I think the Israelis will account for themselves pretty good in any fight for survival. 

[puipuitom]

A nation, who threatens to kill your entire population since 1979, chased all jews away, of which some descend from immigrants ( slaves) brought in 600 BC, kills Syrians by the thousands, sends a militaty drone into YOUR airspace. YOU  respons very hard by sending at least 8 aircrafts to bomb military facilities which are  a threat for your nation, and the opposer succeed to shoot ONE plane down with all his sophisticated anti-aircraft devices ... calls YOUR defence is "crumbled"? ?

[Jingthing]

I think Israelis know that their continued existence always depends on having superior security, intelligence agencies, and military technology. Resting on laurels or myths would be disastrous. I think many Israeli families have experienced losses from terrorism and military losses. Iran is an existential threat to Israel. Israel is not an existential threat to Iran.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

[Elfin]

2 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

If you compare the size of Israel against the combined might of their enemies

Please, don't plead the "little country" chestnut. Israel has the 4th biggest army in the world and gets gifted with more than $US 3 billion in US military hardware and software every year. Israel is not the underdog.

[Jingthing]

Please, don't plead the "little country" chestnut. Israel has the 4th biggest army in the world and gets gifted with more than $US 3 billion in US military hardware and software every year. Israel is not the underdog.

And why does it need such a strong defense?

Hmm?

Let me check.

Could it be that it's a tiny country surrounded by hostiles that dream of a day they can wipe out Israel?

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Elfin]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Could it be that it's a tiny country

Here we go again with that "little country" with the victim's label.

It is so cliched Jingthing and no-one is buying it anymore.

Tell me how big Israel's military is again.

[Lokie]

Think the Iranians know that Israel will not think twice about launching against them if they push anymore at moment, Iran is all mouth, Israel's actions speak louder than words and Iran knows it

[Morch]

5 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

Since it's existence modern Israel has been surrounded by enemies determined to exterminate it. Countless attempts at peaceful solutions were dismissed. In that context, is it surprising they find those they wish to exterminate somewhat aggressive to them?

 

If you compare the size of Israel against the combined might of their enemies they should have been defeated long ago. But David v Goliath and a Goliath that's riddled with hatred, distrust and despise among these "allies" and whose hate one another along bi-factional beliefs seeming more than they hate Israel!

 

Modern weapons are equalizers but when push comes to shove, I think the Israelis will account for themselves pretty good in any fight for survival. 

 

I don't think that there were actually "countless attempts at peaceful solutions". At least not credible ones. That most were dismissed anyway is another matter.

 

A similar comment with regard to "the combined might of their enemies". There was no such coming-together for a long while now. If anything, the ME (and by extension, the Arab World, or even the Muslim World) is more characterized by fracturing. It could be argued that Israel could have used this state of thing to carve more significant diplomatic gains (not to mention peace), but generally speaking many of the instances which manage to spark some measure of unity in the ME etc. are down to Israel's governments actions.

 

Modern weapons are one thing, the ability to withstand a lengthy war with heavy loses is another.

[Morch]

5 hours ago, puipuitom said:

A nation, who threatens to kill your entire population since 1979, chased all jews away, of which some descend from immigrants ( slaves) brought in 600 BC, kills Syrians by the thousands, sends a militaty drone into YOUR airspace. YOU  respons very hard by sending at least 8 aircrafts to bomb military facilities which are  a threat for your nation, and the opposer succeed to shoot ONE plane down with all his sophisticated anti-aircraft devices ... calls YOUR defence is "crumbled"? ?

 

"...chased all jews away...."

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews#Current_status_in_Iran

 

[Morch]

5 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I think Israelis know that their continued existence always depends on having superior security, intelligence agencies, and military technology. Resting on laurels or myths would be disastrous. I think many Israeli families have experienced losses from terrorism and military losses. Iran is an existential threat to Israel. Israel is not an existential threat to Iran.

 

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

 

 

 

 

 

I think Israelis do tend to highlight security issues, and with good reasons. I also think that not enough of them consider or realize peace is a one of the best contributing elements to security - and yes, there are also good reasons for Israelis to be doubtful or skeptical on this score.

 

Iran is currently not an existential threat to Israel. It may or may not be one in the future - and that relates to the previous paragraph as well. As for Israel not being an existential threat to Iran - guess it depends whom you ask and how you define such threats, and how things are considered from an Iranian point of view. Capability-wise, probably incorrect an incorrect statement, though true realistically.

 

 

[Morch]

2 hours ago, Elfin said:

Please, don't plead the "little country" chestnut. Israel has the 4th biggest army in the world and gets gifted with more than $US 3 billion in US military hardware and software every year. Israel is not the underdog.

 

Do talk about "chestnuts"....

 

29 Largest Armies In The World

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/29-largest-armies-in-the-world.html

 

Not that comparing sizes always means that much (in these matters!).

 

 

 

 

[Morch]

48 minutes ago, Lokie said:

Think the Iranians know that Israel will not think twice about launching against them if they push anymore at moment, Iran is all mouth, Israel's actions speak louder than words and Iran knows it

 

Well, "at the moment" is a rather vague time frame. Same goes for what counts as "push". I have no doubt that one thing or the other will come up, and that we won't have to wait long. Whether it will be this or that is of lesser importance. But if one wished to, things could be views from an opposite perspective - guess it would be termed "Israeli transgressions" or something like that. Israel carried numerous attacks on Syrian/Iranian/Hezbollah targets in Syria over the last few years. From Israel's point of view, these are legit and necessary, the other side probably sees it quite differently.

 

 

And when it comes to "all mouth", so far both sides are mostly barking, and let's hope they keep it so.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Morch

[Elfin]

Morch the pro-semetic wicket keeper. I was waiting for you to chime in. The figures that I saw (and I can't find that source at the moment) put Israel's military personnel (including all types in different services) at around a million people.

I will try and locate my source tomorrow-maybe it included all forms of weapons and infrastructure too.

Edited February 19, 2018 by Elfin

[Morch]

@Elfin

 

Guess turning to irrelevant and incorrect personal references is one way of covering for not being able to stand behind nonsense posts. As said, most times such size comparing does not contribute much to assessing relative strengths and capabilities.

[Elfin]

A nonsense post=something you disagree with?

[Morch]

28 minutes ago, Elfin said:

A nonsense post=something you disagree with?

 

I usually disagree with nonsense posts. I also don't like trolls much.

 

 

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Elfin said:

Morch the pro-semetic wicket keeper. I was waiting for you to chime in. The figures that I saw (and I can't find that source at the moment) put Israel's military personnel (including all types in different services) at around a million people.

I will try and locate my source tomorrow-maybe it included all forms of weapons and infrastructure too.

176 500 Israelis in the I.D.F