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The Great Game

Reader comment on item: Daniel Pipes: 'Israel Has No Policy'

Submitted by Jon, a Brit from Euroland (France), Dec 10, 2010 at 10:01

Mr. Pipes's argument is of course coherent, but comes over as if in regret for an age past when victory was an option and collateral damage was a small footnote. In today's world I would suggest that playing the smaller game of minimising the maximum risk is appropriate despite being theoretically less satisfying than grand gestures be that from podiums, or from bomb bay doors.

As Mr. Pipes pointed out, the strategy of Syria, (and probably that of Lebanon and Iran, as well as Turkey) is not a minimax strategy at all, in that there is far more to be gained (for these countries, and their populations) from a settled peace rather than from an environment of incitement and military and paramilitary investment. Of course the leaders of these lands would be vulnerable to peace, and they are perhaps pursuing another curve of the game theoretical map, and possibly an optimum one, based on their relatively short term outlook (how long can they survive ?)

Israel's approach seems quite canny today : flexible enough to take on the loss of Turkey, and the messianic visions of a plainly narcissistic President Obama, as well as the quisling European left leaders, intent of building a constituency in a future Eurabia. This is a difficult sea to sail on, but at each tack Israel has proven that it has the right storm jib: Sharon, then Netanyahu's crew with Liberman and Barak (Ehud). I think they are not doing too badly…

We can hope (and expect) that Europe and the US will continue to fund the PA and Hamas, allowing their leaders to grow their personal wealth, and thus their influence and their vulnerability. Of course this is not particularly in Israel's interests, about which Europe cares little, but it keeps the lid on the pan as the Great Game with Iran is played out, in which Israel and the Saudis (and perhaps Iraq) will end up on the same side.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (27) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Israel has a policy [101 words]yuval Brandstetter MDDec 14, 2010 12:00180946
Policy of Survival a Reality of Fact [243 words]M. ToveyDec 14, 2010 19:11180946
Oh! How I wish that were true! [53 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 14, 2010 23:58180946
Technology is on our side, and so is China [149 words]yuval Brandstetter MDDec 16, 2010 09:14180946
Fairy Tales [197 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 19, 2010 01:09180946
The conspriacy factor [733 words]John W. McGinleyDec 13, 2010 13:37180914
5Israel HAS a policy [131 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 13, 2010 08:18180902
2Call it Clinton style [619 words]Jay1Dec 12, 2010 21:03180892
Israel should state it's commitment to the whole set of democratic laws and values [254 words]DemsciDec 12, 2010 04:56180876
Does "being built' only imply a process that has started and will never end? [131 words]Mladen AndrijasevicDec 11, 2010 06:18180859
1Cordoba Initiative [116 words]'Israel Has No Policy'Dec 11, 2010 05:29180858
1Correct!!! [127 words]JaladhiDec 11, 2010 20:18180858
A logical and well established interview [111 words]Rafi LaufertDec 11, 2010 04:26180857
1What path Israel to take; what path the world to take? [457 words]NuritGDec 10, 2010 20:10180851
2Reply to NuritG [47 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 13, 2010 08:21180851
Coalition Government is not a good for Israel [232 words]NuritGDec 13, 2010 21:00180851
1Before 1993 [198 words]Abu NudnikDec 10, 2010 17:58180848
7Why Does Daniel Pipes Trust "Moderate" Muslims? [269 words]Canto28Dec 10, 2010 17:40180847
1Excellent comment by Canto28 [15 words]RajeevDec 10, 2010 22:02180847
3No moderate Islam, no moderate Muslim!!! [321 words]JaladhiDec 11, 2010 19:58180847
1Reform Islam [228 words]GershomDec 12, 2010 17:16180847
You need to live there [285 words]Erich WDec 14, 2010 22:20180847
I don't understand [13 words]There is NO Santa ClausDec 15, 2010 23:19180847
Interview by Pajamas Media [96 words]Bryan TaplitsDec 10, 2010 10:23180838
dear israel [60 words]gemDec 13, 2010 20:43180838
2The Great Game [327 words]Jon, a Brit from EurolandDec 10, 2010 10:01180836
1Israel's Internal Problems [180 words]SigmundDec 10, 2010 08:33180834

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