‘Ahmadinejad is a psychopath like Hitler,’ explained Abdul Samara, an Israeli Sufi, specialist in religious affairs.
‘Hitler!’ exclaimed Laura.
‘He wants to wipe Israel off the map.’
‘He speaks just like Hitler before the Second World War and said the Jews should move their country to Europe or North America.’
‘It’s obvious he's some kind of a psychopath. Can you imagine what he would do with an atomic bomb!’ added Benny.
‘Do you really think they want a bomb or are making one?’
‘The Mossad has proof that secret uranium enrichment sites exist in Iran and that they are a very short time away from developing a bomb.’
‘What will Israel do?’
‘There is only one option and that is military action against, if we don’t it will be like committing suicide.’
‘Shouldn’t the UN Security Council look after that…sanctions or some such action?’
‘Ahmadinejad says he doesn’t give a damn about the UN.’
‘So do you think we’ll have a war of religions?’
‘A war of religions?’
‘I mean it’s not really a war of religions, is it?’
‘Well the Palestinians will tell you it’s a question of self determination and the creation of a Palestinian state, the Israelis will tell you it’s their fight against terror and the survival of the state of Israel. But, that’s not the whole story,’ he said waiting for Laura to asked the question he begged.
She remained silent.
‘The story is much older and is in fact a question of religion. It goes back to the Prophet Mohammed,’ said Samara:
‘When it is said to them, Believe in what Allah Hath sent down, they say, “We believe in what was sent down to us,” yet they reject all besides, even if it be Truth confirming what is with them. Say: “Why then have ye slain the prophets of Allah in times gone by, if ye did indeed believe?’
Laura looked at him, her face totally blank.
‘That’s from the Holy Koran.’
She looked even blanker.
‘Let me explain,’ he said with the kind of exasperation a teacher would have for a recalcitrant child. ‘Mohammed spoke to the Jews who refuse the Koran, he accuses them of killing the prophets of Allah, specifically Jesus.’
‘I see, so there is a religious conflict.’
‘Of course,’ said Benny. ‘If you look at the Bible, the Christians transformed it into their book, then they added the New Testament. Then, with respect to my good friend Abdul Samara, the Muslims extrapolated it to create Koran. The holy scriptures of the three religions are filled with vilification of the other revealed religions. Today people like Alfred Mann try to present the good aspects, which of course exist, but alongside these good aspects there is a multitude of rejection, threats and contradictions, which cannot be ignored without rejecting that which cannot be rejected as it is the revealed word of God. This is a deep rooted conflict that cannot be smoothed over and is acerbated by the territorial and political conflict.’
‘I can not agree Benny about the Holy Koran being an extrapolation of the Bible,’ said Samara smiling sadly.
The discussion seemed like another of the endless justifications for one or the other religions.
‘Look, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addressed the United Nations, he said he had a mystical experience, during which the assembly was spellbound as they listened to his message, but at the same time Ahmadinejad has publicly vowed to wipe Israel off the map, he denies the holocaust and is has become obsessed with the idea of destroying Israel.’
‘Perhaps they are just words.’
‘I don’t know but the government has quietly ordered the Israeli Defence Forces to prepare to launch air strikes against Iranian nuclear sites if necessary. He is only waiting for a nod from the Americans. Remember how Israel’s F16 war planes destroyed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981 before it could be fuelled’
‘Maybe there is some truth in what Ahmadinejad says when he accuses the West of hypocrisy and arrogance by trying to deprive Iran of its rights.’
‘Perhaps.’
‘The Americans won’t do anything,’ laughed Benny, ‘they’ve learnt their lesson in Iraq. They imagined all they had to do was to turn right after Baghdad to attack the other Middle Eastern member of the axis of evil.’
‘I supose you’re right there.’
‘Sure I am, now they can’t do a damn thing, Iran is giving the finger to the West while the Americans are bogged down in Iraq, in addition its allies just want to get out.’
‘What about Israel’s position? Do they want you to do their dirty work?’
‘If it’s anybody’s dirty work it’s ours, it’s our survival, Ahmadinejad is another Hitler.’
‘We should attack and we are capable of doing the job,” he said. ‘Iran is an impending danger to Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu is right when he backs the destruction of Iranian nuclear facilities.’
‘Has Israel really the capability to attack Iran?’
‘Yes, our Air Force base at in the Negev is ready to attack to attack the Iranian facilities just like we bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981.’
‘That was in 1981.’
‘Now we have two submarines that can launch cruise missiles.’
‘Aren’t you afraid of Iranian missiles?’
‘Of course, we know that Iran is developing long range missiles and will soon be able to produce bomb-grade uranium unless they are stopped.’