‘Heroic Flexibility’ scares Israelis

A few days ago, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stunned observers and Iranians alike when he invoked the phrase “heroic flexibility” in one of his speeches.
Indeed, this phrase has a deep historic significance in the early history of Islam — helped the Muslims avert a civil war — and Khamenei would not have invoked it unless the strong leader of Iran sought a different approach with the rest of the world. Analysts around the world have concluded that Khamenei gave the go ahead signal for the newly elected President Hassan Rowhani to cut a deal with the West over Iran’s nuclear program.
Apparently, the sanctions imposed by the West has left a deep imprint on the Iranian society and economy and pushed Iran’s leaders to rethink their country’s foreign policy. In fact, Rowhani has been elected to help ease Western sanctions even if this entails a change in the country’s foreign policy and an improvement of relations with the West. Several rounds of talks between Iran and the P5+1 demonstrated that Iran would not defeat the sanctions unless it gives up on its nuclear program.
The rare public acknowledgment of his determination to strike a deal with the West over the nuclear program reflects a realization reached by the Iranian leadership that Iran would be better off with a sense of pragmatism. It seems that the Iranian hardliners are not what they appear to be. When the moment of truth approaches, they act in a responsible fashion to avert a war in the future.
Now the stage is set. After the leakage of Obama’s letter to Rowhani, the two leaders may meet soon on the sidelines of the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York. Even if they prefer not to meet this time, it is certain that a new important and positive dimension has come to the fore.
That said, the Israeli government’s political confusion these days couldn’t be more obvious. The manner in which President Obama handled the Syrian crisis is said to have eroded the American deterrence in the region. Israeli leaders are concerned that Iran may have concluded that the United States lack resolve and that Tehran could defy the international community on the nuclear issue and get away. But, the new development proves that the Israeli calculations are premature and Iran is not buying time as much as it seeks to end the crisis over its nuclear program.
Interestingly, the American administration seeks to reassure the Israeli government that Washington would judge Iran by its action rather than Khamenei’s speech and Rowhani’s conciliatory tone. The behind-the-scene efforts to appease the Israelis are important for the Americans lest Israel become a spoiler. While Obama is committed to the strategy of prevention, his country has lost the appetite for another big bang military venture in the Middle East. Therefore, if it is possible to get the Iranian leaders to give up on the nuclear program without war then it is worth giving it a chance.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in particular is irked by the new development. Netanyahu urged the American administration not to be fooled by the nice words uttered by the Iranian new leader. “There is no need to be fooled by the words…the test is not in what Rowhani says, but in the deeds of the Iranian regime, which continues to advance its nuclear program with vigor,” said Netanyahu. To Netanyahu, Rowhani is nothing but a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”. Obviously, Netanyahu’s campaign against Iran will continue as he made it clear that the Iranian nuclear program would be at the heart of his discussion with Obama in their Sept. 30 meeting in Washington.
And yet, the American administration is determined not to waste this window of opportunity to resolve the issue peacefully. American statements show that the administration feels that Rowhani is backed by the Iranian supreme leader to negotiate the nuclear issue and to improve relations with the West. If anything, the American administration see Rowhani’s election as a departure from the old foreign policy that placed Iran on a collusion course with the West.
Although Israel has been pressing for a more forceful military action against Iran, Washington is giving diplomacy and sanctions a chance to bring about the desired outcome. The Israeli anxiety is in part due to their lack of faith in the American president. The way he handled the Syrian chemical attack reinforced some deep-seated concerns in Israeli that Obama does not fit the bill of a leader who could deter Iran from carrying on its nuclear program.

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