Obama is distancing the USA from Israel because they are too keen to attack Iran.The USA at this stage realises that it is too dangerous to attack Iran because Russia has warned them that they will not let another Lybia style attack happen again.Iran will thump Israel in a conventional war and if Israel uses nukes,it will suffer from the nuclear fallout.Israel needs US support to attack Iran.

Obama at this stage is quite happy to fight this war using proxies,corruption,subversion and propaganda.

There is no proof that Iran is developing nukes but we know Israel has at least 200.

We had all hope that Iran will not be attacked because high oil prices will worsen the Depression begun in 2008 and possibly bring Russia and China into this conflict.

This is a classic example of a problem without a solution.
When this type of problem exists there are only two possibilities.
Either a climb down by one side or war.

A climbdown by Israel means evacuation to other countries.
A climbdown by Iran is impossible by moslems due to religious dogma and behaviour problems.

As neither of these climb downs are acceptable, then either the status
qua continues or it is war.

Thats it !

I believe a Middle East war is almost inevitable.
Exactly when is the only question; and yes, it could very well eliminate any oil sales or shipping from that part of the world!
And indeed, economically cripple all those economies like ourselves, who are far too reliant on Middle East sourced oil!
America is basically bankrupt; given it has been spending 1.1 trillion a year more than it collects as revenue, for decades!
The Saudis funded the first gulf war, and the credit card the second.
Say what you will, but the symbiotic economic relationship between China and the US, will almost certainly keep China on the sidelines as a spectator.
Moreover, it has more to fear from an expansionist next door neighbour, Nuclear armed Russia?
And China has no interest in either Iran or Syria; albeit Russia has.
Israel has submarines, quite capable of launching nuclear warheads, and is likely to use them if it's asked to go alone.
Moreover, there are contingency plans to deal with fallout? i.e., very high yield tactical nuclear weapons, with just a mile of ground zero impact, and, dropped when favourable winds carry any fallout away from Israel?
Every Israeli home has a shelter and contingency supplies?
Moreover, Israel may be confronting a use it or lose it type scenario, particularly with regard to Iran, who continues to pursue a nuclear capability.
We could be self sufficient in our own liquid energy supplies!
We have, I believe, huge and untapped resources to our immediate north!
These same resources in use, produce in total numbers, 75% less carbon emission, than fully imported highly refined fuels!
Have we locked these probable possibly massive hydrocarbon reserves away, to please the environmentalists, or the oil cartels, who'se bottom lines would be unbelievably savaged by any significant new and relatively easily recovered huge new finds?
Rhrosty.

There is a competition developing: between Israeli-propagandist Julie and Israeli-propagandist, the Singer!

Both contestants are lawyers and both are sycophants of imperial Israel and the imperial U.S. as well as supporters of the ultra-rightwing, Crazy Benny..., I'm sorry, Mr Netanyahu.

Of course, both Julie and the Singer align themselves with both sides of Australian politics who cheer Israel on no matter how many war crimes it commits or how many U.N. Resolutions it ignores.

It is difficult for Australians to get reliable information about Israel because most of the Australian media either promote Israel and/or won't carry news which puts the Israelis in a bad light.

Israel could well become the spark that sets the Middle East alight but Julie and the Singer want everyone to believe that Iran alone is to blame.

When the nukes start falling, don't worry, there will be plenty of blame to go around.

And Julie and the Singer are near the top of the list!

Rhosty,
Actually we do not get much oil from the middle east, but as oil is as
they say fungible, it won't matter where we get it from, everyone would
be at the same disadvantage.
China gets a very large amount of its oil from Iran but it would make
arrangements to get all the oil it needs from Russia.
That together with the Gulf would cut off Europe.
Indonesia no longer has any export capacity, so we would be dependant
on Vietnam, if we were not outbid.
Rhosty said;
We have, I believe, huge and untapped resources to our immediate north!

Well I hope so, but are they real, and just how big ?
Further more in such a scenario, will the capital be available to
develop such a field. Remember if the situation was as Rhosty suggests
our capital markets would have collapsed.
Could we afford the ten years it would take to survey and develop
such a new field ?
This just another reason our politicians should be seriously examining
the reports for which they have already paid.

David G,

Did we read the same report?

The one I read presented facts, but nowhere in that report could I find that Julie Bishop had made any alignment with the policies of Israel or the U.S.

Instead of an emotional response to her article, please try to understand that the facts she has presented are given for perusal, not necessarily a political stance. After all she is also shadow minister for foreign affairs, and we should appreciate that she is doing her best to further our understanding of this region.

As Bazz commented in his post, there appear to only be two alternatives, and this does not please either side.

If it weren't so tragic, I would find it amusing that Jews and Palestinians allow religion to rule over politics. Especially if as history suggests, they have a shared heritage