From: Jeffrey Epstein [[email protected]] Sent: 8/27/2012 11:05:23 AM To: Sultan Bin Sulayerr iii Subject: Re: How to Repair the Widening American-lsraeli Rift http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqMSjOONtuA2fbH1hED38qZkrNKc6VJw?docld=CNG.15 8e059567cc64e99373.df644f3 134b3.01 On Mon, Aug 27, 2012 at 6:22 AM, Sultan Bin Sulayem {> wrote: Begin forwarded message: From: Esnch [at Date: August 27, 2012 9:23:47 AM GMT+01:00 To: 'Esnch Subject: How to Repair the Widening American-Israeli Rift On Iran: How to Repair the Widening American-Israeli Rift Ephraim Sneh The Islamist takeover in the Middle East and North Africa has created perilous strategic turbulence in the region. Consequently, it is now critically important that the United States and its few allies cooperate closely. Unfortunately, this has not been the case in recent weeks for US- Israel relations regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The disagreement about attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities has turned into ugly bickering, much of it disguised. This is harmful for both Israel and the United States. To heal this rift — which is necessary to effectively address the Iranian threat — we must understand the following basic facts: 1. The Israeli fear of a nuclear Iran is genuine. It is not a political trick of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Defense Minister Ehud Barak. A nuclear Iran would bolster and encourage extremist militant forces across the region. The moderates would be discouraged, intimidated and invariably weakened to the point where they would be unable to negotiate with Israel. In just a few years, Israel will be surrounded by three ‘Pakistan-like’ countries: Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. All three would possess nuclear weapons and be dominated politically by Islamists. In such a scenario, Israel would lose its strategic advantage in the region. It would lose its lead as a country of entrepreneurship and excellence, as foreign investment would decline and talented young Israelis wo