On Israeli warships

An American scientist who wants to have a job (and thus does not want to be identified) sent me this: "And now for a demonstration of the might of the Israeli Navy. Oh, yes. The Eilat Corvette crossed the Suez Canal, and this (between us, Haaretz discloses) is the second time… after a trip up and down the Arab waterway in June. The intent was to let Iran know that Israel is at the ready with three Corvettes. Of course Israeli war makers do not refer to these ships of the line as Corvettes… they are Saar-class warships, I will have you know! The Hebrew name emphasizes that even the taxonomy of these naval vessels is local and is Israeli – never mind that they were built with my tax dollar by Northrop Grumman. Corvettes are smaller than frigates and bigger than patrol boats! They are suited for coastal defense. Israel loads them with arms (bought with your tax dollar, this time… OK and mine) and sets them up to blockade other countries – not so effectively you might observer, given that a Chinese C802 rocket nearly sank one, and certainly put it out of action in Israel’s latest attempt at getting back into Lebanon in July 2006. But then, one might argue that not only the Israeli Navy demonstrated the fine art of murder and mayhem then defeat and retreat, the Army did more, and the valiant Israeli Air Force did the best against bridges and roads and innocent civilians. Iran has to watch out. The Israeli Navy is coming… and it makes its crossing of the canal a public event – for domestic consumption to stop the wailing about the July 2006 defeat, and to, of course, frightens the Iranians? Eilat, the flagship of the flotilla made of a Corvette and a submarine (flotilla? Lord Nelson is swiveling in his grave!). The Submarine is German. One of three. Two were gift of the German people – although they may not be aware of that, just as few are aware in the US of the cost they underwrite for maintaining Israel’s economy and ‘defense’ forces. The third is bought outright by the Israeli government – as the initial reports indicated… They were meant to be a joke, perhaps, because the German government paid for half of the cost of the submarine, probably as an act of charity? Yes. That must be it – and not blackmail as many, many people concluded! Again, in the shallower waters of the Mediterranean and even the Persian Gulf, submarines are of little use – apart from demonstrating that Israel is so militarily advanced and powerful, so frightful and awesome – it has not lost a war since the last war it lost! Pathetic? No more pathetic than the stance of the Arab leaders, such as the fading (not a second too soon) Mubarak and his junta speaking about the “horrors of war” in his letter to President Obama on the anniversary of Camp David. No. They prefer to watch Israel wreak havoc in the region, murder thousands, destroy cities… and crosses their own waterway, while they piddle between their legs in fright!"