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Fourteen ministers comprise Israel's security cabinet. Eight have most say. Currently Netanyahu/Barak favor war. Two others support them - Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz. Four others are opposed.
Netanyahu/Barak need one more on their side. How all cabinet members feel is important. Six want war. Another six don't, and two remain undecided. Decisions this grave should be no-brainers. Mindless officials risk possible armageddon Haaretz spelled out as follows:
Though unlikely, if Israel goes it alone, Washington will be "furious. The price of oil soars. Thousands of missiles strike Tel Aviv, Haifa, Dimona and other Israeli cities. The economy collapses.""Hundreds are killed, thousands wounded. A mass flight of Israelis abroad. Tent cities. In this scenario, a senior figure in the ruling party said this week, Netanyahu will certainly lose the next election. Not even avowed Likudniks will vote Likud."
Does Netanyahu know the risks? "Of course," said a senior unnamed source. "He is not stupid." He just acts that way. "He sees the whole picture and all its parts."
Will that give him pause? "No. He believes that this is his reason d'Ã ªtre in life." That's why he was elected, he thinks. He and Barak are committed. Others are worried for good reason.
Haaretz downplayed potential disaster. At issue is irradiating Israel, causing vast destruction, killing thousands, injuring many more, and putting the entire population and others in neighboring countries at risk.
Nightly anti-war demonstrations target Barak's home. Former adviser Eldad Yaniv participates. He said Yitzhak Rabin made a mistake allowing them weekly where he lived. They affected public opinion.
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