Dershowitz speaks out
HARVARD Professor Alan Dershowitz set out the case for a military attack on Iran in front of a capacity audience at Central Synagogue on Sunday.
HARVARD Professor Alan Dershowitz set out the case for a military attack on Iran in front of a capacity audience at Central Synagogue on Sunday.
Young and old crowded the synagogue on a drizzly Sydney night to hear one of the world’s most prominent Zionist advocates make the case for his beloved Israel.
And advocate he did, ruminating under the gentle guidance of Sydney Morning Herald political editor Peter Hartcher on his legal career, the peace process and Israel’s enemies.
It was a whirlwind trip to Australia for Dershowitz, who was in the country for only three days as a guest of the Festival of Dangerous Ideas.
The event, hosted by the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies and JewishCare, was his only Jewish community engagement and he did not disappoint.
Dershowitz said he was only 30 per cent confident Israel would attack Iran to destroy its nuclear facilities.
“I would be myself surprised if Israel unilaterally tried to take out Iran,” he said.
Nevertheless, the prolific author, who was recently briefed by Israel’s top military brass, continued to ponder the idea, arguing Israel may not possess the weaponry required for an attack.
Iran is known to be building its nuclear plants deep underground, with American-developed “bunker busting” artillery required to penetrate those facilities.
Dershowitz explained, “No-one is clear today if Israel has bunker busting bombs in its arsenal”. Instead, he said, an Israeli attack would have to focus on rendering the entrances to those underground facilities unusable.
NAOMI LEVIN
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