The United States and Israel claimed self-defense as the justification for their attack on Iran. But even though Iran is a hostile country that has threatened the U.S. and Israel many times, it didn’t seem to be a significant threat right now. Shalzed confronts U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz with this question.
Before It’s Too Late
I was on the phone with my brother, who had moved to Israel four years ago. He was telling me about how his daughter was very upset about school being cancelled when the siren sounded. I hung up right away so he and his family could get to their shelter. Then Shalzed called.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “How could the U.S. and Israel launch such an attack?”
“Well, we can’t let Iran get nuclear weapons.”
“But that’s not a reason to start a war,” Shalzed said.
I figured Shalzed probably didn’t know much about Iran. Before I could say anything, though, I was in the black tunnel. By now I was used to it enough that I was no longer afraid, and I really wanted to find out how it worked. A moment later I was outside the United Nations in New York, with Shalzed next to me. A man wearing a blue suit with a U.S. flag pin on his jacket was standing nearby, trying to attach a lapel microphone to his jacket. “Ambassador Waltz,” Shalzed called.
The Ambassador turned and looked at Shalzed. “Who are you?” he asked.
“I don’t understand. Countries can only use force to defend themselves,” Shalzed began.
“I’m sorry, I’m just about to go live on Fox News,” Waltz replied, gesturing Shalzed and I to move along. A few steps away, a reporter was conferring with a cameraman.
“But didn’t the U.S. and Israel just violate the UN charter?” Shalzed persisted.
Waltz shook his head and sighed. “Absolutely not,” he said. “Iran has thousands of missiles and is attempting to develop nuclear weapons besides.”
“But how can you say it’s self-defense if they didn’t attack?” Shalzed asked.
“Almost ready,” the reporter called. “Do a sound check, please.”
Waltz nodded. “The Iranian government killed thousands of its own citizens in recent protests,” he said in a robot-like monotone. The reporter gave him a thumbs up. Then he continued in a normal voice, “Some say tens of thousands. We may never know the real number.”
“And that means you can bomb their nuclear facilities?” Shalzed asked.
“Iran’s leaders have been leading chants of death to America and death to Israel for decades,” I interjected. “They even put a clock in the center of Tehran counting down the days until Israel is destroyed.”
Shalzed looked shocked. “Well how can they do that? Didn’t the UN tell them to take it down?”
I laughed, and Waltz also chuckled. “No,” he said. “Evidently, there’s nothing against countdown clocks in the UN charter.”
The reporter walked over. “I’m sorry, we’re delayed just a couple of minutes,” she said. “They broke in with an update from Tel-Aviv.”
“What happened?” I asked, worried people may have been killed.
“Direct hit on a school. But it wasn’t occupied, no injuries.”
“You see, Iran doesn’t follow any international law,” Waltz said. “They shoot missiles at schools, they fire randomly at cities. Then we’re the ones that get criticized.”
“Can you say that when we’re live?” the reporter asked.
“Of course,” Waltz replied. “And I’ll also mention that right now they are carrying out aggression against Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States too. Then people make it out like the United States is the one that doesn’t follow the law.”
Shalzed crossed his hands against his chest. “I understand the government of Iran does bad things. But can that justify an invasion?”
The reporter looked at Waltz expectantly. I had a feeling she was interested to hear his reply, too.
“So should Israel wait until they have ten thousand missiles, many armed with nuclear warheads, and then it’s too late?” he asked.
“Israel can’t risk a nuclear armed Iran,” I added.
“Almost ready,” the cameraman called as he lifted a bulky tv camera onto his shoulder.
Waltz straightened his hair with his hand. “Bottom line,” he said. “Countries are entitled to defend themselves. Iran has been a threat in the past, and we have every reason to believe they will continue to be a threat in the future.”
“Say that on air,” the reporter said.
“But Iran wasn’t a threat right now,” Shalzed interjected. “And any country could potentially be a threat sometime in the future.”
A light on the camera turned on. “Five,” the cameraman said, then he started counting down.
The reporter stepped in front of us, right next to Waltz. As the light on the camera changed color she began. “I’m here at the United Nations with U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz. Mr. Waltz, you just explained to the security council that the action against Iran is completely in keeping with international law. Give us a recap.”
As Waltz began speaking I was back in the black tunnel. I tried to feel around for any clues about what it was made of or how it operated, but before I found anything I was back in my apartment. My phone was ringing- it was my brother calling back.
“Everything alright?” I asked as I picked up.
“Yeah,” he said. “A missile got through the iron dome and hit a school. The building was destroyed, but no one was hurt.”
“Near you?” I asked.
“Just a few kilometers away. Thank God we’re fighting this war now, while Iran still doesn’t have nuclear weapons.”
I told him I was glad he was safe, then I shook my head. Once Iran got the bomb, it would be too late. But if every country struck before it was too late, war would also be endless.
