The United States, Mr. Biden said in an interview broadcast on ABC’s “This Week,” “cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do.”Biden overstates Israel's sovereignty here. It is a country created by diplomatic fiat that relies heavily on the protection and aid of the US. The weapons, and the money to buy them and pay the soldiers firing them, in any strike on Iran will come in large part from the US. See Must There Be Foreign Aid To Israel? from 2004.
"Israel can determine for itself — it’s a sovereign nation — what’s in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," he said, in an interview taped in Baghdad at the end of a visit there.
Biden also neglects Iran's status as a sovereign nation, and its right to self-determination. I'm not saying Iran is right, I am merely pointing out the contradiction of the Administration's attitudes toward Israel and Iran.
Biden and the President need to take responsibility for enabling Israel's military power and choosing not to restrain Israel should it elect to take action against Iran.
To be fair, Biden has also said, addressing the AIPAC, that "Israel has to work toward a two-state solution. You're not going to like my saying this but not build more settlements, dismantle existing outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement."By the way, Biden's sentiment is not new, and perhaps is not news. He made similar remarks during last year's campaign, reported at the Jerusalem Post on September 3, 2008:
Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden said Wednesday that Israel should be able to take whatever action it feels necessary to defend itself from Iran [...]
"Israel has an absolute right to defend itself. It doesn't have to ask us."
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