I think we need to get our heads around one thing. When Ahmadinejad says he will destroy Israel, he is not speaking rhetorically. He is speaking literally. Ahmadinejad and his bosses believe that first Al-Mahdi then Jesus will return to earth. Al-Mahdi is the Islamic messiah, and he’s number one. Jesus is his deputy. Then a Jihad will occur between the forces of good and evil. Little Satan-Israel, big Satan-US vs. the true believers. This will precede the Last Days. Jesus will slay Dajjal, marry, have children and proclaim Islam as the last word of God. This is Ahmadinejad’s living dream. The Americans and Europeans simply have no idea what they’re dealing with.
A comment to Shmuel Rosner, Cohens’ consensus: hard to believe in sanctions (spelling slightly corrected)