When Netanyahu Was Credited Shaping US Anti-terrorism Policy

In an article we came across from Ma'ariv newspaper of July 26, 1985 headlined "Mister Anti-Terror",Former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz credited Netanyahu with playing a central role in shaping American policy towards terrorism following the TWA 847 plae hijacking crisis.
Its fair to say that Netanyahu should rahter credit Shultz for becoming Israel's second longest serving Prime Minister so far. Digging more into the Netanyahu-Shultz Alliance, one can get a sense of understanding Netanyahu's world view on Iran and his main talking points in this election season. Thanks to Shultz and Israel's Ambassador to the United States Moshe Ahrens, who in April 1982 plucked the young traveling salesman for Israel's Rim Furniture company, and placed him in Washington as the Deputy Chief of Mission in the Israeli Embassy, according to the Executive Intelligence Review.

"Bibi did such a good job, that in February 1983, when Ambassador Ahrens was called back to Israel to become the new Defense Minister after Ariel Sharon was sacked for his role in the Lebanon massacres, Shultz pressured Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to appoint Netanyahu to Ahrens's vacant post as Ambassador!

"Shamir refused, but in the interim six months before there was a new appointment, Netanyahu took charge of the embassy. From there Shultz called young Bibi into his State Department Office for a chat. Shultz shared classified information from the CIA on terrorism in Libya, Syria, Iraq, and Iran with Netanyahu, and as described by authors Ben Caspit and Ilan Kfir in their 1998 book Netanyahu, The Road to Power, Shultz said: "Those terrorists are wild animals and not human beings. I have decided to change American policy towards terrorism.
 

"Shultz told Netanyahu about the sharp debate between himself and Caspar Weinberger, who opposed the use of American and international force against terrorism...."

Netanyahu and Shultz decided to hold an international conference on terrorism in Washington, D.C., at which Shultz would give the keynote and announce his new policy of pre-emptive use of force. The conference would be hosted by the Jonathan Institute for the International Study of Terrorism, named after Bibi's brother Yoni, who was killed in the Israeli anti-terrorist raid in Entebbe, Uganda. The chairman of the Institute was Benzion Netanyahu, Bibi's father. Ahrens served as Benzion's personal secretary, when the latter chaired the international Revisionist Movement after the death of Vladimir Jabotinsky.

Shultz's keynote was broadcast live internationally. "... Can we as a country, can the community of free nations, stand in a purely defensive posture and absorb the blows dealt by terrorists?"

"I think not. From a practical standpoint, a purely passive defense does not provide enough of a deterrent to terrorism and the states that sponsor it. It is time to think long, hard, and seriously about more active means of defense—defense through appropriate preventive or pre-emptive actions against terrorist groups before they strike."

Shultz continued: "We will need to strengthen our capabilities in the area of intelligence and quick reaction. Intelligence will be particularly important, since our societies demand that we know with reasonable clarity just what we are doing and against whom we are acting....

"We must face that challenge with realism, determination, and strength of will. I have great faith that we do have such will, and the capability to act decisively against this threat."

"Less than three months later, Netanyahu was promoted as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations....Shultz continued to promote Netanyahu as an up-and-coming political figure. The two appeared together as main speakers at a Jewish fund-raising dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York months later, where Shultz sang the praises of Netanyahu for changing international policy in dealing with terrorism....