OPINION:
I am struck by the remarkable parallels between the recent Iran-Israel war and the iconic 1977 film “Star Wars.”
“Star Wars” begins with an Imperial Star Destroyer attacking a diplomatic spaceship and killing and kidnapping its passengers, including abducting Princess Leia. Similarly, the Iran-Israel war began when Iran’s terrorist proxy, Hamas, invaded Israel and massacred and kidnapped Israeli civilians.
In the movie, the Empire builds the ultimate weapon of mass destruction — the Death Star — and uses it to destroy a planet and threaten the rebel base. Likewise, Iran has enriched uranium far beyond the level needed for civilian use, presumably to make nuclear weapons to fulfill its vow to “wipe Israel off the map” by 2040.
In the film, Luke Skywalker rescuea Leia from the Death Star in a daring raid, much as Israeli commandos rescued Noa Argamani and other kidnapped Israelis from the Hamas terrorists holding them hostage in Gaza.
“Star Wars” concludes with Skywalker destroying the Death Star, assisted by the Millennium Falcon, much as Israel struck Iran’s nuclear sites, assisted by the United States.
However, as Daniel N. Hoffman observes in his op-ed “Battle damage assessment will determine next steps in Iran” (Web, July 10), the strikes “are not an end unto themselves.”
To reduce the risk that the next chapter in the Iran-Israel saga will evoke “The Empire Strikes Back,” we should pursue, if achievable, a strong, enforceable, verifiable and enduring denuclearization agreement.
STEPHEN A. SILVER
San Francisco, Callifornia
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