By Cliff Nichols

By now, we all know Iran’s president is saying the Holocaust was a fabrication, that Israel not only should but will be “wiped off the map” and, at the same time, that the world should just leave him alone so he can develop the nuclear capability necessary to provide “energy” to his nation. As the saying goes, what’s wrong with this picture? His name, of course, is Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but I wouldn’t spend a lot of time trying to memorize how to spell it. My guess is that he’ll not be around for very long, but perhaps not for any of the reasons you may think.

My suspicion that his departure from the stage of global political affairs is imminent and is not predicated on anything in particular that I anticipate the U.N, the U.S. or even the government of Israel might do. For sure, anyone or all may take some form of action in the near future that could result in deposing Ahmadinejad. In my mind, however, it is his behavior that already has all but sealed his fate, not their reaction to the behavior. Whatever role they may play will be only that of the instrumentality that will be used to bring about its fulfillment.

My reason for thinking about it in this way is really quite basic. You see, as you may have guessed by now, I happen to believe in God. It is the same God as was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I realize that I’m going to lose many of you at this point, but just bear with me for a moment. Yet again, I ask that you suspend your disbelief in my premise for a moment and assume, just for argument’s sake, that I am right on this point.

If it is true that God exists, then that God would also be the same one that issued this promise about 3,000 years or so ago: “I will restore the captivity of my people Israel, and they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat fruit, and they will never again be rooted out from their land, says the Lord your God.” Memo to Ahmadinejad: You may wish to read the last clause to yourself several times out loud and then get your speechwriter a copy for his consideration before your next press conference.

My next assumption is that the God I believe exists means what he says when he says it.

Of one thing we can be certain. God, assuming of course that he exists at all, rarely, if ever, quibbles about important matters. For example, consider what he had to say to the Ammonites, who you may wish to recall don’t seem to exist anymore. “Because you have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced with all the scorn of your soul against the land of Israel, therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand against you and I will give you for spoil to the nations. And I will cut you off from the peoples and make you perish from the lands; I will destroy you. Thus, you will know that I am God.”

Now bear in mind that this is the same God, as we saw above, who indicated that once he resurrects Israel he would have a vested interest in seeing to it that it would never again be “rooted” out of existence. So, when a person like Ahmadinejad says to the world that he intends to accomplish exactly that — the exact thing that God said would never happen, my bet is that Ahmadinejad has most probably bitten off just a little bit more than he can chew. To appreciate this fact, it might be instructive for me to ask you if you can tell me where the following governments are today in terms of international stature? The Ammonites? The Moabites? The Edomites? And all of the other governments named in the Old Testament that rhyme with termites? For that matter, where is Tyre? Where are the Philistines? Where are the Pharoahs? Where is the Roman Empire? The Phoenician Empire? And, for that matter, where is the Third Reich and the British Empire, upon which the sun used to never set? And, these are just some of the ones that come to mind. You can’t tell me where they are today, can you? That’s largely because they are no more. What did they all share in common? All of them came up against, and at some point threatened, Israel’s or its people’s existence.

Of course, that’s not to say that Ahmadinejad appreciates the dilemma he has put himself in. Unfortunately for all concerned, he probably does not. That would be indicated by the fact that he presently seems intent upon continuing with his bad habit of clapping his hands and stamping his feet and rejoicing with all the scorn of his soul against the land of Israel, wouldn’t you say? I, for one, have little doubt that he may still fully intend to try to carry out his murderous agenda. As were his predecessors named above, he probably is too blinded by his hatred of Jews to know he has put himself and his nation at odds with God himself — to say the least, what would be a daunting challenge for most mortals. And, that is why I believe he has all but sealed his fate. In my opinion, I think it will not be dissimilar to the fates of the others who have tried to do likewise in the past. For me, the only real question that remains is if he does not recant his current position, by what instrumentality, whether it is by the U.N., the U.S., Israel or otherwise, will his fate be delivered?

Cliff Nichols is an attorney practicing criminal defense/entertainment law in Santa Monica. He may be contacted at either (310) 917-1083, cliff@cliffnicholslaw.com or www.cliffnicholslaw.com and you may join his blog at www.thedailystand.com