Throughout his life, Effie Eitam has been a member of the Israeli legislature, a brigadier general, an adviser and consultant to the Israeli prime minister.
Yet in the first minutes of his address at the Hillel Thursday, Eitam struck one off of his resume.
“The news about me being the Messiah is completely exaggerated,” Eitam said to a crowd of 50. “It is not accurate.”
Eitam spoke for more than an hour and a half.
He discussed some of the more controversial issues regarding international politics, such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine and Iran’s desire to build a nuclear program.
Labeling the Iranians as a “sophisticated, determined enemy,” Eitam warned of the looming possibility of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon.
While he did not give a specific timetable as to when that could happen, he made it quite clear that Israel would not tolerate an Iranian nuclear state.
“Israel will wait until the last minute [to engage in war with Iran], but if all else fails, Israel will defend itself,” he said. “Nuclear weapons in the hands of Iranians is not an option.”
On the matter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Eitam repeatedly emphasized that while the relationship between the two countries is not in good shape, both sides are capable of achieving peace.
“The Palestinians are not different; they are human beings,” he said. “ I am very optimistic ... we shall find a way with the Palestinians.”
