Second, it's interesting that Iran's leaders have called for the destruction of Israel. All the countries surrounding Israel know that they can't compete militarily with it–Israel will go nuclear in a matter of minutes if Iran were to try to invade it, after all.

There is something to be said for Israel's relative wealth and technological sophistication, as compared to its antagonistic countries. Those countries are all too aware that you can't smite Israel when Israel can destroy you.

He's got a point – it is almost entirely the fault of British (Western) colonialism and the severe reparations of WWI that led to the creation of the Israeli state as we know it today.