Even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses the USfor “red lines” on Iran’s nuclear development and Iran ramps up its rhetoric, Israelis don’t seem to be expecting a war with Iran anytime soon – and are not frantically preparing for one.

Yes, Iran is a dangerous regime, most say. But even as some get new gas masks and repair their bomb shelters, more than half say they think Mr. Netanyahu's statements about launching an Israeli strike on Iran are a bluff intended to pressure the US to do the job instead.

And even if Netanyahu were serious about going it alone, Israelis express a high degree of confidence in Israel’s ability to defend itself.

“We have been following the Iran issue for quite a long time and … [Israelis] actually seem to be pretty relaxed about it and I suppose that, following their answers, this is because they don’t really think it’s going to happen,” says public opinion expert Tamar Hermann, who co-edits a monthly poll known as the Peace Index. “They see it as a chess game by which Netanyahu is trying to achieve certain advantages in the international arena.”

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There are other theories about why Israelis seem relatively calm about the Iran threat: They’ve long since accepted that they live in a dangerous neighborhood; they have confidence in the state’s ability to defend itself and protect its civilians; they don’t think Iran will strike anyway; and, for the more religious, they are looking to the same God that delivered their people from enemies who sought their destruction in the past, from Goliath to Haman.

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“First of all, I trust God. Secondly, we have very clever people, very good intelligence,” and a strong military, says Moshe Guy, a Tel Aviv resident visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. “I’m not afraid – I’m much more afraid about the conflict between Jews in Israel – between religious and non-religious.… I see that Judaism is moving toward [being] fanatic, and fanatic is very bad.”

Indeed, other concerns seem to be more top of mind for Israelis, including the high cost of living, rising social tensions, and even a possible earthquake.

US SUPPORT STILL TRUMPS ALL

Earlier this year, a survey conducted by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) at Tel Aviv University found that only 18 percent of Israelis believed that Iran would attack Israel with nuclear weapons. Even if Iran were to launch a nuclear attack, almost 2 in 3 Israelis believe that Israel can handle such an strike, according to the survey, which will be published in December.

But Israelis were more confident in their country's ability to deal with all but one of the other threats posed by the survey – including war with Arab countries, sustained terrorism, and a chemical or biological weapons attack, according to INSS data shared with the Monitor.

The only thing Israelis are more worried about in terms of national security is a drop in US support of Israel.

“All the studies we’ve done over the past 25 years show that the Israeli public … puts great, great, great emphasis between Israel and US and views strong bonds … as a major factor in Israel’s national security,” says Yehuda Ben Meir, co-director of INSS’s National Security and Public Opinion Project. “Since it’s been made very clear that the US is more than strongly opposed to a unilateral Israeli independent attack at this time … [Israelis] don’t want it.”

To be sure, a substantial cohort – as high as 40 percent, according to some polls – still supports an Israeli strike. But a strong majority – 61 percent, according to the Peace Index – only want a joint US-Israel strike.

That said, Israelis don’t necessarily trust the US. Some 70 percent said they did not have full confidence in US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s promise this summer that the US will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, according to the July edition of Professor Hermann’s Peace Index.

“We cannot trust America,” says Mr. Guy of Tel Aviv, criticizing Netanyahu for pressuring the US to support an Israeli strike or launch its own. “Why speak about it, [why] make so much noise? They will not do it. We must do it.”

IS AN EARTHQUAKE MORE LIKELY THAN A NUCLEAR ATTACK?

This weekend, the deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said that an Israeli strike would “provide a historic opportunity for the Islamic Revolution to wipe [Israel] off the face of the earth,” adding that an infantry battalion would be able to “break Israel’s back” within a day.

It’s sound bites like that which always spur a flurry of calls and website traffic for Dani Avram, the owner of an Israeli bomb shelter company called Ani Mugan (“I am protected”).

“Every time there’s the right news … you see a big increase of people that want to fix their home shelters,” says Mr. Avram, who says that usually such calls drop off after a few days. “But now, it’s many more people and a longer period of time.”

Traffic to his company website has increased at least sixfold, he estimates, and calls have risen from a few dozen a day to a few hundred. Even on weekends and recent holidays, traffic has been similar to a normal business day, he says.

Part of it may be an improved awareness among citizens about how to brace for attack, thanks in part to a more organized campaign by the government.

“It’s not the same as [before the 1991] Gulf War – now we feel more secure because now we feel better prepared,” says Dan, a Modiin resident visiting Jerusalem’s Old City who declined to give his last name.

DISTRIBUTING GAS MASKS

But his wife, Ilanit, says she is worried – though she admits she has yet to get a gas mask for their third child, an infant.

The Home Front Command, set up in the wake of the Gulf War, began a nationwide campaign in 2010 to distribute gas masks to protect citizens in the event of biological or chemical warfare. Since then, they have distributed more than 4 million of the so-called “protection kits,” but only about half of Israelis currently have one, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

The country has also helped prepare citizens by organizing nationwide civil defense drills every spring or early summer since the 2006 Lebanon war, when Hezbollah sent a flood of rockets over Israel’s northern border. But this year’s drill, which is set to include NATO and the United Nations, will be held in October and doesn’t have anything to do with missiles or other possible retaliatory attacks from Iran.

Normally, the drills include the sounding of a siren, the distribution of messages via SMS, and requests for civilians to go to a designated secure place as they would in an emergency. Local governments are also involved in emergency response simulations.

Instead, the focus this year will be preparing for an earthquake. The last destructive earthquake in Israel occurred in 1927, and with major quakes occurring every 80-90 years on average, some say the country is due for another.

“I know it’s much more sexy to talk about Iran, but an earthquake is much more likely statistically,” says Nissan Zehevi, spokesman for the Home Front Defense Minister. But, he adds, “We’re ready for any scenario.”

In the meantime, says Hermann, Israelis don’t seem to be batting an eye – noting among other things the recent uptick in home sales lately.

“Normally people do not invest in real estate when they think that their new homes are going to be destroyed by missiles from Iran,” she says.

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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Barack Obama told world leaders Tuesday that attacks on U.S. citizens in Libya "were attacks on America," and he called on them to join in confronting the root causes of the rage across the Muslim world.

"I do believe that it is the obligation of all leaders, in all countries, to speak out forcefully against violence and extremism," Obama said in a speech to the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.

Obama also condemned the anti-Muslim video that helped spark the recent attacks, calling it "cruel and disgusting." But he strongly defended the U.S. Constitution's protection of the freedom of expression, "even views that we profoundly disagree with."

With U.S. campaign politics shadowing every word, Obama also warned that time to peacefully curb the Iranian nuclear crisis is running out.

He said there is "still time and space" to resolve the issue through diplomacy. But that time is not unlimited."

"Make no mistake: A nuclear-armed Iran is not a challenge that can be contained. It would threaten the elimination of Israel, the security of Gulf nations and the unraveling of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty," he said.

The foreign minister of Indonesia, the nation with world's largest Muslim population, said Obama's speech was a "clarion call" for all nations to shun intolerance and he expected Muslim nations to react positively. .

"There will be a lot of sympathy. It is an issue that galvanizes all of us," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa told The Associated Press. But he added that freedom of expression should be exercised with consideration to morality and public order.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has accused Obama of not being tough enough on Iran and of turning his back on Israel and other allies in the Middle East. Romney also has said he doesn't have much faith in peace prospects between Israelis and Palestinians.

Obama told the U.N.: "Among Israelis and Palestinians, the future must not belong to those who turn their backs on the prospect of peace."

Romney in separate remarks to a global conference sponsored by former President Bill Clinton, said the attack at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that took the life of the U.S. ambassador and three other U.S. citizens was an act of terrorism.

Obama mentioned the slain U.S. ambassador, Christopher Stevens, several times in his address.

"Today, we must declare that our future will be determined by people like Chris Stevens and not by his killers. Today, we must declare that this violence and intolerance has no place among our United nations," he said.

Unlike Romney, Obama has not specifically called the attacks in Libya and other U.S. missions terrorism.

Obama said that "at a time when anyone with a cellphone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button," the notion that governments can control the flow of information is obsolete.

"There is no speech that justifies mindless violence," such as the attack that left the four Americans dead in Libya, Obama said.

"The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech — the voices of tolerance that rally against bigotry and blasphemy and lift up the values of understanding and mutual respect."

Obama said that the United States "will be relentless in tracking down the killers and bringing them to justice." And he said he appreciated "that in recent days, the leaders of other countries in the region — including Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen — have taken steps to secure our diplomatic facilities and called for calm. So have religious authorities around the globe."

The president said there was no way the United States would have just banned the offensive video that helped trigger the attacks, as some leaders in the Muslim world have advocated.

"Like me, the majority of Americans are Christian, and yet we do not ban blasphemy against our most sacred beliefs," Obama said.

"Moreover, as president of our country and commander in chief of our military, I accept that people are going to call me awful things every day, and I will always defend their right to do so," he said, drawing laughter from his audience.

Running through Obama's speech was an overall theme that leaders of the Muslim world should also stand up for freer speech and oppose those who vent their anger with violence.

"There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. There is no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon or destroy a school in Tunis or cause death and destruction in Pakistan," Obama said.

"More broadly, the events of the last two weeks speak to the need for all of us to address honestly the tensions between the West and an Arab world moving to democracy," he said.

But, he added, "Just as we cannot solve every problem in the world, the United States has not, and will not, seek to dictate the outcome of democratic transitions abroad, and we do not expect other nations to agree with us on every issue."

"Nor do we assume that the violence of the past weeks, or the hateful speech by some individuals, represents the views of the overwhelming majority of Muslims — any more than the views of the people who produced this video represent those of Americans."

Turning to the rising violence in Syria, Obama told the U.N. delegates, "The future must not belong to a dictator who massacres his people. If there is a cause that cries out for protest in the world today, it is a regime that tortures children and shoots rockets at apartment buildings. We must remain engaged to assure that what began with citizens demanding their rights does not end in a cycle of sectarian violence."

"Together, we must stand with those Syrians who believe in a different vision — a Syria that is united and inclusive, where children don't need to fear their own government and all Syrians have a say in how they are governed— Sunnis and Alawites, Kurds and Christians."

Obama also noted some hopeful developments in the world in the nearly four years he's been in office.

"The war in Iraq is over, and our troops have come home. We have begun a transition in Afghanistan, and America and our allies will end our war on schedule in 2014," he said. "Al-Qaida has been weakened, and Osama bin Laden is no more. Nations have come together to lock down nuclear materials, and America and Russia are reducing our arsenals."

Summing up, Obama said, "true democracy — real freedom — is hard work."

Declaring it is time to leave "the call of violence and the politics of division behind," Obama said: "We cannot afford to get it wrong. We must seize this moment. And America stands ready to work with all who are willing to embrace a better future."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad last night insisted his country was ready to make concessions on its controversial nuclear program, but again accused Israel of fomenting tension in theMiddle East and criticized international atomic regulators for what he called “double-standards.”

Mixing blustery rhetoric with conciliatory remarks, the Iranian leader also told a dinner of academics and students at a New Yorkhotel that the violent protests that erupted in many Muslim countries over a YouTube video mocking the prophet Muhammad were indicative of the “negative mindset” of many Muslims toward the US.

“Iran has made mistakes, Iran could have behaved better,” he said, speaking through a translator. “We are ready for transparent dialogue…. We are ready to help to eliminate negative mindsets.”

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Mr. Ahmadinejad’s discussion was one in a long list of media and public speaking events for the Iranian leader ahead of his speech before the United Nations General Assembly tomorrow. The Iranian leader had interviews with CNN, PBS, and a long list of USmedia outlets.

NUCLEAR CONCERNS

His remarks come as rhetoric has reached alarming levels in the Middle East, with Israeli officials claiming that Iran is nearing a “zone of immunity,” when a military attack on its nuclear facilities will be impossible and Iran will be able to manufacture nuclear weapons without restriction.

Tehran has repeatedly said its nuclear program is for peaceful energy and research purposes. However, International Atomic Energy Agency officials have documented some moves by Iran that suggest it is keeping its options open, for example, for making highly enriched uranium that could be used in a bomb.

“Iran is entitled to domestic uranium enrichment,” Ahmadinejad said. “It is a legitimate right…. And what rights do you have if you do not use them?”

He claimed that negotiators from the so-called P5+1 – the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany – have told Iran that they are confident Iran hasn’t moved toward nuclear weapon manufacture. But he said that the IAEA had made “illegal requests” and its list of requests had “only gotten longer and longer.”

He also insisted the IAEA’s lack of oversight of Israel’s purported atomic weapons program – Israel is not a signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and does not allow the IAEA access to the facility believed to house Israel's nuclear weapons program – was indicative of a double-standard.

Ahmadinejad said Iran supports a proposal to create an international consortium to oversee Iran’s enrichment program, saying US companies could be involved in building and engineering the program.

'ZIONIST REGIME'

As in the past, Ahmadinejad repeatedly derided Israel, calling it a “Zionist regime,” though he did not repeat earlier inflammatory remarks that he made in other venues. At a high-level UN meeting earlier in the day, he reportedly said Israel should be “eliminated.” Israel’s delegation to the meeting walked out of the hall in protest.

“[The Israelis] want to provoke the situation and give rise to more tensions and get themselves out of a dead end,” he said at the dinner. “We are for eradicating the foundations, the reason these tensions. For a regime to threaten to bomb Iran, this must be condemned by the world.”

“Are the Western governments willing to rein in this regime?” he asked.

He also suggested he thought the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran, and the subsequent 444-day hostage crisis, was wrong, telling the room, "I don't want to say this was the right action to take, but I want to put ourselves in their shoes." And he ducked a question about relations between Israel and the Palestinians, saying only that the Palestinians deserved to have a vote about self-determination.

Outside the Warwick Hotel, where Ahmadinejad spoke, a heavy presence of New York police andSecret Service agents added to the already snarled traffic that occurs when dozens of world leaders descend on the city for the UN General Assembly meetings.

Earlier, sporadic groups of protesters gathered on the sidewalks nearby the hotel. One man walked by yelling that the Iranian leader was a “deranged genocidal nutjob.” In another group of black-clad ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, at least one wore a sign that read “I’m a Jew, not a Zionist.”

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