Netanyahu. Photo Courtesy of UN-Photo/Marco Castro
Reports have claimed that the major world powers are getting closer to a nuclear deal with Iran, with roughly five weeks to go before the next deadline for achieving the general framework of a deal. As the time counts down, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained his plan to argue against what he called a “very bad deal” before Congress in two weeks.
“Now is the time for Israel to make its case—now before it’s too late,” said Netanyahu in comments released by his office. “Would it be better to complain about a deal that threatens the security of Israel after it’s signed? I believe it’s more responsible to speak out now to try to influence the negotiations while they’re still ongoing.”
Netanyahu assailed the reported deal, expected to allow Iran to maintain some elements of its nuclear program in exchange for compromises that would make it more challenging for Iran to use its program to develop nuclear weapons. Netanyahu believes the current deal framework would fail to achieve its goal of ensuring Iran’s program will be peaceful.
“The current proposal to Iran would endanger Israel. It would enable Iran to breakout to its first nuclear device within an unacceptably short time,” said Netanyahu. “And it would allow Iran to build an industrial capability to enrich uranium that could provide the fuel for many bombs in the coming years.”
In an article from earlier this month in The Jerusalem Post, citing Israel radio, the US is reportedly open to allowing the Iranians to keep 6,500 centrifuges—machines used in the process of turning uranium into nuclear fuel—if the Iranians work to keep the Middle East quiet. Iran is a major sponsor of regional terrorism and is helping the Syrian regime stay afloat in their civil war.
Netanyahu argued that Iran’s regional terrorism proves how dangerous they would be with nuclear weapons, especially considering their influence in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and elsewhere. “Look at what Iran is doing now without nuclear weapons. States are collapsing. And Iran is plunging forward. It’s already controlling four capitals… Such a regime with nuclear weapons would be infinitely more dangerous to everyone, not only to Israel.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, February 16, 2015)