Israel Matzav

Biden: 'Israel must accept a nuclear Iran'?

The JPost is reporting on Monday that Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Joseph Biden told 'Jerusalem officials' three years ago that Israel must accept a nuclear Iran.

Army Radio reported that the Delaware senator was heard saying in closed conversations with Jerusalem officials three years ago that he was firmly opposed to an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, reportedly claimed that Israel would likely have to come to terms with a nuclear Iran. He reportedly expressed doubt over the effectiveness of economic sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic and said he was against the opening of an additional military and diplomatic front, saying that the US had more pressing problems, such as North Korea and Iraq.

The Jerusalem Post could not confirm the report.

...

Army Radio said that Jerusalem officials expressed amazement at the comments and were wondering which position to take seriously, that of Biden or Obama, who declared last Monday that the world must press Iran through sanctions and diplomacy to stop its nuclear program, so that Israel does not feel its "back is against the wall" and that it therefore has no choice but to attack.

The officials said that they had believed Biden's nomination would give a feeling of security to the Israeli government, which was concerned that the US would give Israel the cold shoulder regarding the Iranian threat following the end of the Bush Administration's term.

Nevertheless, reports of Biden's comments have now cast doubt over this sentiment and officials said that "this feeling of security has been undermined."

I can think of much worse things to worry about. The fact that Biden is weak on Iran is nothing new. And as Dick Cheney found out during the second Bush administration term, the Vice President doesn't run foreign policy. And this report does not sound particularly credible.

I am more concerned that if God forbid Obama wins, we will have a President who thinks he can talk the mullahs out of their nukes. That's downright scary.

UPDATE 11:30 PM

More on this story here.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:27 AM