Israel Matzav

One of the darkest days in history

Prime Minister Netanyahu blasted the agreement between the P 5+1 and Iran in a statement to the media today.

Let's go to the videotape.


And he's not the only Israeli politician to speak out against the deal.

Netanyahu’s hard-line coalition partner, Education Minister Naftali Bennett added: “Today a terrorist nuclear superpower is born, and it will go down as one of the darkest days in world history.”

Yeah, but that's only because he's hardline, right? Hmmm. Maybe not.

Israeli social media accounts were filled with images of former British prime minister Neville Chamberlain, who pushed a policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler and the Nazis on the eve of World War II.

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders blasted the deal even as negotiators in Vienna were still making the announcement and providing details.

“Israel will defend itself,” Bennett warned, vowing that military action is still an option for the Jewish State. Like-minded Israelis feel they are in the crosshairs of a belligerent enemy, where last week protesters in Tehran were chanting “Death to Israel!”

Israel’s security cabinet unanimously rejected the Iran deal, also saying that Israel reserves the right to take action to protect the state.

But an Israeli attack seems unlikely right now....

Opposition leaders were united in condemning the Iran deal, but they also called its signing a major diplomatic failure for Netanyahu.

Speaking on Israel Radio, Efraim Halevy, former head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, said that perhaps it would have been better to avoid a head-on clash with Obama and, instead, seek to apply pressure through more discreet channels and have more of a role in shaping the negotiations.

Because after all, former Mossad heads have just been so helpful in helping the government deal with this.  Nearly as helpful as Israel's 'loyal opposition.'

Yair Lapid, a top opposition figure and leader of an Israeli political party, said there is “no daylight” between Israelis in condemning the Iran deal. But he said Netanyahu bungled the diplomacy.

On the evening news in Israel, a rough consensus among political commentators concluded that Netanyahu has been rendered irrelevant, dismissed by the U.S. administration.

The United States remains Israel’s closest — and sometimes only — ally in the world, supplying diplomatic cover and billions of dollars in military aid over the years, including some of the most sophisticated U.S. arms technology.

In an interview with Israel’s Army Radio, main opposition leaders Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni both criticized Netanyahu for allowing the deal to be reached.

“If you go to a deal, as bad as it may be, the way to minimize its damage is by arriving at an agreement with the U.S. on a very significant security package,” said Herzog.

And that could still happen after (and when and if) the deal is signed. But Obama wouldn't talk about that before the deal with Iran was done.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Ephraim HaLevy, Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Iranian nuclear threat, Meir Dagan, Mossad, Naftali Bennett, Tzipi Livni, Yair Lapid, Yitzchak Herzog

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:29 PM