11 mar 2014
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to the press at southern port of Eilat, Monday, March 10, 2014, as Israel displayed advanced M-302 rockets that were unloaded from the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C vessel.
In Eilat, PM accuses world powers of fixating on the illusion of a changed Tehran, even in the face of ‘murderous’ ship cargo. Surrounded by a cache of missiles, part of an alleged Iranian arms shipment to the Gaza Strip seized on |
board the Klos-C last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu harshly rebuked the international community Monday for clinging to what he said was the illusion of a changed Iran, even after an Israeli raid to intercept the ship uncovered the cache of advanced arms.
Before making his statement, Netanyahu was briefed by military officials among the rows of weapons, marked with Iranian seals, neatly arrayed at the port. The arms, the officials said, included M-302 missiles with a range of up to 160-kilometers (100 miles). The officials said the Iranian-shipped, Syrian-made missiles were capable of causing more damage than the Iranian-made M-75 or Fajr-5 missiles used by Hamas against Israel in the past.
The IDF said it found 40 M-302 rockets aboard the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C it intercepted in the Red Sea last week, as well as 181 120-mm. mortar shells and approximately 400,000 7.62-caliber rounds. IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said the mortar rounds had been made in Iran. Before he spoke to the press, IDF officers showed Netanyahu documentation they said confirmed the Iranian origin of the shipment.
With a grave expression, the prime minister blasted Western leaders for “smilingly shaking hands” with Iranian leaders even as the missiles were being unloaded at Israel’s southern Eilat port — a shipment as heavily masked, Netanyahu said, as Iran’s nuclear program.
He was referring to a European Union delegation led by foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who arrived in Iran Sunday for her first visit to the country – the first European diplomat in her position to do so since 2008 — and held a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif.
Calling on the international to wake up and see the truth behind “Iran’s fake smiles … before it’s too late,” Netanyahu said world powers must stop Iran from achieving military nuclear capabilities.
“They would like to continue to build up the illusion that Iran has changed course, but the facts we see on this pier prove the exact opposite,” Netanyahu said.
He said there was conclusive proof, including testimony by the ship’s crew, that the weapons containers were loaded onto the Klos-C in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port. He said the ship’s bills of lading, both real and fabricated, showed that Iran had tried to mask the contents of the shipment — precisely as it masks its nuclear efforts.
“Just as Iran tried to camouflage this deadly weapons shipment, Iran camouflages its military nuclear program,” he said.
“The international community would like to ignore Iran’s continued criminal hostility; the massacre it is helping to commit in Syria; its support for terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon,” said Netanyahu.
“There are those who would prefer that we not hold this news conference here today,” he added, addressing the foreign press in English. “They feel uncomfortable. They would prefer that we continue to nurture the illusion” of a new, moderate Iran, he added.
The prime minister said that the West was also keen to overlook human rights violations within Iran, such as the hundreds of executions that take place in the country each year.
He said that when it came to Israel, on the other hand, the international community loudly condemned even the smallest violation.
“The condemnations I’ve heard from the international community in the face of this murderous shipment have been limp, few and far between,” Netanyahu said.
“[But] if we build a balcony in some neighborhood in Jerusalem, harsh criticism is heard from the international community. This hypocrisy is not only morally unacceptable, it is also dangerous, because Iran camouflages its military nuclear program just as it tried to camouflage this deadly arms shipment.”
He warned that while the shipment seized on board the Klos-C contained long-range missiles, future shipments could contain nuclear materials, which Iran could send “to any port in the world.”
Also speaking in Eilat on Monday afternoon was Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who said Iran’s “charm and smile offensive” did little to conceal its long-term goals, which remained unchanged under President Hassan Rouhani.
These goals, said Ya’alon, included “disseminating the revolution,” “challenging the ‘Great Satan,’ or the United States and Western culture,” and undermining regimes in the Middle East.
“There is no conflict in the Middle East, from Afghanistan through Bahrain and Yemen to Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, where Iran isn’t fanning the flames,” Ya’alon said.
He added that Iranian terror proxies were active in Asia and South America as well, and that the regime’s smiles masked continued activity on the terror, missile development and nuclear fronts.
As Netanyahu and Ya’alon spoke, dozens of rockets, boxes of hundreds thousands of bullets and nearly 200 mortar rounds were opened for the world to see as Israel put the seized weapons from the Klos-C on show.
The arsenal was presented at a news conference at a naval base in the southern port city of Eilat by Netanyahu, Ya’alon and navy chief Vice Admiral Ram Rutberg.
Journalists invited to the press conference were shown rows of armaments set up on a military dock, next to the Hanit navy boat, which intercepted the arms ship on Wednesday.
Netanyahu has said the seizure of the ship not only foiled the delivery of lethal weapons to Gaza but served to “expose the true face of Iran, which was behind it.”
Iran has flatly denied any involvement with the shipment, but Netanyahu accused the Islamic republic of “brazenly lying.”
“Each one of these rockets poses a threat to the safety of the citizens of Israel — each bullet and each rocket that was discovered had an Israeli address,” army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz said over the weekend.
If fired from Gaza, M-302 rockets, which have a range of 160 kilometers (100 miles), could easily reach Tel Aviv.
Ambassadors and military attaches were also taken to see the haul on Monday afternoon, as Israel sought to demonstrate evidence of Iran’s ties with terrorist groups.
World powers are currently engaged in talks with Iran to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But Israel, which believes Iran is trying to build a military nuclear capability, has lashed out at the negotiations, arguing that the West is being duped over Tehran’s true intentions.
Mitch Ginsburg and AFP contributed to this report.
Before making his statement, Netanyahu was briefed by military officials among the rows of weapons, marked with Iranian seals, neatly arrayed at the port. The arms, the officials said, included M-302 missiles with a range of up to 160-kilometers (100 miles). The officials said the Iranian-shipped, Syrian-made missiles were capable of causing more damage than the Iranian-made M-75 or Fajr-5 missiles used by Hamas against Israel in the past.
The IDF said it found 40 M-302 rockets aboard the Panamanian-flagged Klos-C it intercepted in the Red Sea last week, as well as 181 120-mm. mortar shells and approximately 400,000 7.62-caliber rounds. IDF spokesperson Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said the mortar rounds had been made in Iran. Before he spoke to the press, IDF officers showed Netanyahu documentation they said confirmed the Iranian origin of the shipment.
With a grave expression, the prime minister blasted Western leaders for “smilingly shaking hands” with Iranian leaders even as the missiles were being unloaded at Israel’s southern Eilat port — a shipment as heavily masked, Netanyahu said, as Iran’s nuclear program.
He was referring to a European Union delegation led by foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who arrived in Iran Sunday for her first visit to the country – the first European diplomat in her position to do so since 2008 — and held a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif.
Calling on the international to wake up and see the truth behind “Iran’s fake smiles … before it’s too late,” Netanyahu said world powers must stop Iran from achieving military nuclear capabilities.
“They would like to continue to build up the illusion that Iran has changed course, but the facts we see on this pier prove the exact opposite,” Netanyahu said.
He said there was conclusive proof, including testimony by the ship’s crew, that the weapons containers were loaded onto the Klos-C in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s largest port. He said the ship’s bills of lading, both real and fabricated, showed that Iran had tried to mask the contents of the shipment — precisely as it masks its nuclear efforts.
“Just as Iran tried to camouflage this deadly weapons shipment, Iran camouflages its military nuclear program,” he said.
“The international community would like to ignore Iran’s continued criminal hostility; the massacre it is helping to commit in Syria; its support for terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon,” said Netanyahu.
“There are those who would prefer that we not hold this news conference here today,” he added, addressing the foreign press in English. “They feel uncomfortable. They would prefer that we continue to nurture the illusion” of a new, moderate Iran, he added.
The prime minister said that the West was also keen to overlook human rights violations within Iran, such as the hundreds of executions that take place in the country each year.
He said that when it came to Israel, on the other hand, the international community loudly condemned even the smallest violation.
“The condemnations I’ve heard from the international community in the face of this murderous shipment have been limp, few and far between,” Netanyahu said.
“[But] if we build a balcony in some neighborhood in Jerusalem, harsh criticism is heard from the international community. This hypocrisy is not only morally unacceptable, it is also dangerous, because Iran camouflages its military nuclear program just as it tried to camouflage this deadly arms shipment.”
He warned that while the shipment seized on board the Klos-C contained long-range missiles, future shipments could contain nuclear materials, which Iran could send “to any port in the world.”
Also speaking in Eilat on Monday afternoon was Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, who said Iran’s “charm and smile offensive” did little to conceal its long-term goals, which remained unchanged under President Hassan Rouhani.
These goals, said Ya’alon, included “disseminating the revolution,” “challenging the ‘Great Satan,’ or the United States and Western culture,” and undermining regimes in the Middle East.
“There is no conflict in the Middle East, from Afghanistan through Bahrain and Yemen to Syria, Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, where Iran isn’t fanning the flames,” Ya’alon said.
He added that Iranian terror proxies were active in Asia and South America as well, and that the regime’s smiles masked continued activity on the terror, missile development and nuclear fronts.
As Netanyahu and Ya’alon spoke, dozens of rockets, boxes of hundreds thousands of bullets and nearly 200 mortar rounds were opened for the world to see as Israel put the seized weapons from the Klos-C on show.
The arsenal was presented at a news conference at a naval base in the southern port city of Eilat by Netanyahu, Ya’alon and navy chief Vice Admiral Ram Rutberg.
Journalists invited to the press conference were shown rows of armaments set up on a military dock, next to the Hanit navy boat, which intercepted the arms ship on Wednesday.
Netanyahu has said the seizure of the ship not only foiled the delivery of lethal weapons to Gaza but served to “expose the true face of Iran, which was behind it.”
Iran has flatly denied any involvement with the shipment, but Netanyahu accused the Islamic republic of “brazenly lying.”
“Each one of these rockets poses a threat to the safety of the citizens of Israel — each bullet and each rocket that was discovered had an Israeli address,” army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz said over the weekend.
If fired from Gaza, M-302 rockets, which have a range of 160 kilometers (100 miles), could easily reach Tel Aviv.
Ambassadors and military attaches were also taken to see the haul on Monday afternoon, as Israel sought to demonstrate evidence of Iran’s ties with terrorist groups.
World powers are currently engaged in talks with Iran to roll back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
But Israel, which believes Iran is trying to build a military nuclear capability, has lashed out at the negotiations, arguing that the West is being duped over Tehran’s true intentions.
Mitch Ginsburg and AFP contributed to this report.
3 mar 2014
Israel needs to make some tough decisions in order to find peace with the Palestinians, US President Barack Obama warned Benjamin Netanyahu in talks at the White House on Monday.
But the prime minister insisted that Israel had already done its part for peace, while the Palestinians had not.
Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in seven months of direct peace talks which are due to expire at the end of April, and decision time is at hand, Obama said.
The deadline, he said "is coming near and some tough decisions are going to have to be made."
But Netanyahu, who has pledged to stand firm on Israel's vital interests and to withstand US pressure, told him it is the Palestinians who need to act.
"Israel has been doing its part, I regret to say the Palestinians haven't," he retorted, claiming Israel had "uprooted entire settlements" and released hundreds of Palestinian "terrorists."
Ignoring Obama's appeal, Netanyahu said the highest priority for Israel and the United States was not the peace process but preventing Iran from obtaining a military nuclear capacity.
The "greatest challenge, undoubtably, is preventing Iran from acquiring the capacity to make nuclear weapons," he said.
The way to do that was by preventing Iran from enriching uranium and for it to fully dismantle its military nuclear installations, he argued.
Netanyahu came to Washington keen to impress his concerns on Obama about the ongoing talks between world powers and Iran in a bid to roll back its contested nuclear program.
Netanyahu: Iran is 'greatest' challenge
Preventing Iran from obtaining a military nuclear capacity is the "greatest challenge" for the United States and Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Barack Obama on Monday.
Netanyahu came to Washington keen to impress his concerns on Obama about the ongoing talks between world powers and Iran in a bid to roll back its contested nuclear program.
But the prime minister insisted that Israel had already done its part for peace, while the Palestinians had not.
Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in seven months of direct peace talks which are due to expire at the end of April, and decision time is at hand, Obama said.
The deadline, he said "is coming near and some tough decisions are going to have to be made."
But Netanyahu, who has pledged to stand firm on Israel's vital interests and to withstand US pressure, told him it is the Palestinians who need to act.
"Israel has been doing its part, I regret to say the Palestinians haven't," he retorted, claiming Israel had "uprooted entire settlements" and released hundreds of Palestinian "terrorists."
Ignoring Obama's appeal, Netanyahu said the highest priority for Israel and the United States was not the peace process but preventing Iran from obtaining a military nuclear capacity.
The "greatest challenge, undoubtably, is preventing Iran from acquiring the capacity to make nuclear weapons," he said.
The way to do that was by preventing Iran from enriching uranium and for it to fully dismantle its military nuclear installations, he argued.
Netanyahu came to Washington keen to impress his concerns on Obama about the ongoing talks between world powers and Iran in a bid to roll back its contested nuclear program.
Netanyahu: Iran is 'greatest' challenge
Preventing Iran from obtaining a military nuclear capacity is the "greatest challenge" for the United States and Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Barack Obama on Monday.
Netanyahu came to Washington keen to impress his concerns on Obama about the ongoing talks between world powers and Iran in a bid to roll back its contested nuclear program.
President Barack Obama will Monday try to cajole Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a US framework for final peace talks with the PLO, but the Israeli leader is vowing to resist all "pressures."
Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu will also discuss Iranian nuclear diplomacy, but likely struggle to reconcile differing views after Israel blasted an interim pact with Tehran reached last year as a bad deal.
Unusually, Netanyahu will not be the center of attention in Washington, where his visits to the White House have sometimes featured public disagreements with Obama and testy photo ops.
Obama is now consumed by Russia's incursion into Ukraine, which is developing into the biggest transatlantic crisis since the end of the Cold War.
In their Oval Office talks Monday, the US leader will ask Netanyahu to agree to a framework for a conclusive round of peace talks with the Palestinians pieced together by Secretary of State John Kerry.
Washington had previously set an April 29 deadline for a final status agreement between Israel and the PLO, but the framework is designed as an attempt to extend the diplomacy.
It will be Obama's most significant entry into peacemaking after his first term effort ended when Netanyahu refused to extend a freeze in settlement construction which Palestinians said was a condition for resuming direct talks.
"There's a sense that the negotiations have reached a point where only presidential engagement, direct presidential engagement, can move them forward," said Haim Malka, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The framework, yet to be made public, addresses the most nettlesome issues surrounding the Palestinian drive for statehood, including borders, security and the future status of Jerusalem.
Obama will make a similar plea for President Mahmoud Abbas to accept the document when he visits the White House in two weeks time.
The president said in an interview with Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg that he would tell Netanyahu that time was running out for Israel to follow the peace track.
"If not now, when? And if not you, Mr. Prime Minister, then who?" Obama said, paraphrasing his appeal to Netanyahu.
If Netanyahu "does not believe that a peace deal with the Palestinians is the right thing to do for Israel, then he needs to articulate an alternative approach," Obama said in the interview, according to a transcript sent by the White House.
Netanyahu however adopted a tough stance before leaving Israel on a trip that includes an appearance at the annual policy conference of the America Israeli Public Affairs Committee lobby group.
"We will discuss the Iranian issue and the diplomatic process... In recent years the state of Israel has been under various pressures. We have rejected them...This is what has been and what will be."
Netanyahu and Abbas face difficult political decisions on whether to sign up for the framework.
Ending diplomacy however would also bring problems.
For the PLO that may mean ending a chance for a negotiated state.
Israel would likely face increasing isolation and the growing threat of economic boycotts.
Netanyahu is "in a position now where he has to make a decision," said Alan Elsner, vice president of J Street, another US Jewish lobby group.
"It's not easy for him because there are political costs -- but the cost of not moving forward is much greater for Israel."
Skepticism over Iran diplomacy
Netanyahu comes to Washington eager to impress on Obama his deep skepticism over talks with Iran.
The Israeli leader sees the diplomatic opening by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as nothing but a charm offensive and demands a complete dismantling of Teheran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Obama has said that such a deal with Tehran is unrealistic, but argues that the diplomatic process run by the P5+1 powers has a chance of verifiably stopping Iran short of building nuclear weapons.
While Netanyahu will vent at Iran diplomacy at AIPAC, he now has little choice but to let the talks between P5+1 powers and Iran play out.
US leaders may also be less receptive to his warnings that Iran is the greatest threat to American security, now that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stirring memories of the Cold War.
Netanyahu's leverage is also weakened after an intense White House lobbying effort thwarted a bid by hawks in the US Congress to tighten sanctions against Tehran.
Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu will also discuss Iranian nuclear diplomacy, but likely struggle to reconcile differing views after Israel blasted an interim pact with Tehran reached last year as a bad deal.
Unusually, Netanyahu will not be the center of attention in Washington, where his visits to the White House have sometimes featured public disagreements with Obama and testy photo ops.
Obama is now consumed by Russia's incursion into Ukraine, which is developing into the biggest transatlantic crisis since the end of the Cold War.
In their Oval Office talks Monday, the US leader will ask Netanyahu to agree to a framework for a conclusive round of peace talks with the Palestinians pieced together by Secretary of State John Kerry.
Washington had previously set an April 29 deadline for a final status agreement between Israel and the PLO, but the framework is designed as an attempt to extend the diplomacy.
It will be Obama's most significant entry into peacemaking after his first term effort ended when Netanyahu refused to extend a freeze in settlement construction which Palestinians said was a condition for resuming direct talks.
"There's a sense that the negotiations have reached a point where only presidential engagement, direct presidential engagement, can move them forward," said Haim Malka, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The framework, yet to be made public, addresses the most nettlesome issues surrounding the Palestinian drive for statehood, including borders, security and the future status of Jerusalem.
Obama will make a similar plea for President Mahmoud Abbas to accept the document when he visits the White House in two weeks time.
The president said in an interview with Bloomberg View columnist Jeffrey Goldberg that he would tell Netanyahu that time was running out for Israel to follow the peace track.
"If not now, when? And if not you, Mr. Prime Minister, then who?" Obama said, paraphrasing his appeal to Netanyahu.
If Netanyahu "does not believe that a peace deal with the Palestinians is the right thing to do for Israel, then he needs to articulate an alternative approach," Obama said in the interview, according to a transcript sent by the White House.
Netanyahu however adopted a tough stance before leaving Israel on a trip that includes an appearance at the annual policy conference of the America Israeli Public Affairs Committee lobby group.
"We will discuss the Iranian issue and the diplomatic process... In recent years the state of Israel has been under various pressures. We have rejected them...This is what has been and what will be."
Netanyahu and Abbas face difficult political decisions on whether to sign up for the framework.
Ending diplomacy however would also bring problems.
For the PLO that may mean ending a chance for a negotiated state.
Israel would likely face increasing isolation and the growing threat of economic boycotts.
Netanyahu is "in a position now where he has to make a decision," said Alan Elsner, vice president of J Street, another US Jewish lobby group.
"It's not easy for him because there are political costs -- but the cost of not moving forward is much greater for Israel."
Skepticism over Iran diplomacy
Netanyahu comes to Washington eager to impress on Obama his deep skepticism over talks with Iran.
The Israeli leader sees the diplomatic opening by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani as nothing but a charm offensive and demands a complete dismantling of Teheran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Obama has said that such a deal with Tehran is unrealistic, but argues that the diplomatic process run by the P5+1 powers has a chance of verifiably stopping Iran short of building nuclear weapons.
While Netanyahu will vent at Iran diplomacy at AIPAC, he now has little choice but to let the talks between P5+1 powers and Iran play out.
US leaders may also be less receptive to his warnings that Iran is the greatest threat to American security, now that Russian President Vladimir Putin is stirring memories of the Cold War.
Netanyahu's leverage is also weakened after an intense White House lobbying effort thwarted a bid by hawks in the US Congress to tighten sanctions against Tehran.
24 feb 2014
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A political analyst says Israel poses a "real threat" to world peace, adding the international community must deal with the menace before the outbreak of a third world war, Press TV reports.
In an interview with Press TV on Sunday, James Morris, a US-based commentator, said that Tel Aviv threatens both the region and the entire world, stressing, "How many wars has Israel started in the Middle East? Lebanon, Gaza, Palestine, over and over." "So, I think the real threat to world peace is Israel, and unless we address that, we could be on the brink of the next world war," added the analyst. Morris further described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as |
"hypocritical," saying Tel Aviv uses Iran's nuclear issue as a "pretext" to set the stage for another war in the Middle East.
The progress of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Germany, the UK and the US -- has provoked the ire of Israel, with the Zionist regime intensifying efforts to derail the negotiations.
On Sunday, the Israeli premier said the Islamic Republic is "getting everything and giving virtually nothing" in its nuclear negotiations with the six states, adding that he would raise the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during an upcoming meeting with her.
Israeli which is believed to be the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East with 200-400 warheads, has refused to acknowledge that it possesses nuclear arms and, unlike Iran, is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Israel does not allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities.
The progress of nuclear talks between Iran and the P5+1 group – Russia, China, France, Germany, the UK and the US -- has provoked the ire of Israel, with the Zionist regime intensifying efforts to derail the negotiations.
On Sunday, the Israeli premier said the Islamic Republic is "getting everything and giving virtually nothing" in its nuclear negotiations with the six states, adding that he would raise the issue with German Chancellor Angela Merkel during an upcoming meeting with her.
Israeli which is believed to be the sole possessor of nuclear weapons in the Middle East with 200-400 warheads, has refused to acknowledge that it possesses nuclear arms and, unlike Iran, is not a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Israel does not allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to visit its nuclear facilities.
23 feb 2014
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday expressed concern Sunday at the progress of talks between world powers and Iran, saying that Tehran still sought to acquire a nuclear arms capability.
"Iran, in fact, is getting everything and giving virtually nothing," he told the cabinet on the eve of a visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and said he would discuss the issue with her. "I view with concern the fact that Iran believes that it will realize its plan to become a threshold nuclear state with an enrichment capacity that it thinks cannot be touched, with the ability to develop both nuclear weapons and inter-continental missiles, which it is continuing to work on unhindered," |
he said in remarks relayed by his office.
"This is the current situation. The permanent agreement cannot render this situation permanent. It must dismantle the Iranian ability to either produce or launch nuclear weapons," he added.
Germany -- with the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France -- is a member of the P5 + 1 group seeking to forge a lasting nuclear accord to resolve a decade-old stand-off over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
An op-ed piece by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier published on Sunday in the top-selling Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth told Israelis: "You are not alone."
"The Iranian nuclear program looms threateningly on the horizon," he wrote.
"The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are debating in Vienna the future of Iran's nuclear program. Our objective is clear: Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear arms."
Netanyahu's strategic affairs minister, Yuval Steinitz, on Sunday met Washington's chief negotiator at the Iran talks, Wendy Sherman, who briefed him on the negotiations, Israeli army radio said.
Briefing journalists in Jerusalem on Saturday night, Sherman said that nothing eventually agreed in the talks would be taken purely on trust.
"Nothing about this comprehensive agreement is about what we believe," a US State Department statement quoted her as saying.
"It is about what we see, what can be verified, what can be monitored, what are the concrete actions that will give us and the international community confidence in an exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."
"This is the current situation. The permanent agreement cannot render this situation permanent. It must dismantle the Iranian ability to either produce or launch nuclear weapons," he added.
Germany -- with the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France -- is a member of the P5 + 1 group seeking to forge a lasting nuclear accord to resolve a decade-old stand-off over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
An op-ed piece by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier published on Sunday in the top-selling Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonoth told Israelis: "You are not alone."
"The Iranian nuclear program looms threateningly on the horizon," he wrote.
"The United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany are debating in Vienna the future of Iran's nuclear program. Our objective is clear: Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear arms."
Netanyahu's strategic affairs minister, Yuval Steinitz, on Sunday met Washington's chief negotiator at the Iran talks, Wendy Sherman, who briefed him on the negotiations, Israeli army radio said.
Briefing journalists in Jerusalem on Saturday night, Sherman said that nothing eventually agreed in the talks would be taken purely on trust.
"Nothing about this comprehensive agreement is about what we believe," a US State Department statement quoted her as saying.
"It is about what we see, what can be verified, what can be monitored, what are the concrete actions that will give us and the international community confidence in an exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program."
18 feb 2014
Two rockets fired from war-torn Syria struck the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights Tuesday shortly after a secret visit to the area by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's army said.
"Two rockets fire from Syria struck the central Golan without causing injuries or damage," a spokeswoman told AFP.
The incident occurred shortly after Netanyahu toured the area with Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, visiting a field hospital close to the ceasefire line where injured Syrians are being treated.
The premier used the visit to lash out at Iran, as it began a fresh round of talks with world powers in Vienna aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord to roll back Tehran's contested nuclear program.
"On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened in Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, which divides the good that is in the world from the bad," said Netanyahu in remarks communicated by his office.
The talks aim to follow up on a landmark interim deal struck in November and fiercely opposed by Israeli under which Iran is scaling back certain nuclear activities in exchange for minor relief from sanctions.
"Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter," said Netanyahu.
"All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who have been killed, were injured as a result of Iran's arming, financing and training" the regime of President Bashar Assad, he charged.
"I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its aggressive policy nor its brutal character," he said.
"This is the true face of Iran. The world cannot forget this."
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 465 square miles of the strategic plateau during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community.
Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, the plateau has been tense, with a growing number of stray projectiles hitting the Israeli side, prompting an occasional armed response.
"Two rockets fire from Syria struck the central Golan without causing injuries or damage," a spokeswoman told AFP.
The incident occurred shortly after Netanyahu toured the area with Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and army chief Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, visiting a field hospital close to the ceasefire line where injured Syrians are being treated.
The premier used the visit to lash out at Iran, as it began a fresh round of talks with world powers in Vienna aimed at reaching a comprehensive accord to roll back Tehran's contested nuclear program.
"On the day when talks between the major powers and Iran are being opened in Vienna, it is important that the world sees the pictures from this place, which divides the good that is in the world from the bad," said Netanyahu in remarks communicated by his office.
The talks aim to follow up on a landmark interim deal struck in November and fiercely opposed by Israeli under which Iran is scaling back certain nuclear activities in exchange for minor relief from sanctions.
"Iran is arming those who are carrying out the slaughter," said Netanyahu.
"All of the children who have been injured, to say nothing of those who have been killed, were injured as a result of Iran's arming, financing and training" the regime of President Bashar Assad, he charged.
"I would like to tell the world, today, as the talks between the major powers and Iran are being resumed, that Iran has changed neither its aggressive policy nor its brutal character," he said.
"This is the true face of Iran. The world cannot forget this."
Israel, which is technically at war with Syria, seized 465 square miles of the strategic plateau during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community.
Since the Syrian conflict erupted in 2011, the plateau has been tense, with a growing number of stray projectiles hitting the Israeli side, prompting an occasional armed response.
25 jan 2014
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s attack against the Florida congresswoman over Iran sanctions legislation shows its “open revolt against the White House's Iran diplomacy,” a report says.
In a letter, the AIPAC strongly lashed out at Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is known as a staunch Israel supporter, for being silent over the legislation, Foreign Policy’s The Cable reported.
According to the report, the harsh criticism that one of Congress’s most pro-Israel lawmakers is not pro-Israel enough for the lobbying group “raised eyebrows among some current and former AIPAC officials.”
AIPAC’s former chief lobbyist Doug Bloomfield said that after 40 years working with the group, the campaign against the congresswoman is “the first time [he's] seen such a blatant departure from bipartisanship.”
“Debbie cannot poke a stick in the eye of the president,” Bloomfield said. “She’s the head of the DNC for God’s sake.”
Wasserman Schultz refuses to declare her position on the bill introduced by Senators Mark Kirk and Robert Menendez last month.
The AIPAC is working hard to build support for the Senate bill that is set to impose fresh sanction on Iran if nuclear talks break down.
The White House says President Barack Obama would veto the legislation if it is passed, adding that Tehran will walk away from the negotiations. However, 59 senators have already signed on in support.
Meanwhile, AIPAC's campaign in South Florida slammed the group’s stance.
"AIPAC has really over-reached on this one and alienated key allies on the Hill over what really boils down to a small tactical difference over sanctions timing," said a congressional aide. "It's hard to come to any other conclusion that they aren't deliberately flaming the partisan flames for their own political benefit."
Under intense pressure from hawkish American lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Iran with military action if Tehran does not live up to its commitments under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last November.
“Now yes, okay, if they [Iranians] broke out and decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure they can turn around. But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do," Kerry said in Switzerland on Thursday.
In response, Iranian commander Brigadier General Seyyed Masoud Jazayeri said the United States knows the military option is not practical.
The general added that all American interests in the Middle East would be completely destroyed in the event of an attack against Iran.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s attack against the Florida congresswoman over Iran sanctions legislation shows its “open revolt against the White House's Iran diplomacy,” a report says.
In a letter, the AIPAC strongly lashed out at Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is known as a staunch Israel supporter, for being silent over the legislation, Foreign Policy’s The Cable reported.
According to the report, the harsh criticism that one of Congress’s most pro-Israel lawmakers is not pro-Israel enough for the lobbying group “raised eyebrows among some current and former AIPAC officials.”
AIPAC’s former chief lobbyist Doug Bloomfield said that after 40 years working with the group, the campaign against the congresswoman is “the first time [he's] seen such a blatant departure from bipartisanship.”
“Debbie cannot poke a stick in the eye of the president,” Bloomfield said. “She’s the head of the DNC for God’s sake.”
Wasserman Schultz refuses to declare her position on the bill introduced by Senators Mark Kirk and Robert Menendez last month.
The AIPAC is working hard to build support for the Senate bill that is set to impose fresh sanction on Iran if nuclear talks break down.
The White House says President Barack Obama would veto the legislation if it is passed, adding that Tehran will walk away from the negotiations. However, 59 senators have already signed on in support.
Meanwhile, AIPAC's campaign in South Florida slammed the group’s stance.
"AIPAC has really over-reached on this one and alienated key allies on the Hill over what really boils down to a small tactical difference over sanctions timing," said a congressional aide. "It's hard to come to any other conclusion that they aren't deliberately flaming the partisan flames for their own political benefit."
Under intense pressure from hawkish American lawmakers, Secretary of State John Kerry threatened Iran with military action if Tehran does not live up to its commitments under a nuclear agreement reached in Geneva last November.
“Now yes, okay, if they [Iranians] broke out and decided they're going to throw this agreement away and go start enrichment again, sure they can turn around. But guess what? If they do that, then the military option that is available to the United States is ready and prepared to do what it would have to do," Kerry said in Switzerland on Thursday.
In response, Iranian commander Brigadier General Seyyed Masoud Jazayeri said the United States knows the military option is not practical.
The general added that all American interests in the Middle East would be completely destroyed in the event of an attack against Iran.
17 jan 2014
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Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pushed for Washington’s "green light" for a unilateral Israeli strike against Iran, according to a report.
She raised the possibility during a White House meeting in 2010 when the US was concerned that Israel might attack Iran’s nuclear energy program, two former officials revealed to the Time magazine. Clinton suggested at the time that instead of trying to restrain Israel, Washington should provide what one official described as “a tacit green light to the Israelis to take care of the problem for us.” The report said the former secretary did not actually “endorse the idea” but |
raised the issue “as one option to consider,” according to one former official who added that it gained no traction inside the Obama administration.
Meanwhile, in his newly-published book, former Pentagon chief Robert Gates has also revealed that officials had warned President Barack Obama about Iran’s retaliatory response in case of any such attack.
“Militarily, I thought we needed to prepare for a possible Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation,” Gates writes in his new memoir, Duty.
At a January 2010 Oval Office meeting, the former defense secretary also warned Obama “he needed to consider the ramifications of a no-warning Israeli attack,” and whether the US would get involved.
Several Israeli lobby groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are now pushing lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass legislation to enact new sanctions against Iran.
A sanctions bill, introduced by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) last month, has gathered 59 cosponsors in the 100-member Senate.
The White House has warned that the passage of fresh sanctions would represent a “march toward war” and challenged those members of Congress who support the bill to acknowledge that they favor military action against Iran.
Meanwhile, in his newly-published book, former Pentagon chief Robert Gates has also revealed that officials had warned President Barack Obama about Iran’s retaliatory response in case of any such attack.
“Militarily, I thought we needed to prepare for a possible Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation,” Gates writes in his new memoir, Duty.
At a January 2010 Oval Office meeting, the former defense secretary also warned Obama “he needed to consider the ramifications of a no-warning Israeli attack,” and whether the US would get involved.
Several Israeli lobby groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are now pushing lawmakers on Capitol Hill to pass legislation to enact new sanctions against Iran.
A sanctions bill, introduced by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) last month, has gathered 59 cosponsors in the 100-member Senate.
The White House has warned that the passage of fresh sanctions would represent a “march toward war” and challenged those members of Congress who support the bill to acknowledge that they favor military action against Iran.
14 jan 2014
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu (L) shakes hands with US VP Joe Biden (R) at the memorial service for the former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon in Israel, January 13, 2014
US Vice President Joe Biden says Washington is committed to enforcing its "sanctions architecture" against Iran in an attempt to appease Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During his visit to Israel on Monday, Biden briefed Netanyahu on a nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the six world powers in November, a top American official said on Tuesday.
"It is safe to say that the issue of ensuring the continued enforcement of the sanctions architecture is an important priority for us, is an important priority for Israel and was a subject of conversation," the unnamed official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Netanyahu, who strongly criticized the interim nuclear accord, is deeply concerned about the easing of tensions between Iran and the United States.
The hawkish premier has repeatedly called on Washington to toughen sanctions and the language of military threat until Tehran dismantles its uranium enrichment program.
The US official also said Biden made clear to the Israeli prime minister that the Obama administration is against a congressional push for new sanctions during talks on a long-term deal with Iran.
A majority of US senators have supported a new Iran sanctions bill that was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Senator Mark Kirk last month.
The Senate bill initially had the backing of 26 senators, but now 59 members have publically announced support for the measure.
Several important lobby groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), are working hard to build support for the measure.
The White House has said President Barack Obama will veto the bill if it passes Congress.
The White House suggested some US lawmakers want the country to attack Iran as they are supporting the sanctions legislation.
“If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so,” National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.
Iran has warned that fresh US sanctions against the Islamic Republic will end the nuclear talks.
It is still not clear when the sanctions bill may come to the floor for a vote despite the support in the Senate for the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not pledged to bring the bill to a vote.
"Ain't coming to the floor any time soon. No matter what Kirk and Menendez say," a Senate Democratic aide said.
US Vice President Joe Biden says Washington is committed to enforcing its "sanctions architecture" against Iran in an attempt to appease Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
During his visit to Israel on Monday, Biden briefed Netanyahu on a nuclear agreement reached between Iran and the six world powers in November, a top American official said on Tuesday.
"It is safe to say that the issue of ensuring the continued enforcement of the sanctions architecture is an important priority for us, is an important priority for Israel and was a subject of conversation," the unnamed official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
Netanyahu, who strongly criticized the interim nuclear accord, is deeply concerned about the easing of tensions between Iran and the United States.
The hawkish premier has repeatedly called on Washington to toughen sanctions and the language of military threat until Tehran dismantles its uranium enrichment program.
The US official also said Biden made clear to the Israeli prime minister that the Obama administration is against a congressional push for new sanctions during talks on a long-term deal with Iran.
A majority of US senators have supported a new Iran sanctions bill that was introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez and Senator Mark Kirk last month.
The Senate bill initially had the backing of 26 senators, but now 59 members have publically announced support for the measure.
Several important lobby groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), are working hard to build support for the measure.
The White House has said President Barack Obama will veto the bill if it passes Congress.
The White House suggested some US lawmakers want the country to attack Iran as they are supporting the sanctions legislation.
“If certain members of Congress want the United States to take military action, they should be up front with the American public and say so,” National Security Council spokeswoman Bernadette Meehan said.
Iran has warned that fresh US sanctions against the Islamic Republic will end the nuclear talks.
It is still not clear when the sanctions bill may come to the floor for a vote despite the support in the Senate for the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has not pledged to bring the bill to a vote.
"Ain't coming to the floor any time soon. No matter what Kirk and Menendez say," a Senate Democratic aide said.
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