Israel rejects nuclear deal with Iran as non-binding on the Jewish state
JERUSALEM (Christian Examiner) – After a meeting with his security cabinet July 14, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement he had spoken with President Barack Obama and expressed his concern that the nuclear deal reached between U.S. and European negotiators and Iran July 14 is "an historic mistake."
Netanyahu said he told Obama that the deal will still result in Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, "whether at the end of the period of the agreement in another 10-15 years, or earlier if it violates the agreement." He also told the president that the agreement would allow billions of dollars to flow into Iran, which the world's largest state sponsor of terror will use to achieve its goals around the world.
As a result, according to Netanyahu, the security cabinet "unanimously rejected the major powers' nuclear agreement with Iran and it determined that Israel is not bound by it."
This is the time to unite and create a united front on a fateful issue for the future of the State of Israel. In any case, we will continue to defend ourselves by ourselves against all who threaten our destruction.
In spite of the very public rift over the issue of a nuclear Iran, Netanyahu said claims that his relationship with President Obama was affected by the agreement is "absurd."
"Even before I took office as Prime Minister, there was an intention on the part of the American administration to normalize relations with Iran. Afterward, the US began secret negotiations with Iran which then became open. Of course, the desire to make an agreement brought about the result that it did," Netanyahu said in the statement.
Netanyahu said Israel remains committed to ensuring Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon.
"This is the time to unite and create a united front on a fateful issue for the future of the State of Israel. In any case, we will continue to defend ourselves by ourselves against all who threaten our destruction," the prime minister said.
In spite of Israeli intelligence to the contrary, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said after the agreement was signed that Iran never wanted to seek the development of nuclear weapons, but only peaceful nuclear energy.
For that reason, he said people all over the Middle East, include the people of "Quds" or Jerusalem are "happy with the agreement because all the vain efforts of the usurper Zionist regime in the course of 23 months are failed."
Rouhani said Israel was using the claim of Iran's work to develop a nuclear weapon as a pretext for opposing the Islamic revolution there.
According to the White House, President Obama told Netanyahu in the phone call between the leaders that the nuclear agreement "will verifiably prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon while ensuring the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program going forward."
The president also underscored his administration's "stalwart commitment" to Israel's national secu. Obama also told Netanyahu the agreement "will not diminish our concerns regarding Iran's support for terrorism and threats toward Israel" or its efforts to destabilize the Middle East.
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