Israel is not against an Iran nuclear agreement
US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Israel’s National Security Advisor Eyal Hulata on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., the latest Israeli attempt to influence the signing of a renewed nuclear deal with Iran.
President Herzog, President Biden, PM Lapid
Photo: Haim Zac/GPO
The two discussed “the strength of the bilateral relationship and reflected on the success of the President’s recent trip to Israel,” a readout of the meeting said.
They also discussed “shared global security challenges, including Iran,” and Sherman reiterated the Biden administration’s “steadfast commitment to Israel’s security.”
Hulata met on Tuesday with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on the same issue. He was initially slated to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz took off for an official visit to the US and will meet with Sullivan on Friday, apparently a last-ditch effort to influence the deal.
Gantz stated before takeoff that the purpose of the trip is to “convey a clear message regarding the negotiations between the powers and Iran on the nuclear agreement – an agreement that will not set Iran’s capabilities years back and will not leave it limited for many years to come – is an agreement that will harm global and regional security.”
“Iran’s nuclear rush must be significantly scaled back. The financing of its proxies in the region should be disconnected from the Iranian Rial pipeline,” he demanded.
“We will discuss the issue with the Americans, and at the same time, Israel will continue to build its strength and capabilities – so that in any situation, it will know how to defend itself,” he said.
Ynet news reported that Jerusalem is in talks with the White House to coordinate a conversation between Prime Minister Yair Lapid and President Joe Biden about renewing the nuclear agreement with Iran. The Americans clarified that Biden “is on vacation.”
In the meantime, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Wednesday that Iran is studying the US responses received via the European Union coordinator.
The EU proposed a final text, which the Iranians commented on, the US responded to, and now the Iranians are studying again.
“A detailed review of the views of the US side has begun and the Islamic Republic of Iran will announce its standpoints to the Coordinator after completing the study,” he said.
Israeli officials say that the nuclear agreement that is taking shape is a bad one, and Israel does not see itself committed to it and will continue to work for its security and curbing Iran’s nuclear efforts.
Lapid held a briefing for foreign correspondents on Wednesday at said that “Israel is not against any agreement. We are against this agreement, because it is a bad one. Because it cannot be accepted as it is written right now.”
He warned that the “bad deal” will “give Iran a hundred billion dollars a year. This money will not build schools or hospitals. This is a hundred billion dollars a year that will be used to undermine stability in the Middle East and spread terror around the globe. This money will fund the Revolutionary Guards. It will fund the Basij who oppress the Iranian people. It will fund more attacks on American bases in the Middle East. It will be used to strengthen Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad.”
Similarly, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Al-Arabiya news that the pending nuclear agreement with Iran “will endanger not only Israel, but also threaten the Arab world and the peace of all humanity.”
but can Israel trust what Iran says? terrorist capital of the world.