Israeli Defense Minister- “The Iran deal is a given. Our disputes are over"
TEL AVIV — In remarks aimed at setting the tone for an upcoming meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama, defense chiefs from the two nations Wednesday sought to move beyond the deep divisions driven by the Iranian nuclear deal to a future of reinvigorated friendship and cooperation.
Speaking at a joint Pentagon news conference after “two days of very productive meetings” with Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, US Defense Secretary Ash Carter emphasized that the deal concluded in July between Iran and world powers removed “just one source of uncertainty and risk” — namely the nuclear threat posed by Iran.
But he stressed that US responsibilities with respect to Iran’s “malicious” activities in the region as they affect Israel and other US friends in the Arabian Gulf remain unchanged. He noted that Israel and Washington’s gulf partners have a keen interest in “rigorous implementation” of the so-called Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
That said, Carter stressed that part of Washington’s insurance policy to ensure compliance remains a credible military option: “I’m under instructions from President Obama to make sure the military option remains intact.”
For his part, Ya’alon acknowledged that if the JCPOA with Iran is verifiably implemented, it would shelve the Iranian nuclear threat for as long as 15 years. But after that, “we will again be dealing with a potential military nuclear Iran. And we must be ready,” he said.
In comments widely perceived as putting an end to Israel’s strong opposition to the deal — which Netanyahu has repeatedly assailed as “an historic mistake” — Ya’alon said: “The Iran deal is a given. Our disputes are over. And now we have to look to the future.”
The two defense leaders said they discussed ways that Washington will support Israel's enhanced security requirements given regional turmoil and growing threats.
“The Mideast is going through dramatic changes, and generational crises are threatening Israel from every direction,” Carter said. “The US always stands with Israel and always will. It’s a top priority for America, for its military, for President Obama and for me personally.”
Without going into details beyond enhanced cyber cooperation and US commitment to provide Israel with the latest US technologies, such as the F-35 stealth fighter, Carter said the two leaders “reaffirmed our commitment to working together personally and institutionally.”
Ya’alon said Israel “has no greater friend than the United States of America” and that US support “is a cornerstone of our national security.”
“There is not one difference of opinion that can undermine our strong relationship,” he said
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Obama in Washington on Nov. 9. It will be their first meeting since last summer's conclusion of the JCPOA.
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I am hopeful that things are about to get better between the U.S. and Israel.
"Ya’alon said Israel “has no greater friend than the United States of America” and that US support “is a cornerstone of our national security.”" Ya it sucks. We work the government steals our earnings and gives it to them. We are their slaves.