BICOM

Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon met yesterday with his American counterpart, Secretary for Defence Chuck Hagel. Ya’alon stressed the depth of the US-Israel relationship while also warning about the dangers of a nuclear Iran and Turkey’s support for Hamas.

Ya’alon, who is currently on a five-day trip to the US, was received with a military honour cordon at the Pentagon and later visited the Arlington National Cemetery, where he underscored “that the United States is really the State of Israel’s most important strategic ally.” In apparent reference to recent criticism by some Israeli politicians of US Secretary of State John Kerry, Ya’alon commented, “I believe that we can weather these storms,” thanks to the bilateral relationship, which is “so strong and well-based – both on shared values as well as shared interests.”

Ya’alon said he had discussed the nuclear negotiations between the international community and Iran with Hagel, commenting, “The question of whether there will be an agreement and what that agreement is concerns us.” The P5+1 powers (US, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany) and Iran are engaged in a pivotal round of talks in an attempt to reach a so far elusive long-term agreement over Iran’s nuclear development with a 24 November deadline looming. Echoing the comments of other Israeli leaders including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ya’alon said, “sometimes it is better that there is no deal rather than a bad deal.” He added, “We are making our opinions known” on the issue.

Meanwhile, Ya’alon also took aim at Turkey, who he said is actively supporting Hamas, which now has “two terror headquarters: in Gaza and Istanbul.” Turkey’s Prime Minister Erdogan is a sharp critic of Israel and has cultivated relations with Hamas, offering to broker talks on their behalf with Israel during this summer’s Operation Protective Edge. Ya’alon said that Turkey is playing a “cynical game,” noting that on the one hand Turkey is a NATO member and on the other “sponsors terrorism against Israel.”