BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continued yesterday to express his firm opposition to the nuclear deal with Iran, telling US Jewish communal leaders that opposing the agreement will more likely prevent, not ignite war.

Netanyahu gave a video call briefing to US Jewish communal leaders yesterday. He emphasised that in Israel, the nuclear deal is a consensus issue with both government and opposition strongly critical of its provisions. He said, “I ask you to rise above partisan politics and deal with the substance,” explaining that the accord “gives Iran two paths to the bomb: Iran can get to the bomb by keeping the deal, or Iran could get to the bomb by violating the deal.”

Netanyahu countered the White House’s claim that opposition to the deal is tantamount to supporting war. He said “I don’t oppose this deal because I want war… but because I want to prevent war.”

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama hosted Jewish communal leaders at the White House yesterday and according to CNN insisted that the best deal possible has been struck and that if the agreement fails then Iran could achieve nuclear armament in months. Obama is set to deliver a major address on the nuclear deal at an American university today. The White House is also busily lobbying Congress on the issue, which has until 17 September to consider and vote on the deal. Congressional opposition to the agreement would likely see it abandoned altogether.

Also yesterday, Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz responded to his US counterpart, who defended the nuclear agreement to Israeli media earlier this week. US Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz emphasised that the deal “does not change one iota who our friends and allies are in the region,” but that, “If I was Israeli – I would support the Iran deal.” Steinitz countered, “if I were American, I would oppose the agreement,” as it enables Iran to become a nuclear power and could spark a nuclear arms race.