BICOM

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday pledged he would continue to vociferously defend Israel’s security interests after former-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert accused him of being too outspoken over Iran, damaging relations with the United States.

Olmert was speaking yesterday at a conference at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv. He said Netanyahu’s open criticism of the interim deal on Iran’s nuclear development, negotiated last week in Geneva meant that “We’ve declared war on the American government. You can’t deny this.”

He added, “You have to handle this decision with wisdom, quietly – without bombastic declarations – and quiet dialogue as we used to do in the past,” specifying that “This was the Sharon government’s position and the position of my government as well.” Olmert repeated criticism he first voiced prior to January’s election, that Netanyahu’s Iran policy consisted of “declarations, threats, and also of financial expenditures… that were earmarked to prepare something that there was no need to prepare.”

Likud MK Tzachi Hanegbi, who is considered close to Netanyahu, also attended the conference called Olmert’s comments “political attacks… with no context related to the issues at hand” which aimed to vilify Netanyahu and turn him into “the enemy.”

Netanyahu himself responded yesterday evening during a visit to Rome. Speaking at the city’s Great Synagogue, he said “As opposed to others, when I see that interests vital to the security of Israel’s citizens are in danger, I will not be quiet.” He added, “I am committed to the security of my people… in contrast to periods in the past, we have a loud and clear voice among the nations and we will sound it to warn during times of danger.”

Netanyahu reaffirmed that “Iran aspires to attain an atomic bomb. It would thus threaten not only Israel but also… Europe and the entire world.” He also repeated concerns that sanctions regime against Iran are” liable to collapse” if steps are not soon taken.