BICOM

In an exclusive interview with BICOM on Thursday, former Mosssad director Major General Danny Yatom discussed the Iranian threat and Israel’s options in response to it. He stressed that the problem of a nuclear-armed Iran is not only a threat to Israel but to the entire region, and the wider international community. “Once Iran will have an atomic bomb it will be almost impossible [for] Israel to continue to flourish,” he warned. In addition, Yatom pointed to Iran’s threat to the region. “[Many Arab leaders] especially those which are neighbouring Iran, they are terrified to the possibility that Iran will have a bomb because they understand that once Iran will have a bomb, Iran will be able, by the backing of the bomb, to take over their natural resources, the gas and the oil fields” he said.

Yatom also expressed his hope that sanctions would succeed in stopping Iran’s nuclear programme and stressed that there was still time – more than a few months – for sanctions to work. He rejected the view that a military attack against Iranian nuclear facilities would be a “total mistake”, saying “if the sanctions will not work and the Iranians will continue with their clandestine program to achieve a nuclear bomb, then the world, with the leadership of the United States and others will have to attack the Iranian nuclear facilities.”

Responding to recent statements made by former defence officials, Yatom defended Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak over their handling of the Iranian nuclear threat. His comments come after former Shin Bet (Israeli internal intelligence) chief Yuval Diskin launched a public attack on the two leaders over the weekend.

Yatom told BICOM that he does “not accept their criticism towards the personalities of Barak and towards the personality of Benjamin Netanyahu… I do not agree that what motivates Barak is a messianic motivation. This is totally unacceptable by me, knowing Barak five decades.”

Yatom added that a public debate on how to respond to the Iranian threat is important, and described this as natural, healthy and correct in a democratic society. But he said that if senior security officials did not have faith in the political leadership they should have resigned whilst they were in post.

To listen to the podcast with former head of the Mossad, Major General Danny Yatom click here.