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Last update - 09:07 09/12/2008
Netanyahu: Obama told me Iran nukes are 'unacceptable'
By Reuters
Tags: israel news, iran, netanyahu 

The man many tip to be Israel's next leader said on Monday he saw Barack Obama as serious about denying Iran nuclear arms, even though the U.S. president-elect made no mention of a military option in a weekend interview.

Benjamin Netanyahu, whose right-wing party leads in polls before a February 10 election, was responding to concerns raised by Israeli analysts that Obama did not explicitly say in televised remarks on Sunday that he could resort to force against Tehran if it did not bow to U.S. demands over its nuclear program.

"President-elect Obama spoke to me about his view that Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons is unacceptable," Netanyahu told Reuters in a brief interview.
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"I say that what counts is the goal and the result that he envisions and the way that he achieves that goal is less important," said Netanyahu, a former prime minister.

"I was impressed by his commitment to prevent Iran from crossing the nuclear threshold... I have no doubt that that commitment is genuine and that he will follow through with it," added Netanyahu.

Obama said in the television interview that he would be willing to directly offer Iran economic incentives to stop pursuing nuclear technologies that have bomb-making potential, with the threat of tougher sanctions if it did not comply.

Contrasting his latest comments with the routine refusal of outgoing U.S. President George W. Bush to rule out a military option or talk to Tehran, some Israeli analysts saw Obama signaling that the next U.S. administration, already fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would be reluctant to open up a third front.


Iranian Rebuff

Iran, which denies seeking nuclear weapons but whose stridently anti-Israel rhetoric has stoked regional war fears, was cool to the prospect of Obama's "carrot and stick" strategy.

"If their (Washington's) new stance is to remove concerns about Iran's nuclear activities, we are ready for that. But our new expectation is ... that they should recognize our right to nuclear technology," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Despite speculation over an Israeli go-it-alone strike, many analysts believe that only the U.S. military has the clout to finish such a job and that any independent action by Israel would require at least tacit approval from Washington.

Netanyahu, currently opposition leader, is seen in Israel as more hawkish on Iran than his main rival for the premiership, centrist Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Three years ago, Netanyahu called for Israel to reprise, against Iran, its 1981 bombing of Iraq's main nuclear reactor. But more recently he has voiced a preference for pressing ahead with U.S.-led diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran.

Asked if Israel might feel circumscribed by Obama, Netanyahu said: "I think that it's important that Israel and the United States have close consultations on this issue. This is an issue that endangers Israel, endangers the United States, endangers the entire world and certainly endangers peace."

Many Israelis blame Iran, which backs the Islamist group Hamas, for disrupting peace efforts with the Palestinians. Netanyahu has been dismissive of outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Hamas' secular rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who holds sway in the occupied West Bank while the Islamists control Gaza.

Palestinians remember Netanyahu's term as prime minister in the late 1990s as a time of only grudging diplomatic progress that deepened distrust between the sides.

With a six-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas now fraying, Netanyahu said he would abandon what he called the Olmert government's "passive response" to Gazan rocket attacks. But he pledged to pursue an economic development program in parallel intended to "deprive militant Islam, Hamas and Iran, the foothold to sway the minds of young Palestinians."


Related articles:
  • Iran rejects Barack Obama's 'failed' carrot and stick policy
  • Obama willing to hold direct talks with Iran
  • Zbigniew Brzezinski: Israel's push for Iran strike may hurt U.S. ties
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      1.   but carrot and stick approach takes time and there`s little left 23:34  |  Avi 08/12/08
      2.   Iran: Obama told us that he views Netanyahu as arrogant and barke 23:37  |  Aounist 08/12/08
      3.   what nkes natan yahoo? i find you un acceptable 23:45  |  where are the nukes? 08/12/08
      4.   The head of the Israeli version of "Hamas"....... 23:49  |  Swiss (Dino) 08/12/08
      5.   Unacceptable 00:37  |  Axel 09/12/08
      6.   Occupied Iran 00:58  |  Parviz 09/12/08
      7.   WHAT "UNACCEPTABLE" MEANS? 01:16  |  indrajaya 09/12/08
      8.   Barak Oblahblah 01:21  |  Frank 09/12/08
      9.   Iran does not have Nukes Israel does 02:12  |  Gisele 09/12/08
      10.   just like Obamas policy was not divide Jerusalem .. for 1 day 03:32  |  zionist forever 09/12/08
      11.   that`s real good;tell us something we don`t know!how long have we 04:28  |  glenna 09/12/08
      12.   Obama facing hard reality 05:34  |  spyguy 09/12/08
      13.   Shameless bb sidles up to Obama 06:58  |  Robert 09/12/08
      14.   The world must awake to the threat Iran poses to all of us. 08:08  |  Jean Van Daem 09/12/08
      15.   Obamas gardener: Obama told me he likes cauliflower and 08:41  |  Andreas 09/12/08
      16.   Hey, look everyone, I`m an important guy 09:20  |  Clickfool 09/12/08
      17.   Oy,endless, predictable, utterly tedious propaganda # 14 09:26  |  Clickfool 09/12/08
      18.   Dino, brilliant analysis Hamas/Likud: 09:29  |  x-ray 09/12/08
      19.   Hey Clickfool 10:05  |  Gil 09/12/08
      20.   #4, Dino, in case you have not noticed 10:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/12/08
      21.   indiscretion 10:29  |  rm 09/12/08
      22.   #4, Dino, and I failed to mention the VP 10:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/12/08
      23.   For Gil in Haifa # 19 10:42  |  Clickfool 09/12/08
      24.   # 20 / # 22 Cipora, LOL, did you really think I would try to.... 10:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      25.   # 18 x-ray, no prejudice at all, just facts..... 11:12  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      26.   #24, Dino, I am glad you know your limitations 11:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 09/12/08
      27.   swiss dino when can we muslims in zurich and geneva 11:33  |  swissahmed 09/12/08
      28.   uzi dayan should have been given a more decent position 11:36  |  harzion 09/12/08
      29.   Good news for Israel right Bibi? 11:47  |  Palestinian in UK 09/12/08
      30.   Clickfool (#23) You are almost correct 11:51  |  Gil 09/12/08
      31.   Clickfool (#23) You are almost correct 11:52  |  Gil 09/12/08
      32.   Dino you`re way behind the times 11:56  |  x-ray 09/12/08
      33.   # 27 swissahmed 12:06  |  swissmahmoud 09/12/08
      34.   swiss mahmoud aka swiss dino 12:18  |  swissahmed 09/12/08
      35.   swiss mahmood aka swiss dino 12:23  |  swissahmed 09/12/08
      36.   Many Israelis blame Iran, for disrupting Israeli peace efforts 12:27  |  JJ burke 09/12/08
      37.   Obama will not attack Iran 12:41  |  Mark B. 09/12/08
      38.   Bottom line for Israel 12:54  |  Clickfool 09/12/08
      39.   # 34 / # 35 swissahmed, I feel deeply ashamed..... 12:54  |  swissmahmoud 09/12/08
      40.   Iran:Third Angle of the Triangle. 13:42  |  khairi janbek 09/12/08
      41.   It`s the OCCUPATION which "endangers the entire world" 13:45  |  Ivar 09/12/08
      42.   # 32 x-ray, the Likud "charter" is called Likud platform.... 13:50  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      43.   Most of anti-posters here are afraid of Nethaniahu; why 13:54  |  Simon 09/12/08
      44.   If Likud is So Ultra Stupid Let Them Fight it - ALONE 13:58  |  Likud=Unacceptable 09/12/08
      45.   Dino you`re way behind the times 14:05  |  x-ray 09/12/08
      46.   # 45 x-ray, ha, ha, and the "real platform" in Hebrew.... 14:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      47.   # 43 Simon, who are you trying to fool here...???? 15:11  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      48.   no new ideas or leaders in desolation row 15:23  |  worn out has been 09/12/08
      49.   attantion 16:01  |  ali agyev 09/12/08
      50.   Nothing exists for the Swiss esel unless he knows about it 17:20  |  x-ray 09/12/08
      51.   If Nethanyahu is elected 18:02  |  Chris Linthwaite 09/12/08
      52.   He doesn`t doubt genuine statement 19:17  |  I disagree, BB 09/12/08
      53.   Simon : "give the future a chance" #43 19:25  |  Gray 09/12/08
      54.   Bibi, seriel bungler 19:43  |  RM 09/12/08
      55.   Swiss-Dino) 3rd try 20:39  |  David Israel 09/12/08
      56.   to jean van deem 20:42  |  matt 09/12/08
      57.   Swiss (Dino) #46 Don`t worry 20:50  |  Gil 09/12/08
      58.   Swiss (Dino) #46 Don`t worry 20:50  |  Gil 09/12/08
      59.   Who are we to determine right from wrong 21:07  |  Sonnay Etaami 09/12/08
      60.   Please, not another war mongering, Right Winger 21:10  |  Gray 09/12/08
      61.   Netanyahu is an imbecile 22:05  |  laurent 09/12/08
      62.   stupid netanyahu! 22:12  |  eric jones 09/12/08
      63.   # 54 Gil, the "little problem" with your theory..... 22:42  |  Swiss (Dino) 09/12/08
      64.   14 J Van Daem - Still Campaigning for Ahmadinijad 22:57  |  Mark of Lewiston 09/12/08
      65.   #26 Yes Cipora 23:09  |  ballistic 09/12/08
      66.   ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE 23:24  |  John Isenhower 09/12/08
      67.   Israel and Iran 23:27  |  james 09/12/08
      68.   5 Axel 23:30  |  Jose Marcio 09/12/08
      69.   Jean Van Daem 00:55  |  Persian Kitty 10/12/08
      70.   To John Isenhower 03:26  |  Persian Kitty 10/12/08
      71.   Iranian threat was `Made in China` 04:15  |  BeoWolf 10/12/08
      72.   Netanyahu & Obama 09:56  |  Larry Nesis 10/12/08
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