Barak: Israel has not already decided to strike Iran
Defense Minister Ehud Barak tells Army Radio that all options are on the table in terms of dealing with Iran; says that Israelis should not fear the Iranian threat.
By Haaretz Tags: Ehud Barak Iran Iran threat Iran nuclearAmidst a flurry of recent reports regarding a possible Israeli attack against Iran, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not already decided that Israel will conduct such a strike.
"It does not take a genius to understand that in Israel in 2011 two people cannot decide to do something on their own," Barak said in an interview on Army Radio. "That may have been appropriate in Israel in 2006. In the Defense Ministry, there are thousands of pages of discussion on this subject, in the presence of dozens of ministers, military personnel and experts."
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Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Photo by: Moti Milrod |
Regarding the question as to why there was no public debate on a matter so fateful to Israel, Barak said, "the Iranian nuclear program has been publicly debated for years in Israel. There are countless interviews and public debates. We do not conceal our thoughts. However, there are operational matters that we do not discuss publicly, as that would make them impossible to carry out."
Barak reiterated that Iran poses a threat to stability in the Middle East and the world. He said that all options are on the table in terms of dealing with Iran.
"I think that one has to use diplomatic pressure and sanctions on Iran," Barak said.
He added that Iran has been a central issue that Israeli leaders have discussed with other world leaders in recent years.
"There is great convergence between us and the Americans regarding the diagnosis and the characterization of the situation in Iran," Barak said. "We know the Iranian leadership's goals, its determination and how it evades the world. We know what happened in Pakistan, we know what happened in North Korea and we see the immunity they have because of it. One should ask: Would Europe have intervened in Libya if Gadhafi had possessed nuclear weapons? Would the U.S. have toppled Saddam Hussein if he had nuclear weapons?"
Barak said that the Israeli public should not be concerned about the Iranian threat.
"I refuse to be intimidated, as if Iran could destroy Israel, " Barak said. "Israel is the most powerful country, from Tripoli to Tehran. There is no reason to be afraid of anything."
Also in the interview, Barak denied that Israel had negotiated a cease-fire with Islamic Jihad following the violence in southern Israel and the Gaza Strip in recent days. He also said that he views Hamas as responsible for all that occurs in Gaza.
קראו כתבה זו בעברית: ברק: לא מסתירים את מחשבותינו על איראן
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such comments prove that it is Israel and not anyone else is the real aggressor in the region and instead of bullying Iran the whole world should work on exposing and trimming Israel's illegally held and undeclared nuclear weapons for the welfare of global peace and stability
Israel is surrounded by many enemies who believe in killing but the truth of the matter is Israel will remain standing whether the Arab nations gather themselves together against the Children of Abraham..... 9Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces; and give ear, all ye of far countries: gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. 10Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand: for God is with us. Isaiah 8
But this was the reason that Iraq has this weapon.Now we see that was a joke which a good price.But what is even more clear is that Israel postpones the attack because she knows that Iran has not and will have not nuclear weapon although Israel became to joke about the "existential threat"and since 1991.BTW,never was a public debate about Iran "threat"always were the same bellicose declaration from the wa mongers side and no one who oppose.The first was Meir Dagan and he deserve fully consideration for that.Now are added and some journalists but they oppose only because the huge damage Israel would support,no one ask if is right,morale such an attack.
Just imagine if Iran publicly said: "We havent decide to bomb Israel yet".
getting a bit ahead of yourselves here this is just a bit of sabre rattling do not forget Mr Peres knows about war and the difference between pals and iranians
His bullshit remarks are meant to make him look tough. But we all know from his running out of Lebabon in the middle of the night and abandoning our allies there what Barak really is. Don't forget the accident at Chalis 2 when Barak quickly boarded a helicopter and took off.
if u become responsible for the shutting of the straights of hormuz or an attack on the 5th fleet the price will be the grand mufti sitting in jerusulem in charge, christian americans are wanting payback for dissing our president already
From tripoli to Tehran says Barack... Well the USA were more powerful tan the Vietnamese... To launch a war on Iran would be the graveyard of Israel and the USA... It will inflame the whole region and the mayhem it will cause could not be foreseen entirely...a leader should lead it's people to better and greener fields but nethanyahu and Barack are leading not only Israel but the whole world to darkness
to attack a wide country of nearly 80 million inhabitants, second world petrol exporter, and the Middle-East problem created by Israël will be solved : there will not be much left of it even if USA feel they have to prevent it from total destruction. It has taken six months to get rid (?) of Khadafi's Libya and Iran is not Libya. "I refuse to be intimidated etc..." : poor ridiculous bragging. Just do it.
they should be scared to death, lol.
stop threatening it and do it, it will bring a rapid solution to the whole problem, for civilised europeans, u will live in bunkers for a while but a peace covering the whole area will be the outcome
but your comment takes things to a new dimension !
iran is not israels biggest enemy, none so blind, it has armed eygpt to the teeth, it has armed iraq to the teeth, it is pulling out of iraq, it has armed turkey to the teeth, it lead action in libya oops whats that about missing missiles, it determines israels borders, no prizes for guessing who, and after 15 years of promising the vietnamese of victory, as they were the domino that could not fall, disappeared in the dead of night without a backward glance
he may point out that israels past success was based on suprise not telling them we are coming
too much jaw jaw they are primed waiting for u
I really appreciate Iranian patience
with what ???????they cannot even keep their commercial planes up to date
and not primitive rockets like Hamas
israel will have the support of hez hamas syria and eygpt in carrying out this half baked adventure it will result in the destruction of a large part of the IAF iran has a capable air defence
Israeli citizens should vote off striking iran and should protest it. iran is not threat to israel, We are sick of war, iran is not stupid, they know if they ever think of using WMD iran would be a deseret and nothing would grow there for a 1000 years. it is all propaganda and false alarmas. wake up people dont let your leaders and their extravagant reports fool you.
hopefully all just sabre rattling the damage to the IAF will be crippling and a major advantage to hez hamas and eygpt
countdown to a massive strategic change in the middle east if iraq persists in wanting the us to go at the year end
currently israel can fly all the way to iran unmolested under us air cover via jordan and iraq from 31st dec this will not be possible but iran will be able to fly across iraq unmolested then this is the clear and present danger not nukes
I agree with you, Walt. Good post
Don't believe the hype... Iran is no threat to Israel
Frodo has been giving these veiled threats for years, he has neither the political will nor the personal courage to attack the land of Cyrus and Esther.
Now they are such noble in thinking about if and when to start.
its never worked and will never work
not looking in a mirror for once??
Iran is not Hagana or Israel. Iran is not terror group.
this is a game of bluff , on irans part to bide for time like churhill did to hitler , but there again if you are being told we will anilate you , then israel as every right to get in first ,the element of attack is suprise