Netanyahu: WikiLeaks cables prove Israel is right on Iran
Leaks show how the entire Middle East fears a nuclear Iran, prime minister says.
By Barak Ravid Tags: Israel news WikiLeaks Benjamin NetanyahuA raft of controversial diplomatic secrets published by the WikiLeaks group has not damaged Israel and in fact strengthened its position, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.
A collection of over 250,000 classified U.S. dispatches released by WikiLeaks caused global diplomatic turmoil and discomfort for the United States, which had warned allies ahead of publication to prepare from embarrassment.
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Benjamin Netanyahu during weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Nov. 21, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
Revelations that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton questioned the mental health of Argentina's president and that America asked its diplomats to snoop on the United Nations may prove awkward for Washington.
But for Israel, the outcome is positive, Netanyahu said.
"Israel has not been damaged at all by the WikiLeaks publications," the prime minster told a group of editors in Tel Aviv. "The documents show many sources backing Israel's assessments, particularly of Iran."
One result of the Wikileaks cables was to expose Arab fears of growing Iranian power, and it emerged that Saudi Arabia had asked the U.S. to launch a military strike to prevent the Iranians from gaining a nuclear bomb.
Israel has for years warned of the danger from the Iranian nuclear program – which Iran claims is for peaceful purposes – to the entire region. These warnings had been vindicated, Netanyahu said.
"Our region has been hostage to a narrative that is the result of 60 years of propaganda, which paints Israel as the greatest threat," Netanyahu said.
"In reality leaders understand that that view is bankrupt. For the first time in history there is agreement that Iran is the threat," he said.
"If leaders start saying openly what they have long been saying behind closed doors, we can make a real breakthrough on the road to peace."
A 2009 American government cable released Sunday by WikiLeaks quotes Defense Minister Ehud Barak as telling visiting American officials that a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities was viable until the end of 2010, but after that "any military solution would result in unacceptable collateral damage".
Leaked documents also show America in agreement with Israel's assessment of Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan as an unreliable "fundamentalist" whose policies are governed by an irrational hatred of Israel.
Netanyahu added that Israel had been prepared for the eventuality of leaks and had worked in advance to limit any damage.
"Every Israeli leader has known for years that that dispatches are likely to leak out, so we adapted ourselves to the reality of leaks, he said. "That has a bearing on who I invite to meetings. No classified Israeli material was exposed by WikiLeaks."
But the latest exposes would still influence Israeli policy, Netanyahu said.
"The result of the release of the documents will be that in the future we will see fewer revelations and less exposure, particularly on complex issues," he said.
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I sincerely believe these WikiLeaks "cables" actually vindicate what Israeli leaders and others have been saying all along. Now maybe more countries will actually help us!!
An US cable with an assement in it proves the existence of the assesments, not that the assesment is right. Example: an US cable pretends that Iran has Korean missiles. Such an cable proves only that US thinks that Iran have them. It get not the status of evidence of the fact of possession by Iran by leaking the assesment. So anybody can prove his assesment by leaking it I dont say that Iran has no Korean missiles, but only that an leaked us cable has no evidential value. Maybe revealed facts in the cable, but not the assesment itself. Idem the assesment of Netanyahu dont prove that he never kept his promises but only that US experienced Netanyahu as an liar, probably right but it is no evidence he is.
israel and watch them refute the whole leak and say that Wikileaks are antisemites ...
is that certain deviants share the same symptoms of paranoia
The Arab non-democratic regimes are scared of Iran, because Iran is considered the only nation in the region that really can and would confront Israel. Such a confrontation is very risky for the Arab leaders. If they donot support Iran and would cowardly sit on their hands they risk angry crowds in the street.Nukes play no role at all. The extra attention Iran gets from USA and Israel plus the provocations received in return are only increasing the hero status of Ahmadinejad and that is the real threat for the Arab regimes.Israeli planmakers should always realize that Persians are no Arabs, any attack will lead to extensive damage in Israel and may lead to regime changes in the Arab world with more radical regimes.
All I've seen is proof that it's been saying the same thing for several years - but nothing that substantiates it...lol.
Things that *should* make most Americans go hmmmmmm.....
"A 2009 American government cable released Sunday by the WikiLeaks website quotes Defense Minister Ehud Barak as telling visiting American officials that a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities was viable until the end of 2010, but after that "any military solution would result in unacceptable collateral damage"... Meanwhile, another cable shows that a 2009 claim by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was months away from achieving military nuclear capability was dismissed by the Americans as a ploy..." - Haaretz// It is clear to the US today, as was previously clear about Netanyahu, that Israel gives intelligence assessments based on the desire to manipulate US policy, not based on reality. This is bad, because Israeli official opinions can no longer be taken seriously.
About Israel claiming Iran was at the brink of having a device - while at the same time Dagan was telling American Diplomats it hadn't even achieved some of the basic capabilities it was claiming?
Then...maybe it's time for a coordinated Arab-Israeli effort to supress that which threatens them. Given the vast amount of military hardware the US sells to Saudi and gives to Israel...they certainly have the capability...the question is, do they have the will.
"Our region has been hostage to a narrative that is the result of 60 years of propaganda, which paints Israel as the greatest threat," Netanyahu said.?
Generally speaking, most people oppose any nuclear proliferation whether it be Iran or Switzerland. This is why there is an NPT (which Israel has not signed). The same people who oppose nuclear proliferation recognize that a balance of power is the greatest deterrent to war. Currently, Israel is frothing at the mouth to attack Iran. This would not be the case if Iran had nuclear weapons. This is a sad reality, but a reality nonetheless. If Israel is serious about wanting Iran to renounce nuclear arms, then Israel must also renounce nuclear arms. Even Israelis should be able to understand this.
Bombing Iran does not logically follow as the solution to fearing Iran. Everyone agrees that a global economic winter would most likely result, as well as a very looong war with mostly primitive terrorists, well, terrorizing everything we do ...
Since many countries in the mid-East are against Iran, why don't they provide for their own defense? The US could fast ship the agreed 60 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the countries in the area could take care of their problems. The US would be out of the picture, US taxpayers would save billions in defense costs and aid to Israel and Saudi Arabia's buying arms would benefit US employment and the US treasury.
US taxpayers would spend more money if military aid to Israel and other countries ceased. You should do more research on how this works. You only see one perspective of military spending, but the savings in lives and dollars is much more than is being spent. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Israel saves us a lot of money overall.
Observer please back up your claim that the Israel saves the US money. If the US was not defending Israel we would be selling arms to the mid-East and not have any troops there. The terrorists would have no reason to attack the US.
Saudi Arabia buys weapons from us but wants our blood to fight Iran. Israel buys weapons but will do their own work. Sounds strange
has declared itself a legitimate target in the future war
These leaks are very one-sided and filled with many holes.Questions to be asked: Who gave wiki-leaks these classified docs(I don't believe in the hacking crap bit of it)?Who does the US share secrets and intelligence with?It appears there are vested interest who're making all efforts to paint Obama into a corner leaving him with no other choice than to launch another war in the middle-east.Wiki-leak's modus oprandi is feeding people a few truths and a whole bunch of lies to serve a specific political agenda.If anything, the leader, Assange is just a puppet of the powers that be. Anyone remember when Israel's PM said the leaks wouldn't harm US - Israel relations? The recent leaks has done a few things : 1. Increased mistrust between Iran and Persian gulf states. 2. Push up the possibility of war in the region By way of deception, thou shall wage war. Again, the question, Cui Bono????
do you have the guts to strike it? Or do you want to sacrifice America's boys like you did in Iraq?
Netanyahu seems to gloat. If by Israel's standards, Iran should be attacked (by the US), for having nuclear weapons, then Israel is living in a glass house, and should not throw stones.
that it's not Israel alone which is pushing openly for confrontation with Iran. The moderate arab states, Saudi-Arabia, Emirates,Egypt ,Jordan etc.. as well do the same in the hidden. Strange and ambiguous ME.
The only think the leaks show is that Arab despots are nervous at Iran, because it is the only regime standing up to Israel, as most people in the Middle East would like their governments to do. Iran has become too popular and it's making Arab dictators look like American/Israeli stooges, something that threatens their grip on power.
They were supposed to be "leaked" to give people reassurance in their government and to allow the State Dept. wiggle room while calling out Bibi's duplicity without doing it to his face. Meir Dagan knows exactly what I mean, particularly since he was quoted as omitting Iran as a source of insurgency in Iraq during his meeting with Corzine in one doc.
Yet again ... a misleading comments from, Netanyahu, a man who is the least representative of the Arabs. The only people who share Mr. Netanyahu’s thoughts are a few handpicked dictators and kings. They do not in any way speak for their people nor are they the shining example of democracies in the region. These leaders are well known to be nothing more than puppets for the USA - They are well known: The Royals of Jordan, the Royals of Saudi Arabia, and Mubarak of Egypt among others. The success of Iran in all fields only sheds a light on these leaders failures towards their people and in so doing threaten their stability. Eliminating Iran … in their eyes is equal to eliminating the source of their instability. These leaders would rather keep their people in the dark while they steal the wealth.
Saudi Arabia deems to be guardian of Muslim world interest, but their attitude on Iran nuclear works fades it. However, I request Israel must 10 commandments of Taurat.
Make a deal and do it yourselves. You don't need US permission. Make a deal with the Saudis and get 'er done. Leave the US out of it. Just give the US some advance notice so we can pull our people out. Looks like Dan from the UK is raring to go too. They run BP and the US problems with Iran originate with BP anyway. There is the Royal navy and they too, have ships, even aircraft carriers.
SO USE THEM and LEAVE OUR YOUNG TROOPS ALONE!
about the growing power Iran might achieve by a nuclear threat. Israels power is due to nuclear threat as well... They all want to keep the "Status Quo". This doesn't mean, Iran really is a threat to the world, just challenging the power of those, who own it now :)
Israel has bever ever posed a threat to any of its neighbours in spite of those neighbours making war on Israel many times. You failed politics 101 go back to school and try again
According to Israel and the US preemtive strike policy Iran needs to launch a attack as soon as possible since we know Israel is hiding wmd's also
According to Israel and the US preemtive strike policy Iran needs to launch a attack as soon as possible since we know Israel is hiding wmd's also
According to international law, Iran has the full right to attack Israel.
Don't forget who is behind Hizbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad. They are attacking Israel on daily basis.
“Iranian spies 'used Red Crescent to enter war zones' US embassy cables reveal claims that intelligence agents and weapons were smuggled into Lebanon and Iraq. Iran abused the strict neutrality of the Iranian Red Crescent (IRC) society to smuggle intelligence agents and weapons into other countries, including Lebanon during the 2006 war with Israel, according to claims in a leaked US embassy cable. The Iranian source, who had knowledge of the Red Crescent's overseas operations, said the Iranian intelligence service breached the society's rules of neutrality to send members into Lebanon to support the Shia militia force, Hezbollah militia during the Israel-Lebanon war. Among those allegedly sent in were members of the IRG's elite al-Quds force, a covert group of intelligence officers and special forces chosen to export the Iranian revolution.
Israel can sell war bonds to pay for it. Sell them our 187 F 22s. Elect Palin and Huckabee in 2012 and make Kantor Sec. of State, and Shumer Sec. of Defense. Make Rumsfeld and Graham in charge of foreign policy.
This stuff is expensive. How many nuke qualified sailors do you have? You don't exactly put an 18-year-old in charge of a nuclear power plant. Not even Palin is crazy enough to want Rummy back. Gee, with Palin seeing Russians from her house, we'll have a nuclear Armageddon in weeks, just so she won't be left behind.
that woman who believes the World was created 6 thousand years ago?
Too bad, right he is. No matter how all the Jew-haters and Jewish self-haters twist in agony.
Starting with the desire ethnocracy it is trying to impose...
Bibi is being described as "charming", but never keeps his promises..... How about that ? Like it ?
If you think you have seen evil and twisted minded people think again after you see Israelis talking and lying looking to you directly in the eye.
the more one notices that the israelis say the truth
Every related government doesn't even consider Iran's program is peaceful. They either think they want nukes, or the ability to produce one as quickly as possible, if/when given the order. Rather pessimistic.
up to know we've only some Arab dictators inciting US to wage war to Iran, being on the side of the most extremist government in Israel history confirms only who's friend to whom
But what will the looney leftist do now as more leaks are on their way to this blog and canot be stopped by stupid snivelling govt.s ?
Can they all be wrong?? Are they all War-mongering fools, as some would claim? Or are they level-headed, leading countries of the Middle East with a real concern?
Can they all be wrong?? Are they all War-mongering fools, as some would claim? Or are they level-headed, leading countries of the Middle East with a real concern?
they've sided with the US and didn't help them during the reovlution so they may have serious grounds for concerns. Iran has a historical beef with the US (and their shas) and the US doesn't easily forget it's failures - eg Cuba, and Iran. However China wasn't that much interested in securing global interests back then and that has changed dramatically.
And where are all the Royal Marines to team up with the Arab States and Israel to storm the beaches? Go for it. You have carriers that haven't yet been mothballed or turned into scrap.
is minimal... no one believes Bibi's public assessments of the extent of the Iranian nuclear weapons' program.
The elites does support Israels lies but the arabs in general despise Israel but appreciate Iran
The arguments shape is this, 'Shit is the best thing in this world to eat, because trillions of flies can't be wrong!'
Netanyahu as usual is full of it? Say it ain't so.
yes they belive lies, how about israel nukes? thats NOT lies