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Israel Takes for Granted that the Iranians Will Cheat on Nukes

(New Republic) Yossi Klein Halevi - There are only two credible obstacles to an Iranian bomb: economic sanctions and the possibility of an Israeli military strike. The deal signed with the Iranian regime threatens both. Israelis note that the interim deal doesn't cover inspections of Iran's nuclear weaponization program, including fuses, timers and metallurgy, which will no doubt continue apace. And Israel takes for granted that the Iranians will persist in doing what they've done all along: lie and cheat, but this time under the cover of a deal. In every previous round of negotiations, after all, the Iranians continued building secret facilities. Much of the international community assumes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is bluffing when he insists that Israel is prepared to confront Iran alone if necessary. But the determination of this Israeli government shouldn't be underestimated. A nuclear bomb in the hands of a regime that routinely dehumanizes Israel and threatens it with destruction - just last week, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khameini called Israel a "rabid dog" - would end Zionism's promise to create a safe refuge for the Jewish people. The writer is a senior fellow of the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem.
2013-11-29 00:00:00
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