Defense minister says Obama administration is
acting feebly and demonstrating weakness the world over, from China through the
Mideast to Ukraine.
Based on his evaluation that the
United States isn’t going to do anything to frustrate the Iranian nuclear
program, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Monday he’s changed his mind and
now leans toward supporting unilateral Israeli action against Iran.
“We had
thought the ones who should lead the campaign against Iran is the United States,” said
Ya’alon, speaking during an event at Tel Aviv University. “But at some stage
the United States entered into negotiations with them, and unhappily, when it
comes to negotiating at a Persian bazaar, the Iranians were better.”
If Israel
had hoped others would do the job for it, this is not about to happen, Ya’alon
said: “Therefore, on this matter, we have to behave as though we have nobody to
look out for us but ourselves.”
His words
attest to a sea-change in his attitude regarding how Israel should contend with
the Iranian nuclear program. Under the previous government, Ya’alon had led the
opposition in the security cabinet to a solo Israeli attack on Iran, even
exchanging sharp words on the issue with the defense minister at the time, Ehud
Barak. Ya’alon had taken the position that “the work of righteous men shall be
done by others” – meaning the United States should be the one to attack Iran’s
nuclear facilities.
Evidently he
longer believes this is going to happen, and is nearing the position of Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who signals the belief that Israel should be
behaving as though it’s on its own, right now.
Ya’alon was
sharply critical on Monday of Washington’s behavior regarding Iran, even
hinting that U.S. President Barack Obama would prefer to pass the hot potato to
his successor at the White House. “People know that Iran cheats,” Ya’alon said.
“But comfortable Westerners prefer to put off confrontation. If possible, to
next year, or the next president. But in the end, it will blow up.”
From Iran
being “on its knees” thanks to economic pressure and onerous diplomatic
isolation, from fearing an internal eruption and military threat, Iran cleverly
led a “smile offensive,” Ya’alon said, extracting itself from crisis.
“There have
been delays in the nuclear program, but the [interim] agreement [signed between
Iran and the superpowers in Geneva] is very convenient for the Iranians,”
Ya’alon said. “They’re settling down at the threshold and can decide when to
make the breakthrough to a nuclear bomb.”
Ya’alon’s
criticism of Obama’s foreign policy didn’t stop with Iran. The minister
repeated a number of times during his address that Washington has been showing
weakness everywhere in the world. “The moderate Sunni camp in the area expected
the United States to support it, and to be firm, like Russia’s support for the
Shi’ite axis,” Ya’alon said. “I heard voices of disappointment in the region. I
was in Singapore and heard disappointment about China getting stronger and the
U.S. getting weaker. Look what’s happening inUkraine,
where the United States is demonstrating weakness, unfortunately.”
If the
American government persists in demonstrating weakness on the international
front, the United States’ own national security will be badly damaged, Ya’alon
said. “If you sit and wait at home, the terrorism will come again,” he said.
“Even if you hunker down, it will come. This is a war of civilizations. If your
image is feebleness, it doesn’t pay in the world. Nobody will replace the
United States as global policeman. I hope the United States comes to its
senses. If it doesn’t, it will challenge the world order, and the United States
is the one that will suffer.”
Discussing
the relations between Israel and the United States on the security and
diplomatic fronts, Ya’alon said that U.S. military aid to Israel needs to be
“seen in proportion”.
“It isn’t a
favor America is doing, it’s in their interest,” he said. Israel not only takes
from Washington, the minister added — it also gives. “They get quality
intelligence and technology,” he said. “We invented Iron Dome. The wings of the
F-35 stealth fighter – we invented. We invented the Arrow,” an anti-ballistic
missile.
Ya’alon also
took aim at the Israeli left, implying that Justice Minister Tzipi Livni was
encouraging international elements to apply pressure to Israel. “We have a
serious problem of self-accusation,” he said. “There are circles where Israelis
and Arabs meet. The Arabs accuse the Jews and the Jews accuse themselves.”
Hinting
plainly at Livni, Ya’alon said, “There are elements within the government that
have lost their equilibrium, and blame us” for the failure of negotiations with
the Palestinians. “They say, why are we building? [Settlements.] Why don’t we
give more? Then it becomes very convenient for everybody outside to pounce on
us. We have too much self-accusation, which attracts fire, and causes people to
press us and demand concessions.”
'Mystified' US slams Israeli defense minister Ya'alon's criticism of Obama
Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (R) looks into Syria on tour of Golan Heights Photo: Ariel Hermoni, Defense Ministry spokesman
WASHINGTON -- The United States is using unprecedented language to condemn Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon after he continued weeks of criticism of US President Barack Obama, and members of his foreign policy team, on Tuesday.
“We were shocked by Moshe Ya’alon’s comments, which seriously call into question his commitment to Israel’s relationship with the United States," a senior administration official told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday night. "Moreover, this is part of a disturbing pattern in which the Defense Minister disparages the US Administration, and insults its most senior officials."
Ya'alon said on Tuesday that, in light of developments on crises in the Middle East, relations with China and with Russia over the annexation of Crimea, Obama's "image in the world is feebleness."
Ya'alon sensed "disappointment" in the world community, he said at Tel Aviv University.
"Given the unprecedented commitment that this administration has made to Israel’s security, we are mystified why the Defense Minister seems intent on undermining the relationship," the official continued.
The defense minister also implied that US policy on Iran was pushing Israel to plan for war, should talks over its nuclear program fail in Vienna.
"At some stage the United States entered into negotiations with [the Iranians], and unhappily, when it comes to negotiating at a Persian bazaar, the Iranians were better," Ya'alon said.
Ya'alon's criticism of the US administration was extensive: he suggested the White House "come to its senses," or else risk new terrorist threats from around the world.
"Look what's happening in Ukraine, where the United States is demonstrating weakness, unfortunately," he continued.
The comments come just weeks after Ya'alon was criticized for calling US Secretary of State John Kerry "messianic" for his fervent pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The State Department demanded an apology for those comments, which he delivered at the time at the insistence of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.
This would be
funny it were not serious. This American official thinks he is Captain Renault
from Casablanca: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
Obama is behaving like a deer
caught in the headlights. He just cannot grasp the magnitude of the Iranian
threat and there is where his weakness is the most dangerous.
