"A nuclear-armed Iran in the Middle East wouldn't be another North Korea. It would be another 50 North Koreas," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. "Our hope for the future is challenged by a nuclear-armed Iran that seeks our destruction."
Netanyahu noted, "2,500 years ago, the great Persian King Cyrus ended the Babylonian exile of the Jewish people. He issued a famous edict in which he proclaimed the right of the Jews to return to the Land of Israel and rebuild the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. That's a Persian decree, and thus began an historic friendship between the Jews and the Persians that lasted until modern times. But in 1979, a radical regime in Tehran tried to stamp out that friendship. As it was busy crushing the Iranian people's hopes for democracy, it also led wild chants of 'Death to the Jews!'
"Now, since that time, Presidents of Iran have come and gone. Some presidents were considered moderates, others hardliners. But they've all served that same unforgiving creed, that same unforgetting regime - that creed that is espoused and enforced by the real power in Iran, the dictator known in Iran as the Supreme Leader, first Ayatollah Khomeini and now Ayatollah Khamenei. President Rouhani."
Netanyahu went on to say that Rouhani, as head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council in 1983-2003, knew all about terrorist attacks by "Iran's henchmen" against Jews, American soldiers, and others around the world. "Rouhani was also Iran's chief nuclear negotiator between 2003 and 2005. He masterminded the strategy which enabled Iran to advance its nuclear weapons program behind a smokescreen of diplomatic engagement and very soothing rhetoric. Now I know Rouhani does not sound like Ahmadinejad. But when it comes to Iran's nuclear weapons program, the only difference between them is this: Ahmadinejad was a wolf in wolf's clothing and Rouhani is a wolf in sheep's clothing - a wolf who thinks he can pull the wool over the eyes of the international community".
As for Rouhani's charm offensive, Netanyahu said, "Like everyone else, I wish we could believe Rouhani's words. But we must focus on Iran's actions. And it’s the brazen contrast, this extraordinary contradiction between Rouhani's words and Iran's actions that is so startling. Rouhani stood at this very podium last week and praised Iranian democracy. Iranian democracy, he said. But the regime that he represents executes political dissidents by the hundreds and jails them by the thousands. Rouhani spoke of "the human tragedy in Syria." Yet Iran directly participates in Assad’s murder and massacre of tens of thousands of innocent men, women, and children in Syria, and that regime is propping up a Syrian regime that just used chemical weapons against its own people. Rouhani condemned the 'violent scourge of terrorism.' Yet in the last three years alone Iran has ordered, planned or perpetrated terrorist attacks in 25 cities on five continents.
"Rouhani denounces 'attempts to change the regional balance through proxies.' Yet Iran is actively destabilizing Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, and many other Middle Eastern countries. Rouhani promises 'constructive engagement with other countries.' Yet two years ago, Iranian agents tried to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in Washington, DC. And just three weeks ago, an Iranian agent was arrested trying to collect information for possible attacks against the American Embassy in Tel Aviv."
Netanyahu dismissed Rouhani's claim that Iran had never chosen deceit… and secrecy in its nuclear program. "Well, in2002, Iran was caught red-handed secretly building an underground centrifuge facility at Natanz. Then in 2009, Iran was again caught red-handed secretly building a huge underground nuclear facility for uranium enrichment in a mountain near Qom."
Netanyahu also ridiculed Rouhani's claim that Iran's nuclear program was for peaceful purposes, asking, "Why would a country that claims to only want peaceful nuclear energy, why would such a country build hidden underground enrichment facilities? Why would a country with vast natural energy reserves invest billions in developing nuclear energy? Why would a country intent on merely civilian nuclear programs continue to defy multiple Security Council resolutions and incur the costs of crippling sanctions on its economy? And why would a country with a peaceful nuclear program develop intercontinental ballistic missiles whose sole purpose is to deliver nuclear warheads? You don't build ICBM's to carry TNT thousands of miles away. You build them for one purpose to carry nuclear warheads. And Iran is now building ICBM's that the US says can reach this city in three or four years."
Netanyahu answered his questions, "The answer is simple. Iran is not building a peaceful nuclear program. Iran is developing nuclear weapons".
Netanyahu said that Iran was positioning itself to cross the red line at a time of its choosing, to build a nuclear bomb before the international community can prevent it, but that if faces the big problem of sanctions - and the sanctions policy is bearing fruit. Rouhani was elected by the Iranian people to get the sanctions removed and they are the reason for his charm offensive to get the sanctions lifted without giving up the nuclear program.
The method, according to Netanyahu is, "First, smile a lot. Smiling never hurts. Second, pay lip service to peace, democracy and tolerance. Third, offer meaningless concessions in exchange for lifting sanctions. And fourth, and the most important, ensure that Iran retains sufficient nuclear material and sufficient nuclear infrastructure to race to the bomb at a time that it chooses to do so. You know why Rouhani thinks he can get away with this? I mean, this is a ruse; it's a ploy. Why does Rouhani think he can get away with it? Because he's gotten away with it before. Because his strategy of talking a lot and doing little has worked for him in the past." Netanyahu said that Rouhani has fooled the world once, and thinks that he can do it again, and that he can get away with like North Korea has done.
Citing the history of the 20th century, Netanyahu said, "Iran's fanaticism is not bluster. It's real. This fanatic regime must never be allowed to arm itself with nuclear weapons."
Netanyahu concluded, "The only diplomatic solution that would work is one that fully dismantles Iran's nuclear weapons program and prevents it from having one in the future. President Obama rightly said that Iran's conciliatory words must be matched by transparent, verifiable and meaningful action."
Netanyahu's proposal to the international community is, "First, keep up the sanctions. If Iran advances its nuclear weapons program during negotiations, strengthen the sanctions. Second, don't agree to a partial deal. A partial deal would lift international sanctions that have taken years to put in place in exchange for cosmetic concessions that will take only weeks for Iran to reverse. Third, lift the sanctions only when Iran fully dismantles its nuclear weapons program.
"The international community has Iran on the ropes. If you want to knockout Iran's nuclear weapons program peacefully, don't let up the pressure. Keep it up. We all want to give diplomacy with Iran a chance to succeed. But when it comes to Iran, the greater the pressure, the greater the chance."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 2, 2013
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