Transcript: Israel and Its (Lack of) Options on Iran

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Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor has told Reuters that "superpowers had to do stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons either militarily or through further sanctions". Yet what may be most striking in the interview is that, beyond that tough assertion, Meridor is unwilling or unable to pursue a specific line because of the positions of other countries. He cannot endorse military operations; he cannot condemn the engagement of President Obama, and his "concerted intensive action" is hostage to the support of China and Russia.

Meridor's statement:

The time is now. There is no more time to waste, and that's not only the Israeli perspective, it's much more general.

I remember that in 2003 they suspended enrichment because the Americans looked strong enough after the invasion of Iraq.

The clock is ticking, in the sense that when nothing is done (to dissuade Iran), something (enrichment) is done all the time. Time is relevant and of the essence here. How long? I don't want to go into that here...The trend is clear.

I'm not speaking of military action. I don't want to give any word that would be misinterpreted. I intentionally put this issue in its broader context. Of course there is a special case in Israel because Iranian leaders say, not only (President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad, that Israel is not legitimate and should not exist, and one sees the building up of weapons, not to speak of the meaningful involvement in terror all over the place... One should not close one's eyes but we are in a way fortunate that this is not only Israel's problem.

Our policy is a good one and it worked well. And we are known to be quite a responsible country. We are in a unique position. There are formulas we use all the time (to address this issue). I will not say what we have, if we have or we don't have (nuclear weapons), but the fact is that the alarm in the Arab world is related to the fear that Iran may have it.

It [Iran's having a nuclear weapon] is not in the distant future. When they decide exactly this or exactly that is a good question but it's not the main question. The trend is clear and if you want to be an owner of nuclear weapons or have the capability of being a nuclear power it changes the balance of power.

I can't say that [the U.S. engagement's being called as a "waste of time"], because the other option didn't work either... If it works, it works. What I think we look for is the result, whether you do it with soft spoken language or with a heavy stick. I'd rather do it with a positive (method), but that doesn't always work.

It's important there is an understanding, a will, a capability, if all join hands, to enforce a concerted intensive action -- which is not military action, I speak of political and economic measures -- that may be taken if the Russians and Chinese can get on board.

If there is no perception of a concerted effort the other countries who are concenred with the possibility of a nuclear Iran could develop their own in the meantime... Then you will find a different world, one harder for a superpower to manage.

I don't think Russia has an interest in a nuclear Iran. Maybe they want to be considered as a partner, not to be told what to do. I am not for or against the Russians. I am saying they are important elements. Their have an important role in the world. Communism might be dead. Russia is not.

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Israel - No Arrests, The Americans Are in Town: According to Ha'aretz, Israeli soldiers serving in the West Bank have been instructed by their commanders to cancel a number of planned arrest operations while American diplomats are touring inside the West Bank and East Jerusalem “to gather testimony on settlement construction, to oversee American-funded projects, and to meet with Palestinian Authority officials". One of the officers said: "We were told that the situation with the Americans is sensitive and that it is not desirable that operations are conducted that could lead to violent situations when they [the Americans] are there."

Israel's New PR Campaign: On Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman publicly dismissed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s “de-facto state” plan. He also said that there should not be any deadline for a future agreement between Palestinians and Israelis.

On the same day, the Jerusalem Post reported that Lieberman is working on a new campaign to fix Israel’s image in the eyes of Washington: "Government ministers Moshe Ya'alon, Yossi Peled, Dan Meridor and Benny Begin, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and former consul-general in New York Alon Pinkas, will begin on Sunday - in a staggered fashion - fanning out across America, meeting with political and media figures, policy-makers, campus groups and Jewish organizations, in an effort to explain the government's positions.”

Holding the Line on Israeli Settlements: Yossi Peled, Israeli Minister Without Portfolio, spoke at the gathering of Likud Party activists in Tel Aviv on Tuesday after accompanying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his trip to Europe. He assured the audience that the Prime Minister had not made any deal with the Obama Administration to freeze construction in Judea and Samaria and that he was not willing to do so:

I heard the prime minister say with my own ears that he has no intention of freezing construction in the settlements or in Jerusalem… He said there is no agreement to freeze construction in the settlements. I am telling you this first-hand.

Peled added that Netanyahu had said in his meetings in Europe that "Jews should be able to live wherever they want".