Two former heads of Israeli intelligence have come out to contradict the conflict driven narrative being pushed by Netanyahu and friends.
Amos Yadlin and Efraim Halevy have spent their entire careers protecting Israel from threats like the Iranian nuclear program. They see the agreement reached last week with Iran as an opportunity to secure Israel’s future. Right now, the biggest obstacle to preventing a nuclear Iran may not be the Ayatollah.
?If we had a prime minister who knew how to talk to the Americans and enjoyed the president’s trust, this would have been the time to jump on the band wagon and demand clarification of all the points that require clarification.?
Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amos Yadlin made the statement in an interview?with Ben Caspit of the Al Monitor following the announcement of the framework agreement between Iran and the six international powers in the P5 +1 talks. Yadlin spent his career fighting to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of Israel’s enemies. In 1981, he flew one of the planes which bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Osirak. As head of military intelligence, he directed the covert wars against Syrian and Iranian nuclear programs until 2010.
In the interview, Yadlin discounts Prime Minister Netanyahu classifying the deal with Iran as a danger to Israel and regional stability.
?There’s no reason for panic. Israel’s fate has not been sealed, our freedom is not in danger and all in all, we’re talking about an agreement with quite a few achievements.?
In an op-ed published on Ynet News, Efraim Halevy offers his take on the agreement. ?Obama was right, Iran capitulated.? He goes on to note the historic accomplishment in extracting such concessions from Iran.
?Anyone who has followed events in Iran in recent decades or has studied the matter has to admit truthfully that he never believed Iran would ever agree to discuss these issues, let alone agree to each of the clauses I have mentioned.?
Havely is an expert on international relations and security issues facing Israel. He served as head of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad and chief of security for former Prime Minister Sharon. He also received an appointment as ambassador to the European Union.
There are no two people more qualified to comment on the current situation. Both agree that an attack against Iran would only slow their nuclear program temporarily but close the door to diplomacy permanently. They urge the current government to take President Obama’s offer and work with the United States going forward.
Will Netanyahu take this sound advice and work toward peace or further strain his relations with the west by continuing his reckless pursuit of conflict?
