Israeli Minister: Iran Deal 'Unmitigated Disaster'
Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett called the emerging nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers an unmitigated disaster of "historical proportions."
The U.S.-backed deal, which leaves Iran's uranium enrichment program intact, will "give Iran a clear path to achieve nuclear weapons within just a few years," Bennett told participants of the 2015 AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington.
The deal, being touted by U.S. and Iranian officials as freezing Iran's nuclear program for 10 years, Bennett said will "harm the interests of the free world."
There's an alternative, he said.
"Instead of letting Iran have nuclear weapons, we can impose more sanctions and bring Iran to a place where it will have no choice but to give up its nuclear plans," Bennett said.
Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Israel Hayom quoted journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from an article published Sunday in The Atlantic on Netanyahus speech to Congress Tuesday.
"I'm fairly sure Netanyahu will deliver a powerful speech, in part because he is eloquent in English and forceful in presentation," Goldberg wrote. "But there is another reason this speech may be strong: Netanyahu has a credible case to make."
"Any agreement that allows Iran to maintain a native uranium-enrichment capability is a dicey proposition," he continued. "In fact, any agreement at all with an empire-building, Assad-sponsoring, Yemen-conquering, Israel-loathing, theocratic terror regime is a dicey proposition."
