Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that the new emerging nuclear deal between Iran and the Western powers is shorter and weaker than the previous agreement. Bennett was speaking today at the opening of the cabinet meeting. He said that the negotiations were very advanced and there could very soon be an agreement.
Bennett said, "The original agreement that was signed in 2015 was an agreement for ten years and now it is for two and a half years. In other words, most of the restrictions on the Iran nuclear program are due to expire in 2025. Since the signing of the original agreement two things have happened. The Iranians have very much progressed in building their enrichment capability and time has passed. Is the world going to again sign an agreement without extending the expiry date. After all we are talking about an agreement that in total buys two and a half years, after which the Iranians can and are permitted to develop and to install advanced centrifuges without restrictions, stadiums full of centrifuges, according to the agreement.
Bennett added, "In exchange, the Iranians will, at present, receive tens of billions of dollars and have sanctions removed. Ultimately, that money will reach terror in the region. That terror endangers us and other countries in the region - as we saw recently - and will also endanger American forces in the region. In any event we are organizing and preparing for the day after, in every dimension, so that we will know how to protect the security of Israel's citizens with our own forces."
Yesterday Israel's Minister of Defense Benny Gantz met with US Vice president Kamala Harris and Gantz sounded like somebody who had accepted the inevitable. In a statement after the meeting, Gantz said that he had stressed to Harris the importance of strict supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency over Iran, in any agreement, including continued investigation.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on February 20, 2022.
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