Just one day after his government hinted at a compromise, with Defense Minister Ehud Barak saying Israel was willing to accept Iran’s civilian enrichment of uranium up to 3.5 percent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave a new speech in which he rescinded the offer and issued new demands.
In his new speech, “This is the only way it will be possible to ensure that Iran does not get a nuclear bomb,” insisted Netanyahu, adding that his demands “will not change” and that Israel will accept nothing less out of the Baghdad Summit, which they aren’t participating in in the first place.
Having two sets of book it relation to demands issued to Iran is nothing new, and the US has likewise put on a more reasonable face in certain speeches while issuing impossible levels of demands in others. With Israel now back on the “demand everything” kick and the US imposing yet more sanctions, the summit is likely to begin with considerable acrimony.
