According to a report from Israel’s Walla news site, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, told a high-level security cabinet meeting that it would be better for Israel if a deal is reached to limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
The report said Haliva told the cabinet that a deal would be better than if the negotiations that are ongoing in Vienna fail. His comments break from the rest of the Israeli government that has been outspoken in its opposition to the restoration of the Iran nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA.
Since the JCPOA talks restarted at the end of November, Israeli officials have been calling for the US to stop the negotiations and tighten sanctions on Iran and have also been threatening to attack Iran. Haliva said a restored nuclear deal could give Israel more time to bolster its capabilities to strike the Islamic Republic.
Haliva was reportedly responding to comments from David Barnea, the head of Israel’s Mossad spy agency. At the cabinet meeting, Barnea expressed his opposition to the JCPOA and said there was still time to influence Washington on the talks.
If restricting Iran’s civilian nuclear program was Israel’s real concern, favoring a JCPOA revival would be a no-brainer. The agreement restricts Iran’s uranium enrichment levels at 3.67 percent, vastly lower than the 90 percent needed for weapons-grade. The agreement also makes Iran’s nuclear program subject to the most stringent inspections in the world.
Based on what I’ve read, Israeli intelligence has generally been giving accurate information – that Iran does not have a nuclear weapons program – to the Israeli leadership for some years now. The Israeli leadership, of course, can’t use that, just as Bush, Obama, Trump and now Biden couldn’t use the same conclusion reached by the entire US intelligence community, because it doesn’t help the geopolitical and military-industrial complex agenda.
Hi Richard:
I must say I am a tad hopeful on these comments though I agree with your comments.
And that’s called arrogance and ignorance…!
If restricting Iran’s civilian nuclear program was Israel’s real concern, favoring a JCPOA revival would be a no-brainer.
Agreed. Restoring the deal would take away the prime narrative necessary to “justify” an attack on Iran. If Iran can prove that their nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, within the terms of an agreement with the 5 permanent UN Security Council members and the EU, then hawks and war-profiteers can’t claim an attack is necessary to prevent Iran having a nuclear weapon.
This is why Trump pulling out of the deal was so dangerous and why it is vitally important that Biden restore it.
But of course restricting Iran’s nuclear program is *not* Israel’s real concern. Why anyone even bothers to suggest it might be is always amazing to me. Israel’s real concern is to get the US to destroy Iran as a functioning state.
Said the rogue nuclear state