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US President Barack Obama (L) and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (AP)
Washington is hoping that Israel will stop fighting the Iran nuclear deal, but Israel has so far refused to compromise on the issue.
As the rift between Washington and Jerusalem over the Iran nuclear deal becomes more apparent, American ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro is suggesting that Israel look past the day the deal becomes final and focus on compensation that the US is offering in wake of the accord.
Speaking in fluent Hebrew to IDF Radio on Monday, Shapiro said, “We have to accept that there is a clear disagreement between us and maybe we won’t succeed in convincing each other.”
The US diplomat said he had offered to launch talks between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US on cooperation concerning the threats emanating from Iran and that Jerusalem has so far refused the offer.
“We offered the prime minister to commence with professional talks on how we can increase our security cooperation and how to deal with threats from Iran, to discuss what intelligence information we need, to come to an agreement regarding military action that may be needed in the next 10 years, how can we stop weapons transfers to Hezbollah, what are the military needs of Israel against falling rockets. We can have these conversations all while we disagree on the Iran deal,” said the ambassador. “Until now the prime minister has not agreed to have these conversations. I believe the time has come.”
Shapiro emphasized that “it is not productive for us just to argue… We can still begin to prepare for the day after. We will need to work together to deal with Iran, so why not prepare for it?”
Foreign Ministry Director Dore Gold. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)
Netanyahu vigorously opposes the deal, calling it a historic mistake and stressing the existential threat to Israel.
Reports indicate that the US has offered Israel a compensation package over the Iran deal, but Israel has so far refused to accept it because it would weaken its fight for public opinion and for support from Congress against the deal.
Responding to Shapiro, Dore Gold, director of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, said Israel needs to see what will happen on “the day after” before it makes further decisions. “We are currently focusing on the ramifications of the deal, and we will move on to the next stages when we see what reality we are contending with. The prime minister has an obligation to act in this fashion,” he told IDF Radio.
By: United with Israel Staff
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